How many controls in my new Explorer-mutt?

[rstites]

I'm getting ready to assemble an Explorer that I'm building from parts. I have a nice body I bought off ebay several years ago that I painted black. It's got a top-mount floyd, two humbuckers, and is ready to go. I have an old Tom Anderson neck with a hockey-style headstock that I'm mounting on it. I'm going to toss in some modern Tom Anderson pickups (H-3 or H-3+ and a matching neck) and put chrome hardware on everything. The only question before I assemble is how I want to set up the electronics, so I'll toss it out there for discussion.

I have an electronics cavity that's reminiscent of an old San Dimas Charvel one, so not huge but I can make anything work that I want.

Here's the realistic options I'm considering:

1. Single volume.

2. Two volumes, one for each pickup.

3. Volume + tone. (Same holes as #2.)

4. Two volumes and a tone.

I'll have a toggle for any of the above. What'd you do? How would you arrange them? IOW, where would you locate the switch vs. the electronics. I'm new to Explorer bodies and hadn't thought of this before now.

[j2379]

volume and a tone, only the neck pickup hooked up to the tone and a 3way toggle. V toggle T or V T, toggle in the horn.

[rstites]

Well, I can't put the toggle in the horn. It's a rear loaded guitar, with a standard cavity, so everything has to go behind the bridge.

Out of curiosity, why put the tone on the neck pickup? I never got that as the neck pickup is already going to be dark, so I can see ever rolling the highs off on it. It does seem like a lot of people like that setup though.

[xenophobe]

Volume + Toggle.

[toejam]

Volume + Toggle.

This.

[rstites]

Yeah, the Volume + Toggle is what I'd initially leaned towards. If I had a push-pull switch around, I'd considered a single volume/switch, but I'm too impatient to order it and wait. I bought this body several years ago, painted it all and then got relocated out to NJ. The paint got messed up in the move. I then repainted it there just before (you guessed it) I got transferred here. It set for a couple of years before I painted it. Now, it's set painted for 6 months....and suddenly I can't wait to order a single switched pot for it!

[j2379]

its nice to be able to roll the tone back on a neck pickup for clean stuff or for that clapton Cream tone. I never use a tone on the bridge pickup tho, unless its a strat.

[hunter1970]

I vote for a push/push knob that toggles between the two pickups,or even a push/pull knob.Unless of course you wanted to use both pickups at the dame time which I personally never do.But some people do.

[sully]

Two volumes. That way you can do the Ace/Randy machine gun/killswitch sound.

That said.....Holy shit....rstites is a SUPER old school JCF'er! Nice to see you back, Ross!!!!!!! I saw this post and thought it was 2001 for a second.

Sully

[rstites]

Hey Sully!

I've been lurking on a regular basis for the last couple of years, but just not posting much. I just haven't had nearly as much to say as I used to. It has been a while. I think I had 2 or 3 times as many posts on the original forum as the new one....which is now over 10 years old!

When did the original one start? I can remember using dial up on vacation in 1998 for it...wow!

[rstites]

Oops forgot about the actual technical question! The two volumes + toggle is a good idea. I rewired by '84 Charvel that way years ago, and always loved it so that might be the way to go. Back in the days of the single channel Marshall, I'd use the bridge for most things and wire it to the traditional volume control. Then, I'd typically replace the tone with the volume for the neck and roll it way off, so that I could just toggle switch over for some semi-cleans for arpeggiated passages and such. Stick an OD out front for leads and you're set.

Maybe the tried-n-true is the best solution...hmmm...

[JACKSONFREAK]

Why not use a concentric pot for the second position? So yould have a neck and bridge volume and a master tone and a 4 way,

[rstites]

I'm afraid I'm not following what I'm getting with that suggestion. Do you have a wiring diagram or can you expand that a bit? Thanks.

[JACKSONFREAK]

One normal volume and a three way switch. Then a stacked pot for a second vol and a master tone. No additional holes and u get more versatility. It would wire like a normal 2 v 1 t but the tone is stacked on the second volume.