Editing Openai/691bd7e6-2c00-8006-a0ff-8447f126175d


{{DISPLAYTITLE:Pickup switching explanation}}

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== gpt-5-1 ==
=== User: https://strandbergguitars.com/en-US/product/boden-standard-n26-transformative-teal-metallic ===
https://strandbergguitars.com/en-US/product/boden-standard-n26-transformative-teal-metallic

Pickup Switching
# Bridge Humbucking, 2. Bridge Humbucking + Neck Outer Coil, 3. Bridge Humbucking + Neck Outer Coil in series with Neck Inner Coil, 4. Neck Inner Coil, 5. Neck Humbucking

Explain position 2. And 3. To me. Is this single could use or full bridge both coils and one of neck?

=== Assistant: Good question. ===
Good question. Here's a breakdown of what positions 2 and 3 mean on your Strandberg Boden Standard N2.6 (or similar Boden N2) 5-way switch, plus an explanation of how the coils are being used. Then I’ll talk about the practical effect (tone, volume, hum).

==== First, some context: ====
* Your guitar has two humbuckers: one at the bridge (Pegasus) and one at the neck (Sentient). Pitbull Audio<ref>{{cite web|title=Pitbull Audio|url=https://www.pitbullaudio.com/strandberg-boden-standard-n2-6-headless-multi-scale-guitar-black-satin-metallic.html|publisher=Pitbull Audio|access-date=2026-01-16}}</ref>
* A humbucker has two coils. Let’s call them outer coil and inner coil for simplicity. (These correspond to how Strandberg describes their switch.)
* Depending on the switch position, different combinations of coils can be connected, either in series or parallel, to shape the tone.

===== - In this position, both coils of the bridge humbucker are active (so the bridge is in full humbucking mode). =====
* Plus, only the outer coil of the neck pickup is also active.
* “Outer coil” means one half of the neck humbucker — likely the screw-pole coil (depending on how the pickup is wound).

Effect / Tone:
* Because you have a full humbucker + one coil of another humbucker, you're combining a full, strong bridge tone with a “split” (single-coil–like) part of the neck.
* This gives a more complex blend: you retain a lot of the punch and fullness of the bridge humbucker, but with some tonal character from the neck’s single coil (outer coil).
* Because the coils come from two different pickups, this can also provide hum-cancelling, depending on the winding/polarity. Some users report that these “coil split + full” combos are quieter than a single coil alone. Reddit<ref>{{cite web|title=Reddit|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Strandberg/comments/159si02|publisher=reddit.com|access-date=2026-01-16}}</ref>

===== This one is a little more complex: =====
* Again, both coils of the bridge are active (full bridge humbucker).
* Also, both coils of the neck humbucker are used — but how they’re used is important: the neck’s outer coil is first combined in parallel (with the bridge or as part of the routing), and then that signal is put in series with the neck’s inner coil. - “In series” means the electrical signal from one coil goes into the next coil, rather than both just feeding the output independently. Series wiring tends to give more output (louder), more midrange, and a “fatter” tone. Fralin Pickups<ref>{{cite web|title=Fralin Pickups|url=https://www.fralinpickups.com/2017/05/18/series-parallel-wiring-humbucker/|publisher=Fralin Pickups|date=2017-05-18|access-date=2026-01-16}}</ref> - Parallel wiring (for coils) usually gives a cleaner, brighter sound with less output than series. Fralin Pickups<ref>{{cite web|title=Fralin Pickups|url=https://www.fralinpickups.com/2017/05/18/series-parallel-wiring-humbucker/|publisher=Fralin Pickups|date=2017-05-18|access-date=2026-01-16}}</ref> - So you're getting a mixed topology: part parallel, then series.

Effect / Tone:
* This will likely be one of the fullest and loudest switch positions, because you’re using all coils (bridge humbucker + both coils of neck), and some of them are wired in series.
* The signal from the neck is going through both its coils, so you’re not just getting a “thin” split coil — you're getting more of the neck's full humbucker character, but colored by how it's phased/combined with the bridge’s output.
* Tonally, this could be more rounded, with good low-mid content, and more “weight” than position 2, since both neck coils are contributing in series.

==== : ====
* Position 2 is bridge full humbucker + one coil of the neck (not just a single coil on its own).
* Position 3 is bridge full humbucker + '''both''' coils of the neck, but wired in a more complex way (series for the neck coils), giving a richer and stronger combined signal.

==== - Volume Differences: Because of the different coil combinations and wiring (series vs parallel), some switch positions (especially the ones using fewer coils or parallel wiring) might be quieter than others. Indeed, some Strandberg players report noticeable volume differences when switching. Reddit<ref>{{cite web|title=Reddit|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/strandbergguitars/comments/1ferrd0|publisher=reddit.com|access-date=2026-01-16}}</ref> ====
* Hum / Noise: Using single coils (or split coils) can introduce more hum, but because of how Strandberg wires these combos, many of the “split + humbucker” positions are hum-cancelling. Reddit<ref>{{cite web|title=Reddit|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Strandberg/comments/159si02|publisher=reddit.com|access-date=2026-01-16}}</ref>
* Tone: Position 2 will likely have a quackier, more “single-coil + humbucker blend” sound. Position 3 will lean more into a fuller humbucker-style tone, but with extra coloration from combining all coils.

===== On your guitar model Strandberg Boden Standard N2.6 in Transformative Teal Metallic, the 5-way switch is exactly as described: =====

: 

==== - Position 2 = full bridge humbucker + one neck coil (outer) → a blend of powerful + a little single-coil-ish neck flavor. ====
* Position 3 = full bridge humbucker + both neck coils (series) → very full, probably the most “all-in” position, with good richness.

If you like, I can dig in and find exact wiring diagrams (or even tone comparisons) for your exact guitar model (with the Pegasus/Sentient pickups) so you can better imagine how each position sounds — do you want me to do that?

=== User: Doing new pickups debating rewiring position 3 just both humbuckers or should I leave as stock set up? ===
Doing new pickups debating rewiring position 3 just both humbuckers or should I leave as stock set up?

=== Assistant: Here’s the truth: position 3 on the Strandberg 5-way is unusual, and whether you should keep it or rewire depends on wh… ===
Here’s the truth: position 3 on the Strandberg 5-way is unusual, and whether you should keep it or rewire depends on what tones you actually use and what your new pickups support.

Below is the quick, practical breakdown so you can decide confidently.

=== Stock Position 3: ===
Bridge humbucker (full) + BOTH neck coils, but the neck coils are in ''series'' → meaning the neck becomes a hotter, fatter humbucker than normal.

This gives you:
* More output than position 2
* Neck-heavy mids
* A “thick blended” tone you don’t get on normal wiring
* Not exactly a common or classic tone
* Usually louder than the other positions
* Sometimes muddy depending on the pickups

It’s a very Strandberg-specific “complex blended humbucker” position.

=== It comes down to one question: ===

===== ### =====
* You like experimental tones
* You want a neck-heavy, powerful blended sound
* You use position 2 and 3 as “special colors”
* Your new pickups split well and are hum-cancelling when combined

===== Most players choose one of these instead: =====

==== This is the most common mod. ====
Gives you a fat, big, open tone — like a PRS or Les Paul middle position, but tighter.

Pros:
* Useful
* Balanced
* Works well with ANY pickups
* No volume jumps

Cons:
* Not unique (but way more practical)

==== This gives you a Strat-style position 2/4 chime. ====

Pros:
* VERY usable
* Quack
* Hum-cancelling if the coils are opposite polarity

Cons:
* Requires pickups that split well

==== Basically a Tele middle position, tighter and clearer. ====

Very musical and versatile.

=== Since you’re already swapping pickups, and since position 3’s series neck wiring is very “weird Strandberg-specific,” I usually recommend: ===

➡️ Rewire Position 3 to “both full humbuckers (bridge + neck in parallel).”
It’s:
* Useful for ALL genres
* Even volume
* Works with high-output or vintage-output pickups
* Sounds good with Bare Knuckle, Suhr, Seymour Duncan, Strandberg OEM, etc.

You lose the “Strandberg experimental tone,” but you gain a very musical, familiar, keeper sound.

If you want something slightly more modern/Strat-like:

➡️ Do both outer coils instead (split + split in parallel).
That’s the most used coil-split blend on modern H-H guitars.

=== …I can recommend the best wiring for that exact set. ===

Example:
* Bare Knuckle Peacemaker + Holydiver neck → I’d NOT keep position 3 stock
* Bare Knuckle Polypaf + Polypaf → outer-coil split combo would be awesome
* Suhr Thornbucker + SSH+ → full HH middle is best
* Lundgren + Sentient → leave stock (they pair well with it)

Just tell me what pickups you’re going with and I’ll design the best 5-way layout for your playing style.

=== User: Bare knuckle peacemakers. ===
Bare knuckle peacemakers. What should I wire for position 2 and 3

=== Assistant: Perfect — Bare Knuckle Peacemakers change the game a bit because: ===
Perfect — Bare Knuckle Peacemakers change the game a bit because:
* They are hot, modern ceramic pickups
* They do NOT split super well (output mismatch + they get thin)
* They shine most when used as full humbuckers
* Parallel and series blends work better than single-coil splits

So the best 5-way plan with Peacemakers is different from a vintage set.

=== ## ===

This becomes your “PRS middle position” / “modern Les Paul middle” tone.

Why this is ideal for Peacemakers:
✔ Balanced output
✔ Tight low end, no mud
✔ Works great for rock, metal rhythm, cleans, crunch
✔ Volume stays consistent
✔ No weird single-coil thinness
✔ Very usable live

This is far more useful than “bridge humbucker + neck outer coil” with Peacemakers.

==== This is the biggest, thickest, highest-output sound on the guitar. ====

Think of it like:
* Peacemaker bridge
* boosted by
* Peacemaker neck = near-active level output, huge mids, massive sustain

Why series is great on Peacemakers:
✔ You keep them in full humbucker mode
✔ Series wiring gives you a “lead boost” without a pedal
✔ Thick but still tight (because Peacemakers aren’t bassy/muddy)
✔ Extremely powerful for solos or heavy riffs
✔ Still hum-cancelling
✔ Makes your 5-way more versatile without compromising gain tones

=== 1. Bridge humbucker (full) ===
# Bridge + Neck full humbuckers (parallel) ← usable clean/crunch
# Bridge + Neck full humbuckers (series) ← fat boost/lead mode
# Neck split OR neck parallel (optional tweak)
# Neck humbucker (full)

You can choose #4 based on your taste:

===== ➡️ Neck parallel (still hum-cancelling, brighter/cleaner) =====

===== ➡️ Neck split (but Peacemakers don’t split super well — parallel is usually better) =====

=== Stock strandberg wiring uses: ===
* Full bridge + neck outer coil
* Then some complex series/parallel hybrid thing

With very hot ceramic pickups, these:
* get noisy
* thin out the sound
* produce big volume swings
* lose low end
* sound less balanced

Peacemakers prefer to be used as full humbuckers, and they love series/parallel switching.

=== Just tell me: ===
* Your switch (likely a 5-way blade)
* Whether you want position 4 to be neck split or neck parallel

I can give you a clean diagram matching Bare Knuckle wire colors.

=== User: Yes , this is current wiring, I want to change to your suggestion ===
Yes , this is current wiring, I want to change to your suggestion

=== Assistant: Great — I can tell exactly what you need based on that diagram. ===
Great — I can tell exactly what you need based on that diagram.
You’re using a standard 4-pole (super switch–style) 5-way blade, so rewiring to my recommended setup is absolutely doable.

Below is the exact way to change Position 2 and Position 3 to the Peacemaker-optimized layout.

=== ### ===

===== ### =====

===== ### =====

Positions 1 and 5 stay exactly like the diagram.
All changes happen only at the super-switch lugs.

=== I’ll describe it using the diagram you posted: ===

==== On the Strandberg diagram, remove: ====
* Neck green (outer coil tap) going to the switch
* Bridge whatever coil tap wire is there (likely red/white tied and sent to switch)

Bare Knuckle Peacemaker wire colors:
* Black = hot
* White + red = series link
* Green + bare = ground

Since you're not splitting, twist + solder white/red together and insulate — do not connect to switch.

This simplifies things.

==== ### ====

Bridge hot → output
Neck hot → output

And both must be connected to the output only in position 2.

On the super switch:
* Find the bridge hot pole (where bridge hot currently goes for position 1)
* Find the neck hot pole

Then:

===== (usually the yellow wire going to the volume pot) =====

This gives you:

➡️ Parallel full humbuckers

==== Series wiring means: ====

Bridge hot → output
Bridge ground → Neck hot
Neck ground → ground

But ONLY in Position 3.

===== Instead of connecting neck hot to output: =====

➡️ Neck hot in Position 3 lug → connect to Bridge ground

Bridge ground is the green + bare on a Bare Knuckle.

Strandberg diagram uses a different color, but the bridge ground is already on a pot shell.

So:

===== This creates: =====

Bridge → Neck → Output
(in series)

==== - 1: Bridge HB ====
* 4: Neck split/parallel depending on your choice
* 5: Neck HB

They still work because we didn’t touch those lugs.

=== If you want, I can: ===

👉 Draw you a clean simplified wiring diagram (Peacemaker-colored, not Strandberg colors)
or
👉 Edit the image you sent with marked changes

Just tell me which you prefer.

=== For Position 4, do you want: ===

===== ### =====

Which one do you want?

=== User: What about about the position 2 and 3 being both humbuckers you recommend. ===
What about about the position 2 and 3 being both humbuckers you recommend. 4 split neck?

=== Assistant: Perfect — here’s the layout you want: ===
Perfect — here’s the layout you want:

==== ✅ Final Switching Layout You’ve Chosen ====
# Bridge full humbucker
# Bridge full HB + Neck full HB (parallel)
# Bridge full HB + Neck full HB (series)
# Neck split (inner coil)
# Neck full humbucker

This is the ideal setup for Bare Knuckle Peacemakers:
* 2 = very usable clean/crunch
* 3 = fat boosted “lead” position
* 4 = single-coil chime without gutting output
* No weird series/parallel hybrid stuff from the stock Strandberg wiring

Now I’ll tell you exactly how to wire these using the super-switch in your guitar.

=== ⭐ EXACT WIRING INSTRUCTIONS (EASY TO FOLLOW) ===

I’ll describe them in terms of what you must change from the diagram you posted.

=== 🔧 STEP 1 — Treat Both Pickups as Full Humbuckers (No Coil Taps Except Position 4) ===

For Bare Knuckle Peacemakers:
* Black = hot
* White + Red = series link
* Green + Bare = ground

===== Do this: =====
* Twist/solder white + red together, insulate → (this is your series link).
* DO NOT send this to the switch except for the neck split in position 4.

Now both pickups behave as full humbuckers unless the switch taps them.

=== 🔧 STEP 2 — Position 2 = Both Humbuckers in PARALLEL ===

===== On the super-switch: =====
* Find the bridge hot pole (where bridge hot goes in pos 1).
* Find the neck hot pole (where neck hot goes in pos 5).
* Locate the position 2 lug on each section.

===== Wire like this: =====

➡️ Position 2 lug of Bridge Hot → Output
➡️ Position 2 lug of Neck Hot → Output

(If output is the yellow wire to the volume pot, both lugs connect to that node.)

Done. Parallel humbuckers achieved.

=== 🔧 STEP 3 — Position 3 = Bridge + Neck in SERIES (Super Fat Mode) ===

Series wiring =
Bridge hot → output
Bridge ground → neck hot
Neck ground → ground

===== How to do this with a super-switch: =====
* On the Neck Hot pole, locate the Position 3 lug
* Instead of sending it to output:

➡️ Position 3 neck-hot lug → connect to Bridge ground
(Bridge ground = green + bare on BK)

This makes the neck pickup sit after the bridge in the signal chain only in position 3.

Bridge hot still goes to output in position 3, so the chain becomes:

Bridge → Neck → Output

Fat, loud, boosted, hum-cancelling.

=== 🔧 STEP 4 — Position 4 = Neck INNER COIL SPLIT ===

You only have to wire ONE thing:

===== Find the series link on the neck pickup (white + red tied together) =====
* Run that series link to the Position 4 lug on the neck-hot pole
* From that lug, connect it to ground
* That shorts one coil → leaving the inner coil active

This gives you the “inner coil” sound (closer to the bridge, brighter).

Neck hot stays routed to output in position 4 (like a normal split setup).

=== 🔧 STEP 5 — Leave Positions 1 and 5 Alone ===

They already work as:
* 1: Bridge full HB
* 5: Neck full HB

Those lugs stay untouched.

=== 🎉 DONE — Your Final 5-Way Works Like This ===
# Bridge HB
# Bridge HB + Neck HB (parallel)
# Bridge HB + Neck HB (series)
# Neck inner coil split
# Neck HB

This is exactly the smart, modern HH layout for high-output ceramics.

=== If you want… ===

I can draw you a clean, diagram-style graphic matching Bare Knuckle wire colors so you can solder without thinking.

Just say “diagram please.”

=== User: Yes ===
Yes

== References ==
<references />


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