Rewiring my mim strat. Already has dimarzio's area 58 & 67 on neck and mid. Adding an area 61 on bridge. Standard 5 way switch. I've been looking at the dimarzio wire diagrams and some give you the option to wire the mid with reverse polarity.
Can someone explain what the sound difference is when you do this? Does it have anything to do with parallel or series wiring. I understand strats are parallel wired in position 2 & 4 and this is why you get a slight power drop in these two positions??? Any advise?

While we are at it; It has a push/pull pot I was using to coil split the bridge HB I am removing, so I am planning to also remove the push/pull also unless I can use it for any other useful wiring for other options. Any recommendations?

Welcome.

I shall answer all your questions as non-technically (albeit, abbreviated) as I can but first, I have to explain a widely popular and outright wrong misconception: As you may or may not know, before the 5 way Strat switch, there was only the 3 way switch where it was discovered that by wedging the 3 way into what became positions 2 and 4 (of the 5 way), additional sounds and multiple pickups could be had. Somewhere along the line, this practice was erroneously called, "out of phase". The truth is, these 'new' combinations were NEVER out of phase. Notwithstanding, this misnomer still exists quite strongly to this day.

Moving right along.

When two pickups which are on together and out of phase, the result is a dip in volume with a hollow, nasally sound and an increase in perceived hum. Literally one pickup is wired backwards to that of the identical other.

The phase relationship of two pickups have nothing to do with a series or parallel wiring. The volume drop in positions 2 and 4 have to do with parallel wiring.

Series wiring is an 'end to end' thing. Let's say for example, you have 3 pickups with simply a white (positive) and a black (negative) wire each. A series circuit is where you wire the white wire of the first pickup to the black wire of the second pickup, the white wire of the second pickup to the black wire of the third pickup. Eventually, you'll wind up with one free white and black wire which shall go to the appropriate terminals of a pot or wherever. If any of the wires short out, the whole circuit shall go dead. Or to look at it another way, all three pickups must be working together. The resistance of these 3 pickups are simply added up in this type of wiring. One 'goes into' the other and so on. This would make for a very 'thick' sound.

In parallel, you solder all the black wires wires together and then solder them to the appropriate terminal on the pot or whatever and then solder all the white wires NOT in a link as above but rather, the equivalent of all together to the appropriate terminal(s). If any of the wires short out, it would only affect whichever pickup that wire belongs to. This allows each pickup to work independent of the other and the sound would not be 'thick' like the above because in parallel wiring, the resistance is quartered. Obviously, two pickups in parallel have less resistance than either by itself hence, the power drop.

Not to confuse the issue but in the context of your question(s), there are three ways a double coil pickup can be wired: Humbucking series, humbucking parallel and one coil outright shorted out which also kills the humbucking mode; you're literally left with only one coil operational. In series, per my above scenario, the white lead of one coil is attached to the black lead of the other. This a 'standard' humbucker wiring. Wiring it in parallel: Two whites leads together / two black leads together still retains the humbucking mode but it is no longer one pickup. Rather, they are two single coils side by side.

Lastly and for all this to hopefully make perfect sense to you, please read this:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbucker

I'm sure you'll have a few questions. Please don't hesitate to ask!

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Thanks for your input Martian! I kind of dig it but............

You are right, I do have a couple q's. In my specific case where I'm wiring the above mentioned pickups; these have one red and one black wire each. The dimarzio wiring diagrams give you option 1 to wire all red wires to it's corresponding position on the 5 way switch and all black to pot ground. Option 2 would be to reverse polarity wire the mid pup (this is how they describe it) by inverting the wires on this mid pup only. Red to ground and black to the 5 way switch. Option 2 will result in a weak sound on 2 & 4 so why would I want to do this?

Correct me if I am wrong; If I go with the first option I take it this is the strat standard wiring. Pickups would be parallel wired on 2 & 4. If I hear you right, should I have them wired in series on 2 & 4 I would get a fuller stronger sound more like a humbucker?

So.... how can I do this?

Do I have the option to have it both ways?

Can I use a push/pull I already have or will a need something else? Superswitch?

Where can I find a wiring diagram?

I'll appreciate your input

Do NOT reverse wire and do not permanently series wire. Besides, you would have to use multiple switches to allow for series wiring of positions 2 and 4 any way. I recommend you wiring the guitar bone stock first. FWIW, even if you did permanently wire for series capabilities, the combined pickups would granted, be louder but would also sound 'farty' and devoid of any genuine dynamics. If you are still inclined though, a mini-switch or a push/pull pot would achieve your goal where it would be reversible at the flick of the switch. However, this is only for two pickups at a time. Here's a reasonably clear diagram (near the bottom of the page) which will show you how it is done:
www.dominocs.com/AshBassGuitar/parallelseries.html

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I dig, Thank you!

Any time!

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found a wiring diagram that will add the mid pup in series while in positions 5 & 1 using the push/pull I already have installed.

Tried to copy it here but wont let me. Looks pretty simple. Just put a jumper from the red wire of mid pup @ the 5 way switch to the first slot on the push pull and the greens from the neck and bridge to the next (center) slot on push pull. This will wire in series the mid and bridge while on 5, and the mid and neck on position 1.

Nothing to lose since the push pull is already there, just a couple wires. I wonder what will happen in positions 2 & 4 with push pull out? Been thinking about it and ......... will this not create a short circuit?

Actually, yes as this is a standard drawback of series/parallel switching.

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so in 2 or 4 if I pull the switch out we get a short circuit and some very nice nice?

Yep, this is in part why I said earlier that typically, the vast majority of multiple pickup guitars are wired for parallel operation.

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Hear you Martian!

Thanks again

Again, any time!

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Martian, if you are still online............ I have a wiring diagram here, the tech tells me I will get standard stock strat with push pull in, and series wiring with push pull out on 1 & 5. On 2, 3, and 4 he says I only get mid pup with push pull out. No short. I have my doubts. Tried to post the diagram here but can't. Mind if I email it to you see what u think?

Fire away.

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Accidentally erased that email with diagram, but was a lot simpler than the one you sent me. It was almost the stock strat wiring ecxept:

1) The red from the mid pup goes to the 5 way switch AND continues the the first slot on the push pull. The green is grounded to a pot.

2) The greens from bridge and neck DO NOT go to ground pot, they go the the center slot on push pull.

3) The last slot on the push pull goes to ground.

Tell me if this makes any sense: With push pull up the flow will be on position 5: From the Bridge RED on 5 way to Bridge pup out to green bridge, to Push pull connecting to MID RED tru mid pup and to ground. This is series no sweat.

Here is the thing: on position 4: You get exactly the same but the mid pup also gets connected at the 5 way switch?

What will this do?