Zany new sounds from a Tele

[curtisstetka]

I dreamed up a little switch that I am going to put on one of my Teles and I thought I'd share it here.

http://www.mrthingee.com/miscellaneo..._schematic.jpg

You needs one of these:

http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/SWT36

It's a 4P3T on-on-on toggle.

Here's the deal...

You use a regular 3 way switch. Put the lead of the Bridge on one pole, the lead of the Neck on the other. The ground of the Neck goes to my little switch.

You put the throws in the outer positions to the output, except the middle position. That goes to the toggle switch. Dig?

Now, when you put the 3 way in the middle, use the toggle. Here's what you get:

1. Series, in phase
2. Parallel (standard Tele middle sound)
3. Series, out-of-phase


The only drawback to this scheme is that if the toggle isn't in the middle (parallel) setting, and you switch to the neck alone on the 3 way, you'll cut the signal entirely. The toggle has to be in the middle for the 3 way to function normally.

I can't wait to wire this sucker up. I ordered my parts on Monday and was hoping they'd arrive today. Grrr....

I've been using the Super Switch from Stew Mac to get my series and out-of-phase sounds. Problem with that thing is a distressing propensity to getting stuck in between settings and cutting the signal. My experience has been that the Super Switch is a little too touchy to deal with for quick changes.

This setup looks like it'll allow for the solid, sturdy, dependable 3 way switch as well as those extra, added funky-ass sounds as required.

Opinions, please?

[Kap'n]

Pretty neat.

I think swapping positions 2 and 3 or 1 and 2, might be more useful "in the heat of battle" depending whether you liked series or parallel better.

[Jim Collins]

I don't believe this will work.

First, this is not a 4P3T switch, even though guitarelectronics calls it that. There are four poles on this switch, and there are three positions, but not three throws. The center position of this switch is common position, not a discrete throw.

Let's say you have a SP3T switch -- single pole, triple throw. You would need four lugs for that switch: one lug for each throw, and one common lug.

If you have a 4P3T switch, you would need 4 times the number of lugs as a SP3T switch, or 16 lugs. You only have 12, here. This switch is a 4PDT (4 pole, double throw) switch with a center on.

When you have a center on, you get both sides of each pole, in parallel.

[curtisstetka]

Jim, it's my understanding that an on-on-on toggle works like this: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/skgs/s...OnOnOn_ani.gif

Actually, if it's exactly like that, I can see I've got some things reversed but the basic concept remains the same.

Well, the switch should be en route to me. I'll see what I've got when it arrives. But I will be bumming if it does in fact work as you described.

[Jim Collins]

If the switch works like that, it looks good. Inverted from your animation, but the right concept. It makes a lot more sense for a center-on switch to work something like that.

[chuckocaster]

uh oh, curt.


now i have to come up with something cool. :hee

[curtisstetka]

Chucko -

No, sir. I still bow to your vastly superior modding. This switch is just my feeble response to your fucking brilliantly simple mod of switching the bridge and middle pickups on a 5 way.

I just put that one into practice on my Tele this weekend. The middle pickup and new pickguard finally arrived. Suh-weet, dude!

Besides, I don't even know yet how the switch works. I hope it does what I think it does. It should be arriving in the mail in the next few days so we'll see what happens....