Which Switch Is Best To Use For A Killswitch?

[djhollowman]

Which switch is best to use for a killswitch?

I want to try a killswitch onboard a guitar, as opposed to a pedal (although the theory is possibly exactly the same??)

I'm assuming I'd use a push-button momentary switch, but one where it's always ON but has a "push to break" rather than "push to make" type of operation?

Somthing like this one?

Regarding wiring it up - should I use that switch to interrupt the live wire to the jack? Is it as simple as that?

Appreciate anything helpful!

DJ

[billm90]

yup. just add wires from the hot and ground right off the jack, and one to one post on the switch, one to the other post on the switch.

When you push the button, it grounds out the hot wire and sound is killed.

that easy.

I have one of those buttons in the link from radio shack. I have a few different types actually. not sure what one I like more. but the one in your link was my least favorate.

a foot switch could be done the same way.

[Keegan]

yup. just add wires from the hot and ground right off the jack, and one to one post on the switch, one to the other post on the switch.

When you push the button, it grounds out the hot wire and sound is killed.

that easy.

I have one of those buttons in the link from radio shack. I have a few different types actually. not sure what one I like more. but the one in your link was my least favorate.

a foot switch could be done the same way.

That wiring would be with a normally open(NO) or push to make button.

With a NC(Normally closed) or push-to-break button, you want to cut the hot wire near the jack, strip a little from each side, and wire the switch inbetween.

edit: Those small ones like in your link aren't very good as they're so small. The best is probably the big square kind because it's easier to press. I'd also use push-to-make because it actually grounds the signal, but either one is fine really.

Edited April 16, 2009 by Keegan

[Tim37]

i did some reading a while back on killswitches and form what i under stand the best one to use is a normaly open switch and have it ground the signal (just like a volume nob) it is suposed to give a little less pop and also silences your signal instead of having that unplugged humm you get with just breaking the signal.

But i haven't tryied it either way so what do i know

[Paul Marossy]

i did some reading a while back on killswitches and form what i under stand the best one to use is a normaly open switch and have it ground the signal (just like a volume nob) it is suposed to give a little less pop and also silences your signal instead of having that unplugged humm you get with just breaking the signal.

But i haven't tryied it either way so what do i know

It would have to be a normally closed switch or else you would have to be pushing the button continuously when you're playing a tune. With a normally closed switch, it's making contact all the time until you break the signal path by pushing the button. Also, I would think that you want the type of switch that immediately springs back to a closed position vs. one that stays open/closed after it clicks - they do make both types.

Edited April 16, 2009 by Paul Marossy

[billm90]

I totally missed the description in the ebay page.

dont use that switch.

[djhollowman]

i did some reading a while back on killswitches and form what i under stand the best one to use is a normaly open switch and have it ground the signal (just like a volume nob) it is suposed to give a little less pop and also silences your signal instead of having that unplugged humm you get with just breaking the signal.

But i haven't tryied it either way so what do i know

It would have to be a normally closed switch or else you would have to be pushing the button continuously when you're playing a tune. With a normally closed switch, it's making contact all the time until you break the signal path by pushing the button. Also, I would think that you want the type of switch that immediately springs back to a closed position vs. one that stays open/closed after it clicks - they do make both types.

Yes. Isn't that what I'm suggesting for the job - a momentary push-to-break switch? As opposed to a "non-momentary" push-to-make switch?

(I don't mean that to sound sarcastic - it's a genuine question)

DJ

[Keegan]

i did some reading a while back on killswitches and form what i under stand the best one to use is a normaly open switch and have it ground the signal (just like a volume nob) it is suposed to give a little less pop and also silences your signal instead of having that unplugged humm you get with just breaking the signal.

But i haven't tryied it either way so what do i know

It would have to be a normally closed switch or else you would have to be pushing the button continuously when you're playing a tune. With a normally closed switch, it's making contact all the time until you break the signal path by pushing the button. Also, I would think that you want the type of switch that immediately springs back to a closed position vs. one that stays open/closed after it clicks - they do make both types.

No... you want a normally open(push-to-make) switch. You press it to ground the signal.

With the normally closed switch, you'll get noise when you press the switch, even though it can also be wired to kill the signal.

[billm90]

to start over,

If you wish to rapidly cut the guitar sound in and out, use a momentary switch.

If you want to shut the guitar off and forget it, like a stand by on an amp, use a non-momentary, or a toggle switch.

use the push to make button (engages both terminals on the switch).

"Make" it ground out the hot wire as I explained in post #2.

When you ground out the hot wire, it kills all sound. no hum.

all you have to do is run 2 wires (from switch to jack), you dont have to cut any existing wires out of the guitar.

Push to break will open the line (disconnects the terminals on the switch).

You could do it that way as well, but by Keegans wiring. it is like haveing a water valve on the electric flow. you push it in, and it stops the flow. problem is, if you have a noisey guitar, that hum will come through. Or it may not. you would have to cut the hot on the jack and put the switch inbetween.

I just put a push to make momentary switch on my Flying V.

I wired it hot and ground at the jack. push the button in, sound is shut down.

This is probably the easiet thing to make of all electronic projects.

Any of this clear things up?

[Keegan]

Listen to Bill, he knows what he's talking about.

[Paul Marossy]

No... you want a normally open(push-to-make) switch. You press it to ground the signal.

With the normally closed switch, you'll get noise when you press the switch, even though it can also be wired to kill the signal.

Oh, I get the idea. I wan't thinking about it just grounding the signal, I was thinking of breaking the signal path. Sorry about that, not enough sleep last night...

[djhollowman]

If you wish to rapidly cut the guitar sound in and out, use a momentary switch.

use the push to make button (engages both terminals on the switch).

"Make" it ground out the hot wire as I explained in post #2.

When you ground out the hot wire, it kills all sound. no hum.

all you have to do is run 2 wires (from switch to jack), you dont have to cut any existing wires out of the guitar.

Thanks! So to do as suggested above, I would buy a push to make momentary switch, then simply add one new wire going from the jack plug ground terminal to one side of the new switch, and add a second new wire going from the live terminal of the jack plug to the other side of the new switch, yes?

I am, in effect, shorting out the signal - as opposed to interrupting it?

And if I chose to do it the other way (ie. push to break switch on the live wire) it would kill the sound, but could leave the humming sound? Would that be similar to the sound you get in the background when everything's not earthed properly I suppose?

thanks again,

DJ

[Paul Marossy]

Thanks! So to do as suggested above, I would buy a push to make momentary switch, then simply add one new wire going from the jack plug ground terminal to one side of the new switch, and add a second new wire going from the live terminal of the jack plug to the other side of the new switch, yes?

Yes, that's one way that it could be done.

I am, in effect, shorting out the signal - as opposed to interrupting it?

Yes, that is correct.

And if I chose to do it the other way (ie. push to break switch on the live wire) it would kill the sound, but could leave the humming sound? Would that be similar to the sound you get in the background when everything's not earthed properly I suppose?

I'm not sure if there would be a hum or not. I would think not since you would be interupting the signal, and all that there is left is ground. Apparently, you might have some problems with noise, though - I suppose kind of like how a scratchy pickup selector switch sounds.

[Jalien21]

pro tip:

the coolest button to use as a killswitch is the happ arcade button.

http://www.happcontrols.com/pushbuttons/601200xx.htm

[Keegan]

pro tip:

the coolest button to use as a killswitch is the happ arcade button.

http://www.happcontrols.com/pushbuttons/601200xx.htm

The only problem is that you have to drill a crater in your guitar, haha.

[Prostheta]

...and put up with the switch converting your pristine analogue signal to pappy 8-bit nonsense.

[stuartah]

if your lucky and your guitar has a tap and series/parallel switch for each pick up, one thing you can do is turn on the tap and switch it over to series, this creates a short in the guitar electronics, and whenever the pickup selector is switched to have that pickup 'on' the short will block out all sound and thus create an off like effect. I personally wasn't expecting that when I wired my current pickups in, but does great Tom Morrellow(sp).