3-way Super Switch?

[~davie]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to come up with some unique wiring scheme for my guitar, its got a combination of switches and such.

I know of the StewMac's "Super Switch"

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_p...per_Switch.html

But I prefer and strictly want a THREE-WAY switch (for simplicity's sake)

No rotary switches please. lol. I want a lever switch.

So do any of you guys know what I can do? Are their any suppliers that make 3-way lever switches with 3 or 4 poles (instead of 2)? Or is there a way to modify the StewMac Super Switch to make it 3-way instead of 5-way?

PS. plz don't think i'm crazy. lol. I'm trying to come up with a scheme that utilizes 2 additional slide switches along with a 3-way lever for a simple BUT interesting arrangement.

Thanks

[Keegan]

You could use just the first 3 positions of the super 5-way if you were so inclined. Or just think of something to do with those extra positions.

Or there's this http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/S...itchChrome.html

But that's a toggle, sorry.

edit: I just had an idea for the 5-way. You could make the hole smaller so that the switch could only travel to 3 positions. If the hole is already cut, you can put a small metal plate on top.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Keegan

[borge]

+1 to making the hole only big enough for 3 positions.

What do you want your switch to do?

[~davie]

yeah guys, i was thinking about that too, but the main concern, is how smoothly or naturally the lever switch will move

+1 to making the hole only big enough for 3 positions.

What do you want your switch to do?

I'm trying to make a neat and tidy customized telecaster setup

i got 3 pickups, tele neck, strat middle, and tele bridge (essentially nashville-style)

And I got 2 slide switches on it, the 1st switch is to turn on the neck pup on

While the 2nd switch engages a series mode (and also negates the 1st switch)

With a regular 3-way 2 pole lever switch i can get 2 series modes

right now i plan to have:

position 1: neck+bridge in series

position 2: middle+bridge in series

position 3: bridge only

BUT IDEALLY, if i had a 3-way 4 pole lever switch i would do this instead:

position 1: neck+middle in series

position 2: neck+bridge in series

position 3: middle+bridge in series

-which is a more logical arrangement

All in all, I'm trying to make something purely customized and personalized

[Keegan]

Why wouldn't it move smoothly or naturally? You're just impeding its progress to the outside 2 positions.

[~davie]

Why wouldn't it move smoothly or naturally? You're just impeding its progress to the outside 2 positions.

do you mean to block the positions 1 and 5? because that seems weird, like.. the switch isn't moving all the way

i rather have positions 2 and 4 blocked, so that the switch lever can fully move just like how a tele 3-way should

[Keegan]

It wouldn't be weird. Each position has its own solder lugs, they aren't shared like the normal strat 5-way.

You can't block 2 and 4. You could have your middle selection carry over to 2 and 4 though, so you just knock the switch all the way one way for pos 1, all the way the other for 3, and anywhere inbetween for pos 2

[~davie]

It wouldn't be weird. Each position has its own solder lugs, they aren't shared like the normal strat 5-way.

You can't block 2 and 4. You could have your middle selection carry over to 2 and 4 though, so you just knock the switch all the way one way for pos 1, all the way the other for 3, and anywhere inbetween for pos 2

yeah i know, but i would like to keep the same look and movement as a normal 3-way switch. and limit the movement to 1,3 and 5

i was thinking about blocking the switches internal tab thingies that hold each position, but the internal roller thing might be too small to allow it to move smoothly if i were to block 2 and 4.

[~davie]

my current scheme is still kinda logical. which i COULD settle for. here's my setup in junction with 2 slide switches and a REGULAR 3-way switch

off/off (basic mode)

1: neck only

2: middle only

3: bridge only

on/off (neck parallel mode)

1: neck only

2: neck + middle in parallel

3: neck + bridge in parallel

off/on (bridge series mode)

1: bridge + neck in series

2: bridge + middle in series

3: bridge only

on/on mode is same as off/on mode, since i'm intending the 'bridge series' mode to take over as the main circuit when activated.

seems reasonable and straightforward enough? what you guys think?

Edited May 4, 2009 by ~davie

[Keegan]

Those are all good combinations. Seems like you still have all the bases covered. You aren't missing much not having the neck + middle in series or bridge + middle in parallel.

Plus that gives you the option of going back to a single pickup without having to fiddle with the slide switches.