Single Hb Pup Killswitch(?)

[tommytunes]

Hey Gang, hopefully someone can help me out and point me in the right direction. Here's my situation:

I am rebuilding an Epiphone LP jr. It came with a single Humbucker plus the volume and tone dials.

When I go to re-wire the parts back in, i would like to also wire in a (on/off) switch to

1) quickly kill the signal in-between songs

and/or

2) be able to do the manual tremolo effect (akin to a two pup setup when ones vol is turned down and the pup selector is moved back and forth)

I'm not sure if its called a killswitch or what. I'm new to the guitar electronics area. It's something i'd like to work into this project. I would prefer to have a toggle-ish switch to use, but let me know if that won't work. I've seen some other similar posts in this forum but i'm a little confused by them. Any pictures or schematics would be great - i'm more of a visual person.

Thanks!

TF

[JohnH]

A mini-toggle will do it fine, just a single pole one with 3 lugs. Wire the centre lug and one outer lug between hot and ground, to shunt the output to ground. This way its dead quiet, better than just disconnecting the output leaving it floating, which causes noise.

As a variant, these mini-toggles can also come with three positions, being on, centre off, on, with one of the on positions springing back to the centre. I reckon that could make it easier for those staccato effects, and use the other on for kill switch between songs. You would use all three lugs, wiring the two outer lugs together

John

[Keegan]

A mini-toggle will do it fine, just a single pole one with 3 lugs. Wire the centre lug and one outer lug between hot and ground, to shunt the output to ground. This way its dead quiet, better than just disconnecting the output leaving it floating, which causes noise.

As a variant, these mini-toggles can also come with three positions, being on, centre off, on, with one of the on positions springing back to the centre. I reckon that could make it easier for those staccato effects, and use the other on for kill switch between songs. You would use all three lugs, wiring the two outer lugs together

John

You can't keep a rhythm with a normal toggle switch. A momentary switch is better. Normally open, wire it to the two lugs of the jack.

[tommytunes]

Is there any way to accomplish this with a toggle-type switch? It looks like the way a toggle is constructed, it's not a smooth on/off sound. I'd prefer a toggle, but if the push-button momentary switch is the only way to go, i'll see what i can do.

[syxxstring]

Any switch that you can use to short the connection will work. I've tried push buttons and toggles with success.

[ihocky2]

Momentary push buttons have become more of a standard use item for killswitches because of artists like Buckethead. The toggle can generate the same type of effect, but not as rapid of an effect and hard to keep in a rhythm. For what you want to do with it, a toggle should be just fine.

[tommytunes]

Thanks all! Maybe I'll get both and try a project each way, seeing how it goes. I'll post my findings after.

[Geo]

A toggle would probably wear down faster because it isn't made to be flipped back and forth so fast. Just a thought.

[j. pierce]

I recently wired a guitar for a friend with both a pushbutton and a toggle. The momentary pushbutton for when he wants the Rage/Buckethead choppy effect, and the toggle for when he just wants the guitar off between songs. Best of both worlds.

[Xanthus]

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...oductId=2062543

I put one in my second build, and honestly I didn't end up using it all that much.....