~Maxx Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Hello all. I'm getting ready to wire up a parts-caster, and was interested in using this switch to replace the 5-way and expand my pickup switching options. I always thought I was pretty decent with passive guitar wiring (though I am self-educated), but just can't seem to get a solid grasp on how these things work from the diagrams at Stewmac's website (PDF link for diagrams at bottom of "Instructions" tab). I'm sure that once I can get a meter on it I can figure it all out. But I'd hate to send off for one and find that it's useless to me. I'm pretty much going for a Brian May type schematic on an H-S-S pickup configuration. I'm guessing I'll need two of these switches to accomplish both coil tapping and phase reversal across the board. Would anyone know if this is going to work for me? Or should I save my $60 and put it toward a crap-load of DPDT switches? Thanks in advance for any advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripthorn Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 It appears to just be two separate three way switches in a single body with a single actuator. If you think of it that way, then it should be easier to determine what you can and can't do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Maxx Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 That's what I thought when I first stumbled upon it. But the way they have it wired in the diagram makes me think otherwise. Of course, maybe the way I would wire a 3-way is not correct or "by the book". It seems that I'm missing something somewhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripthorn Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) It is sort of like two independent switches (one typical three way and a dpst, they way they have it wired). The one side controls the contacts to each pickup positive and the other side controls the contacts of each pickups ground, so in positions 1-3, it is a normal pickup selector because the ground side is just grounding the typical ground wire. In positions 4-6, it is a normal pickup selector while grounding the second winding on each pickup, thus giving you split coils and pickup selection. You could wire it differently for phase or series/parallel, or whatever else. Edited March 3, 2011 by Ripthorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Maxx Posted March 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Thanks for your replies Ripthorn. Much appreciated! After reading your post and studying the diagrams a bit more I think I see what's going on. It was the A1 and A2 terminals that were confusing me. But I think I see now that they act as a jumper between the two sides. I'm still trying to work out exactly how to wire it up to get what I want, but I went ahead and ordered two of the switches. That should be able to get me the combinations I need. At least I hope so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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