Ideas for a SPDT switch wanted for my Strat

I don't think you need to use that fancy switch ... have a look at this thread, incorporating what JohnH has suggested.

Would that fit the bill?

D2o

I'm realising that for the first mod to work, the neck (or bridge) hot will need to go to the middle terminal of the switch, which will need to connect to the normal point on the 5-way selector switch on one position, and the 'common' point on 5 -way in the other. On a three way switch this leaves me with a middle 'off' position, which is relatively useless. I think I need to get a 2-way toggle switch, and just forget about the bridge middle in series idea - not enough poles on the switch. The 'tele' tone is the most important one.

Sooty, please carefully re-read that thread I pointed you to - you will have one master (bridge included!) tone.

Cheers,
D2o

I understand, and thanks, I really appreciate your help. The issue is that I often have my bridge tone wound back a bit, but not my neck, therefore a master tone isn't really ideal.



Yeah, I thought of this, but it seems a little pointless because the effect is pretty much the same whichever one is permanently on - except that you get a different result as to which 'out of phase' option remains.

It would work okay the way you've drawn it in the m and m+n positions. No effect in the n or b position. I'm not sure what happens in the b+m position.(?)

Howsabout using it to switch caps on one of the tone controls?

sooty - theres a possibility if you can get a DPDT on/on/on switch (rare in the general vicinity of the southern hemisphere of this planet). Centre would be standard Strat, down woulrl be Standard with neck-on (giving you B+N and B+N+M), up could be one of two options, either:
NxM, M, M,M, MxB or,
NxB, (N+M)xB, MxB, B, B

The second one is looking quite interesting - you can keep seperate tone controls one of which is for the bridge, the other could do neck and middle. The tone controls would continue to control their seperate pickups in series mode, giving you the extra 'easter egg' of series sounds with full bridge treble and bass only N. N+M or M, which are bright and very powerful sounds.

John

This gives 3 cap values with 2 caps and your SPDT on-off-on switch. I'm pretty sure it works just fine with minor squinting in a normal shared cap Strat wiring.

No mate! If you could buy on-on-on switches at jaycar, they would be all over my guitars!

An on-off-on is different, with everything disconnected in the middle position, Useful for somethings (such as cap switching) but not for this. An on-on-on switch has the two poles, that change as per a normal dpdt, but in the centre position one pole is connected up and one down.

Actually, you can get them in NZ - cool but pricey:
www.guitarparts.co.nz/cart/Details.cfm?ProdID=701&category=

But that switch will do this scheme, and I think its a goodun, given that is the only main part that you need to get all the extra tones. (also needs another tone cap, assuming currently theres only one shared?)

John

"Woman tone" refers to Clapton's signature guitar tone. It's easier to hear it than describe it- listen to his solo on "Sunshine Of Your Love" for example.

Various Strat schemes claim to recreate the Woman Tone. Some, like ChrisK's idea, use a .015uf cap. Fender's Clapton Signature Strat uses an active mid-boost circuit and a TBX pot.

The tone was very distinctive in the '60s- most lead guitarists went for a piercing, trebly sound at the time. Ironically, however, Clapton's "woman tone" was established as his sound well before he began playing Strats (in 1969). He supposedly got the tone in "Sunshine" on the SG he was playing at the time, using the neck HB only, with the Vol full up and the tone control full down. This went through his wah into a Marshall stack with all the EQs set to max.


And to JohnH and Sooty-

If On-On-On switches are such a rarity downunder, why not have someone send them to you? I can't imagine shipping would be much for a switch or three. I'd be happy to send some to the Antipodes, or SG would as well, I'm sure.

We could put an order together to John, then have him distribute them to any members downunder.

Wolf-



I suspect it was "Gnd", as it would seem that your diagram would need to connect to the output neg at some point.

Thanks Wolf - Im delighted that you think it worthy of redrawing.

One further small correction per my sketch: S2 being a three position on-on-on switch, the middle position must be indicated. On S2a, this is done by a dotted line from pole to the upper lug, while on S2b, the position shown is the middle position, so no change there.

Im hoping no one objects to the occasional hand sketch? It's deliberate on my part, to show the first stage of a thinking process, which may lead to some development. It's also quick to do so more ideas can be illustated than only when highly finished diagrams are used. They can be done in spare moments away from the pc, and show direct brain to paper thinking. Sometimes a perfect computer drawing can look too good if its just a Mark 1a Alpha status idea! Also, I think many people could put up a sketch by hand when they have not yet got a knack of wrangling a cad or graphics program. We do this everyday in the design of construction projects that I am involved in, a sketch over a cup of coffee gets worked up to a better sketch, then a cad drawing, and then a real project. And sometimes the first sketch is good to keep to show how it all started.

John

sooty - those dpdt toggles are an easy install in a 6.5mm hole, provided you can embrace the aesthetic of toggles on your pickguard! But many folk do not. The ddpdt push pulls could do either the neck-on, or the series/parallel wiring, or other thngs such as phase change. If you wanted, you could have more than one push/pull switch to get two or three of those functions together in one design.

John

JohnH
Heck, I don't mind the occasional hand-drawn diagram either. I just think this is one of the most cooperative message boards on the Internet and it seems that whenever a good idea is presented, someone else will jump in to offer their ideas. (or drawings). I know that some of my drawings posted at GN2 (but certainly not all) have ended up on my own webpages but I like to draw these just to help out the folks here. I'll also admit that I don't redraw anything unless I find the circuit somewhat interesting and useful.

By the way mr_sooty, is there anyway to get that photo enhanced a bit? (I really can't see that switch). And it seems you don't like to alter the appearance of your guitar. Well, here are some of my guitars www.1728.com/super7.htm
and as you can see, I don't have the slightest worry about that.

Yes mr_sooty, I did not click on the link until you mentioned it.
Talk about subtle? That modification is subtle to the infinitesimal power.
A right angle bracket that attaches to two potentiometers so that one microswitch can be mounted on it?
Now I know why I am not so hesitant to get out the Black & Decker drill.
Still, I admire the fact that you would go through all that trouble to make a modification to look so unobtrusive.