Super Strat Switching Confusion

[katillac]

Hi, guys!

I'm a bit confused about the switches used for the Super Strat switching mod (http://www.1728.org/guitar2a.htm). In both Diagram One and Diagram Two, DPDTs are used for switching pickups on and off, as well as for phase reversal (Diagram Two only).

Here's Diagram Two:




Are these the typical On-Off-On type, and if so, is having a center off necessary, ie, couldn't a DPDT on-on be used instead?

The same goes for the phase reversal switch (or switches, if phase reversal is used for more than one pickup, eg, the Brian May type circuit): why is the center position necessary? I understand the need for a dual pole switch to swap the wire polarities around, but again, couldn't an on-on DPDT be employed so that one way is for in phase and the other for out of phase without having to click a toggle twice? It just makes more sense to me to have it that way.

Thanks in advance for any help!
kat

[newey]

kat-

Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

All the DPDT switches used in that diagram are "on-on" type. We know they're not "on-off" types because "on-off" types would omit the bottom set of lugs to show that no connection was possible.

The DPDT switches with the center position, whether "on-off-on" or "on-on-on" represent special cases of DPDT switches, and should be labelled as such. If not labeled, the assumption is that they are two-position only. The three-position ones will also sometimes be called "center on" or "center off".

This is the convention here and elsewhere. So, you are correct, a center position would be superfluous in this scheme, and indeed, there is none.

On some diagrams on this site (mine included), rather than designating a switch as being "on-on-on", the three-position switch will be shown with arrows (one pole up, the other down) indicating the internal connections in the center position. The arrows likewise imply the center position, since two position ones don't have the "one up, one down" connection. But the better practice, for clarity's sake, is probably to label the switch as being a center on type.

[katillac]

Thank you SO much for the response! A rapid one at that. It's interesting that all of the DPDT switches I have are either on-off-on or the other weird ones that are like the one in "D" below (pic borrowed from 1728):



I'd never heard of such a critter before seeing the pic on Wolf's pages. I immediately grabbed all the bags of DPDTs I have to test them. Sure enough, one bagful has those in it. I thought they were defective or some factory screw-up.

Whew. This is really a big relief to me and I'm really glad to have found these great diagrams because I'd never figure out how to do this on my own. I just know that I want to have lots of options to play with and I don't care about drilling extra holes in a pickguard (I made it myself anyway) or carving out a little extra from the electronics cavity area.

This is the first time I've modded a guitar this much and I am having fun with it. I completely disassembled the guitar (SX SST with ash body), sanded down the body, stained it with a custom-mixed stain and I'm just finishing up on clear coating. I carved the headstock so it's really close to a Tele, made my own custom decals for it (no fake Fender logo though - I don't care if anyone knows it's a cheap guitar), and have done a number of other mods. The pickguard is made from a pink vinyl Rolling Stones record.

I love to tinker, and I think this place is going to be a great source for guitar stuff. I like the atmosphere here. I see people who like cheap guitars and some who like the more pricey ones, but aren't corksniffers.

Thanks again. I really appreciate the help!

[newey]

I love to tinker, and I think this place is going to be a great source for guitar stuff. I like the atmosphere here. I see people who like cheap guitars and some who like the more pricey ones, but aren't corksniffers

Welcome again. We've found through years of experimentation that cork makes lousy guitars- no sustain at all. ;D

BTW, we've had this debate before, and I don't want to restart it again with wolf- but he claims to have seen a center-on switch that operates like his example "C", while no one else believes that "C" exists. All the center-on switches I've ever seen are wired like "D" above.

[katillac]

Hi again, guys!

I'm stumped again. I decided to go without phasing on this guitar, but the only difference is that it'll now be three fewer switches. I'm going by the diagram below, which is another one yoinked from 1728.org.

In the diagram, I know which poles connect when the switch is flipped up versus down (up connects the mid and bottom poles, down connects mid and upper poles), but I can't tell from the diagram which way each switch operates, ie, which direction is series in the series/parallel switch, and which is on in the on/off switches? I feel pretty dense right now. It's been a long week.

[katillac]

I hope this helps clarify what I'm asking. In the diagram below, I outlined which poles (should I say posts?) will be triggered with the switches down for all switches.

In the top switches (on/off for each pickup), with the toggle pointing down, connecting the middle and top poles, is that on or off for each pickup?

By the same token, in the larger series/parallel switch, with the toggle pointing down, connecting the middle and top poles, would that be series or parallel?




I hope I don't confuse you guys the way I'm saying all this.

[JohnH]

In wolfs version above, the 4 pole switch has lever up for aparalel, down for series. The dpdt switches have lever up for off andf down for on

John

[katillac]

Is the up=off and down=on based on using slide switches? The reason I ask is because on his site, the picture of his pickguard with everything installed shows toggles.

I'm starting to better understand how this is laid out, but I'm not fully confident if I'm seeing the on/off part you mentioned as being for slide or toggle switches.