Help needed for custom wiring

[indec1isive]

I have a brian may style guitar, with 6 2-way slide switches, 3x for on/off, 3x for phase reversal

I am modifying my guitar and need help with two new additions to the electronics, which I can't find anything on wiring

1. Series/Parallel switch

2. 3-way rotary switch to be able to switch between Bridge+Middle in phase, Middle+Neck out of phase, and then the 3rd position would just go back to whatever the main 6 switches are set at

I can't find anything on either of them. Not for 3 single coil pickups at least.

[JohnH]

Hello and welcome to GN2

We know how to add a series-parallel switch to a Brian May guitar, like this:

guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/4855/brian-series-parallel-switching-sss

The further rotary might get quite tangled, but is probably possible.

[reTrEaD]

Jul 13, 2023 6:23:19 GMT -5 indec1isive said:

1. Series/Parallel switch

The author of the definitive solution to this, responded.

Jul 13, 2023 6:23:19 GMT -5 indec1isive said:

2. 3-way rotary switch to be able to switch between Bridge+Middle in phase, Middle+Neck out of phase, and then the 3rd position would just go back to whatever the main 6 switches are set at

I don't recall seeing that anywhere but it seems fairly straightforward if you have a three-position rotary switch with at least seven poles. Finding such a switch that is small enough to fit in your guitar might be difficult.

1 - Remove the red wire between the rightmost on-off switch and the CW lug of the volume control on John's drawing.
2 - Connect one pole of the rotary switch to the CW lug of the volume control.
3 - Connect the throw associated with that pole in the 'normal' position of the rotary switch to where the red wire was removed from the rightmost on-off switch.
4 - Disconnect the six wires from the pickups going to the three phase switches.
5 - Connect the six pickup wires to six poles of the rotary switch.
6 - Connect the six throws of the rotary switch associated with those six poles in the 'normal' position of the rotary switch to the corresponding locations vacated by the pickup wires in step 4.

That completes the wiring for the 'normal' position of the rotary. Then it's just a matter of wiring the other two positions.

While straightforward, your diagram (and the actual wiring) will be very busy. Good Luck!

[Yogi B]

Jul 13, 2023 6:23:19 GMT -5 indec1isive said:

1. Series/Parallel switch

2. 3-way rotary switch to be able to switch between Bridge+Middle in phase, Middle+Neck out of phase, and then the 3rd position would just go back to whatever the main 6 switches are set at

It's not clear to me whether you also want the series/parallel to also affect the two preset selections, if so I think that'll push the minimum switch requirements up by another couple of poles (split between your additional switches, depending on what is easier to obtain — i.e. either: 6PDT & 7P3T; 5PDT & 8P3T; or 4PDT & 9P3T).

Also, in terms of finding something that will more likely fit inside a guitar, it may be easier to find an 8P3T as a slide switch (rather than as a rotary) e.g. KLS Electronic KLS7-SS77-83D01.

[JohnH]

Finding the switch will be the hardest part. reTrEaD describes a 7-pole switch. That's a pole to switch each end of each of three pickups, and one for the output?
With luck, maybe it could be condensed but it's still a complex wiring with a rare switch, even though simple in concept.

Eg, the BM switches might be left connected to the output, but with all the pickups switched away, they'd have mo effect. Hence thst saves a pole. A 6 pole switch with up to 4 settings is within the scope of more common rotary switches.

[indec1isive]

Thank you all for the replies, I've seen a rotary switch done on a guitar like this before, by Tristan Avakian, albeit that guitar has 3x, 3 way switches for the pickups and the phase, and a 2 position rotary, for bridge and middle in phase, and then whatever the switches are set to.

If putting a 3 way rotary in the wiring would be too difficult I could do as stated above, a 2 way, with middle and bridge in phase as the only combination, then whatever the switches are set to.

[indec1isive]

Or, as I've racked my brain searching for diagrams for both of my wants, so at this point I've given up on specific switch types like rotary, but would there be an easier method for the 2nd thing I listed? Like a slide switch?

[JohnH]

I think that a 6-pole switch may be findable, and I see both rotaries and slide versions coming up in searches. Needs more checking out in terms of dimensions, and just how they work.

I'm assuming the reason to have the extra settings is so you can quickly move between your most frequent combos, without needing to re-program all 6 of the current slide switches?

Another factor with multi-pole switches is with all those contacts, they can get stiff to turn.

Could you also clarify, for the one or two preset combos, would they be in series or parallel? Series is how all the standard settings work on a BM guitar, although this is unusual compared to most guitars.

Going to just one preset combo should simplify things, not sure just how though without thinking.....

(thinks)

....When you add the series-parallel switch, it's usually a 4-pole mini toggle. I reckon if you have a second one as well, it should be enough to flick to a B and M setting or back to the full switching.

[indec1isive]

They'd be in series.

[indec1isive]

And yeah, that's exactly why. Easier to flick a single switch or turn a dial and get a specific combination then mess with switches, especially when on the fly to most used positions.

[JohnH]

Would the idea of just the extra toggle appeal? to go from B and M in series to any setting set by the main switches. You would add that, and another similar toggle to change any of the main settings to series or parallel. I could work that out if so. The option with the two added settings on a rotary isn't something I could tackle for quite a while though but maybe someone else could.

[indec1isive]

I was thinking about that actually, I like the idea of having two les paul style toggle switches, instead of a slide switch and a rotary switch.

One toggle switch would be for parallel and series switching, the other would be to switch between B+M in series, and then whatever the main 6 are set to.

I should note, and probably should've earlier, that this is my first time wiring a guitar. I've watched countless videos and read countless websites, and get the gist of Main wiring, and have many Brian May wiring diagrams to hand, but anything else I know nothing, so any diagram presented I'll have to research into lol

[indec1isive]

Even just the ability to switch between B+M, and the main switches adds so much more ease of access and versatility to an already very versatile instrument, it just gives me that extra utility.

[indec1isive]

And that's forgetting the parallel and series switch which also adds versatility.

[JohnH]

OK great!

Just to be clear, these switches are 4-pole mini-toggles. You mount them in a 1/4" hole and they look like this:

media.digikey.com/photos/E-Switch%20Photos/1004P3T1B1M1QE.jpg

So the lever is smaller than a Les Paul toggle and there are two positions.

It'll also be important to look inside and make sure there is room for two of these.

[indec1isive]

Yeah that's cool, and I'll be chiselling some space out of the electronic cavity as is cause I know where I want the switches to go and everything

How exactly would you wire all this?

[indec1isive]

And, are these switches On-On or On-Off, I am assuming the former but I want to be sure

[JohnH]

They are on-on, the group of four middle lugs connect either to the top or bottom outer lugs.

We can make a wiring diagram to follow. It would help if you could start with a rough sketch or photo/markup of where the switches will be. Best to draw it from the back, as you'll look at it while wiring.

The wiring diagram needn't be exactly matching that, it's often clearer to pull the parts apart a bit more, but it does help if the switches are drawn in about the right relative orientations.

[indec1isive]

I don't know how to post images, but I do have a like layout of where the switches will go

[JohnH]

You should be able to hit the 'postmage upload' button. I see it at top right when I'm writing a reply.

[indec1isive]

I'm on mobile, but I'm going onto my computer anyhow, so I'll try then

[indec1isive]

[JohnH]

ok I'll try a diagram to work with that. Might take a few days...

[indec1isive]

Ok thank you.

[indec1isive]

Hey, any progress on the diagram?

[JohnH]

Yes indeed, I've been working on it! It's tricky and it might be a rats nest of wires.

I'm putting the controls in somewhat relative position per yiur diagram, moved a bit to make a clearer view.

Also thinking trough how best to use the 4-pole toggle for the BxM combo. Probably one pole cuts out the neck, two to divert B hot and M cold to hot and grounlnld, and one to join B cold to M hot in series. Need to be sure all other switching then does nothing when at this setting, no matter how other switches are set.

[indec1isive]

Sounds good, thank you so much. Still am yet to start on the finish of the guitar but I'm getting there, so I'm not exactly in a rush.

[indec1isive]

If it helps, Tristan Avakian has a b+m switch on his guitar, but his is a rotary

[JohnH]

Thanks, but what I'm trying to figure out is very specific to the overall wiring, including the series/parallel switch, so best to stay with it.

[indec1isive]

Yeah okay