6-way strat switch wiring

[voiturefemelle]

I've been trying to find a wiring diagram that lets me have all three pickups on in the 6 position (or something similar) but I can't find anything.
I've had wired to be neck + bridge in the 6 pos for a while.

[newey]

voiturefemelle-

Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

We'll need a few details here. First off, what type of 6-way switch are we talking about? Is this the Oak-Grigsby 6-way lever switch? If so, that's kind of a one-trick pony, it's designed to give the N + B in addition to the usual Strat-ish combos. Not sure if you can do all three pickups with that or not, we'd have to take a look. If it's some other type of 6-way switch, we'll need the specifics of the switch.

Also, a diagram depicting how you have it wired currently would be a good starting point.

If it was me, I'd consider keeping the N + B setting and getting all three pickups via a push/pull switch to turn the neck (or bridge, your choice) pickup on together with the settings of the 6-way switch. This then would give N + M + B by adding the neck pickup in when the B + M is selected, if you use a "neck-on" switch, or with the N + M if the switch is on the bridge pickup. Just a thought, you could keep your existing 6-way wiring that way.

[voiturefemelle]

It's just the grigsby switch.
I do have a SPST push pull for a coil split in the same guitar.

[newey]

Aug 18, 2023 0:19:39 GMT -5 voiturefemelle said:

I do have a SPST push pull

Never seen a push/pull that wasn't a DPDT. Anyway, some time ago, I purchased one of the Grigsby 6-way switches. I haven't used it for anything yet because I found I would have to lengthen the slot for the lever to have enough room for the lever to travel through all 6 positions, and I wasn't willing to do the woodworking on the guitar in question. But I did suss out the switch logic and posted it somewhere here. The switch doesn't operate the way one would think, as I said, it's designed to do the N + B thing. I'll have to dig up my old post on that, and we'll see if what you want can be done (it probably can, but gotta take a look at it).

[EDIT:]

Found it:



Let me take a look at this more deeply and we'll see what we can do

[Yogi B]

Aug 18, 2023 4:30:00 GMT -5 newey said:

Never seen a push/pull that wasn't a DPDT.

The 'classic' CTS push/pulls are SPST (Gibson have occasionally put them in guitars in the past, I don't know if others have too):

---

voiturefemelle I don't know what you're working with in terms of tone controls (the traditional N & M tones, or something else?), but that might have to change to accommodate the B+M+N switching. In any event, the below diagram should work as a starting point — it has B+M+N at the neck end of the selections, however it is possible to swap it to the bridge end if that's what you'd prefer. (In case it's not obvious from looking at the switch, I've depicted it in the bridge position).

[voiturefemelle]

Thank you very much. It works
I couldn't find anything about people wiring it this way.
The only problem I had is that it sounds like my bridge humbucker is either out of phase or has a bad connection, but I kinda like the sound of it.

[frets]

I wired a 6-way harness today and beware, you have to cut the pickguard to get the 6th position to engage. I found that there are vendors selling 6-way pickguards that have the switch cut out already modified.
Here is just one vendor. I’m not promoting them, I’m just using it for a reference.
www.axesrus.co.uk/Pickguard-For-Fender-Strat-6-way-p/arumodpgstrat6way.htm

So one either has to buy a pickguard or get out the xacto knife.

I paid $14.50 for the switch, which is double the cost of the 5-way (wholesale price).

I don’t think guys are going to like the pickguard dilemma. I don’t think I would have bought the switch if I knew that; but, I should have known. I did not research it well enough.

But I don’t think the pickguard dilemma has been mentioned on the forum.

[newey]

Nov 10, 2023 18:21:16 GMT -5 frets said:

But I don’t think the pickguard dilemma has been mentioned on the forum.

Then you didn't read through the link I posted back to my original discussion of this thing with reTrEaD, with the pinout info. I bought mine from Allparts in 2017 (I think it was) and the website expressly said the slot had to be lengthened. We discussed it in the thread, and I verified it when I got the switch in hand. Didn't know someone was making guards to fit it, that's a plus.

ssstonelover and I were just discussing this the other day, too, come to think of it.

[ssstonelover]

Nov 10, 2023 21:30:06 GMT -5 newey said:

Nov 10, 2023 18:21:16 GMT -5 frets said:

But I don’t think the pickguard dilemma has been mentioned on the forum.

Then you didn't read through the link I posted back to my original discussion of this thing with reTrEaD, with the pinout info. I bought mine from Allparts in 2017 (I think it was) and the website expressly said the slot had to be lengthened. We discussed it in the thread, and I verified it when I got the switch in hand. Didn't know someone was making guards to fit it, that's a plus.

ssstonelover and I were just discussing this the other day, too, come to think of it.

This was discussed in this thread, Oak Grisgby look for reply #10
I had this issue with the 4-way Oak Grigsby (once or twice) so expected it would also occur on the 6-way as they don't tighten the throw between 'notch' settings regretfully.

[frets]

Sorry😸! I did not see that. I wouldn’t have bought it if I would have read that. It makes sense that it needs more “throw” but it’s still maddening. I think I’m just going to buy the pickguard.

[newey]

Nov 11, 2023 13:27:00 GMT -5 frets said:

I think I’m just going to buy the pickguard.

I was looking at it for a rear-cavity build, which meant woodworking instead of just cutting a pickguard. And if you screw up cutting a pickguard, it's nowhere near as big a deal than binning a body.

Mind you, I never got around to trying this, but my thought for a pickguard was to find a blade for my sabersaw roughly the thickness of the slot, it'd need one with fine teeth like for cutting Formica. A quick "Whhirrr", just about 1/8 in. on either end of the slot, then a quick de-burring with a tiny Rattail file should do it. But you might be the guinea pig on this! My thought was that this would not have to be laser-precise, no one's going to notice if it's a mm or two over to one side or the other and the switch knob will block some of the view of any imprecision anyway.

[ssstonelover]

After making a few pickguards, and slotting cavities too...(and correcting for larger throw in some models) I am not intimidated by making the slots any more, but it all comes down to technique and measuring twice before cutting, templates, tool setup, etc.
At the most primitive level the Harbor Freight diamond tipped mini-files are fine and only cost between $10-15 for a full set. The Dremel with a carbon disc can work too, small drill bits, etc.
Make a pencil sketch, trace the slot, whatever.
This might give you some ideas. It should be correct as it claims to be the Oak-Grigsby 6-way drawing link

[frets]

Thanks SSStone,
I do appreciate it. I’m using the diamond file method. It’s not too bad.