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Post by alrightythen90 on Jan 30, 2007 16:58:12 GMT -5
Hello... So I added a kill switch on my standard strat based on this diagram from Seymour Duncan: www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/kill_switch.html . I used an SPDT switch and installed it on the upper left corner of the guitar, much like a Les Paul toggle switch. I ran the wires through the pickup cavities, underneath the pickups of course, and then to their respective destinations as in the diagram. The soldering is pretty clean, as the switch functions properly. However, I've noticed that the guitar's clean tone is much muddier (not pleasant) than it was before I installed the switch and I am curious if this is an unavoidable consequence of this particular mod. Would a bad connection or soldier job somewhere cause this, or ? All three pickups have the same muddy tone, so I'm sure it has nothing to do with there, it has something to do with the way the switch has interrupted the signal. Any ideas or help?
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Post by spitfire23bc on Jan 30, 2007 17:13:28 GMT -5
I am curious if this is an unavoidable consequence of this particular mod. Hi alrightythen, no the tone shouldn't be affected at all. I'm not the most experienced person on this board by far(!), but my initial reaction was that it may be that the switch was damaged during soldering. How long were you applying heat for? Dan
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Post by UnklMickey on Jan 30, 2007 17:38:57 GMT -5
hi Dan,
you're probably on the right track here.
Alrightythen should probably connect the 2 wires at the top of that diagram together, but not to the switch. then tape them up and see if his tone comes back to normal.
if it becomes normal, then there is a problem related to the switch.
if not, then there is a problem related to the wiring.
although it wont cause the syptoms reported, that SD diagram is just WRONG.
if one were to use a SPDT switch, the wire to the output jack should be the one on the pole (middle connection).
that will make a nice quiet short when in kill mode, instead of leaving it open, an invitation for hum and noise.
there is no reason to even need a SPDT. just shorting the 2 terminals of the output jack together will kill the sound. that can be accomplished with a SPST.
back to the tone issue, if any signal carrying connection is touching carbon shielding paint, that will dull the tone, without completely killing the signal. we tend to forget about that possibility, because most of us use foil shielding. a signal carrying wire touching that completely kills the signal.
Alrightythen, you know a few things to look for, so let us know what kind of progress you make, and we'll continue to help if needed.
cheers,
unk
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Post by ChrisK on Jan 30, 2007 18:26:04 GMT -5
Your description infers that you ran three wires to the switch.
Did you clean off the solder flux on the switch? It can make a nice shunt to signal ground. It doesn't take much to affect the high impedance guitar signal.
Some kinds can be quite conductive (and corrosive).
I hope that you did not use plumbing paste flux with bare solder, this will cause more problems as time goes on.
I noticed the ground connection as well as the output connection on the switch (flux, a little dab will do you [in]). Also note that this switch switches the guitar signal either to the output or to the signal ground. When off, the guitar signal is shorted to signal ground, but the input to the amp is allowed to float. This logic is flawed.
I would have connected the center pole on the switch to the hot lead on the output jack and switched it from the guitar output signal to signal ground to effect the off mode.
Or, it could be a capacitance issue.
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Post by UnklMickey on Jan 30, 2007 18:42:37 GMT -5
...When off, the guitar signal is shorted to signal ground, but the input to the amp is allowed to float. This logic is flawed.... i would say it's just stupid.............but your way of saying this, IS more polite.
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Post by alrightythen90 on Jan 30, 2007 21:14:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the help! It could be that the switch is a little fried from soldering.. The SPDT was the best fit for my guitar, which is why I chose it as opposed to other sized SPSTs.. In order to rewire this more effectively, as unklmickey and chrisk suggested, I should run the center pole on the switch to the hot lead on the output, but how should I wire the other two poles?
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Post by UnklMickey on Jan 30, 2007 23:34:54 GMT -5
... I should run the center pole on the switch to the hot lead on the output, but how should I wire the other two poles? connect the center lug (the pole) as you suggested, to the hot lead. connect ONE of the outer lugs (the throws) to ground. but we're getting ahead of ourselves aren't we? did you determine the source of the muddiness? cheers, unk
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Post by alrightythen90 on Jan 31, 2007 0:04:35 GMT -5
Yeah, I basically took the whole thing apart and started fresh again with new solder joints and wire, rewiring it the way you suggested. After all was said and done, the guitar sounded just fine and the switch works. I don't know why SD has those convoluted instructions... Thank you very much!
Andy
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Post by UnklMickey on Jan 31, 2007 1:39:57 GMT -5
glad things worked out Andy.
SDs drawings ARE better than nothing, but do leave much room for improvment.
they are the way they are, because they don't have one of the GuitarNutZ as a consultant.
(no inflated ego here, eh?)
cheers,
unk
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