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Post by ChrisK on Oct 23, 2008 18:27:10 GMT -5
This design uses four push pull pots, one for each of the coils. Both switches down puts each P-Rail pickup in series humbucking. The respective coil switch puts the coil in parallel when pulled up. When both switches are up, both coils are in parallel humbucking. Binary Tree SwitchingNote that in the P-Rail set, both coils intra-pickup are humbucking. Both P-90 coils inter-pickup are humbucking and both Rail coils inter-pickup are humbucking. A P-90 coil in one pickup and a Rail coil in the other are not humbucking unless taken in series out of phase (position #2 on the 5-way lever switch). Here is a wiring diagram for the schematically terrified (or even moderately challenged).
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aej
Rookie Solder Flinger
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Post by aej on Dec 10, 2015 4:11:15 GMT -5
I'm putting together a guitar with 3 p-rails and hoping to have one 5-way lever switch (or possibly rotary) for each pickup to select the 4 options and the fifth position for off. Is this possible or am I barking up the wrong tree?
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Post by newey on Dec 10, 2015 6:36:10 GMT -5
aej-
Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!
What you want can certainly be done, although just as with the late ChrisK's diagram above, you will need a Superswitch (which is a 4P5T) switch, or a 4P5T rotary. (Actually, 3 of each) However, several points need to be made here.
First (and foremost) is fitment. You're talking a lot of switching, which will take up a lot of real estate. You haven't said what V and T controls you'll have, if any. Working out an elegant scheme means nothing if it won't fit into the guitar's cavity. Make templates, test-fit components before you commit to anything irreversible on your actual guitar. Measure, measure, measure . . .And, keep in mind that all the components will have wires- many- running to them, and these also take up space- cramming soldered connections together without a bit of slack will lead to failed connections. 3 Superswitches may fit side-by-side with only a few mm between them, but not once you wire them up.
Second, on the question of using rotaries versus lever switches- Have you ever cut a slot for a lever switch? Rotaries are easy- just haul out your drill. Cutting a slot for a lever switch is a lot tougher, particularly without the correct tools. You haven't said whether the guitar has a pickguard or not- if so, the lever switch becomes more practical, as you can practice cutting the slots correctly on a piece of scrap pickguard material. And, after practicing, if you still screw it up, pickguards are cheap. If this guitar has a rear cavity and you'll be cutting the wood, well, there's zero room for error and it'd be real easy to ruin the guitar body.
Third, if you use rotaries, 5-position ones are tough to source. 6 position ones are, however, fairly common. So, you may find yourself with an extra position to play with, which could be used (I think- have to look at this) to put the P-rail coils out-of-phase, as ChrisK's scheme above does. These would be 4-pole, 6 throw rotaries (4P6T). Mouser or Digi-key are your friends to source this type of thing.
Finally, you may want to consider other switching options, especially if fitment looks to be an issue. 6 DPDT mini-toggles, of the 3-position On-Off-On type, could be used, one for each coil, to select that coil either off, in parallel with the one next to it, or in series. Just throwing this out there as we would have to work out the details, but I believe t could be done. This sort of scheme might help make it visually more obvious what setting you have at any given time, and mini-toggles will be easier to mount and to fit into the guitar.
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