Wire 3-way switch to be "dead" in center pos?

[morecowbell]

Howdy All,

I'm working on a new Strat build featuring a humbucker in the bridge and a single coil in the neck position. There is no middle pickup.

I'd like to use a three-way Tele switch to switch between them and was wondering if I could wire it up so that the middle position was silent, to use as sort of a "kill switch" on occasion.

I know I could do this with a 5-way by simply not wiring anything up to the mid position lugs. But I don't want to navigate five positions. My pickguard already has a blade cutout, so I'd rather use a blade switch vs. a Les Paul-type toggle if possible.

Any thoughts? Will a 3-way switch work for this?
Thanks in advance.

[ashcatlt]

Wellsir, since the tele 3-way switch is exactly the same as the strat 5-way, except without the "in-between" shorting positions...

You said you know how to do it. Pretty sure it'll only take one pole of the switch, leaving that other pole just hanging out begging to be used!

Maybe you could use it to swap the tone cap for a more appropriate value for each pickup.

[morecowbell]

A-ha! Thanks ashcatit. While deductive reasoning told me I could just skip the middle pickup on a 5-way, I did not realize that 3-ways and 5-ways actually have the same number of lugs. (It's so obvious now.) Thanks for the help. Yet another reason I love this board. Take care.

[ijustwannastrat]

+1 for not using middle position...

[ashcatlt]

I can't imagine going without the middle position on a tele. I guess maybe if the two pickups were completely incompatible...

Anyway, if you're going to do it, I think you'll get better results if you put ground on that middle lug, to reduce noise in the kill position.

[ijustwannastrat]

This doesn't sound like a tele build to me, in which case I would fully agree with ash.

I like to think this is going to be a rocker/blues guitar. I love my HB bridge chunk, and I also like neck SC cleans.

so cowbell, amirite?

[morecowbell]

ash: thanks. I'll ground it. Good call.

@ijustwannastrat: Exactly.

It's a Strat build with a Gibson '57 Plus in the bridge and a Dimarzio Area '67 in the neck and nothing at all in the middle. Definitely a rocker/heavy blues guitar. No tone control. Just a single volume knob, moved to the middle position (usually Tone) to give my picking hand some room.

I'm with you on the HB bridge and SC neck. I never play using my SC middle pickups at all, even on my Eric Johnson Strat which has some of the best-voiced SC pups out there, IMHO. Guess I'm funny that way.

More details: Lightweight poplar body (under 4 lbs), nitro paint (Lake Placid Blue), Wikinson Trem, Pau Ferro board on Warmoth '59 roundback neck. Jumbo frets (6100 I think, have to double check number). Beveled neck heel (using a Fender Amer. Deluxe neck plate with curved upper left corner). No back control cover. Sperzel tuners. LSR roller nut. 3-ply white pickguard. Body paint is done and curing for a month as we speak. Neck is next. Can't wait.