5 way rotary selector on strat configuration help

[ernie666]

I'm looking to replace my 5 way switch with a 5 way rotary switch on my strat guitar. I looked allover the web for a schematic but no luck. I've done several wirings in my lifetime but i have never been stumped with finding a wiring diagram until now. Any help guys? Thanks

[ashcatlt]

Is it standard strat wiring? The big thing is that the standard strat 5-way is actually a 3-way switch with in-between positions. You'll have to use at least 2 poles of a true 5-position rotary and short adjacent lugs together. I'll give it a think and maybe draw something up later tonight. Of course, if you can figure it out before hand... Take a look at standard Tele wiring for a hint.

[ChristoMephisto]

There's a couple examples over at www.geocities.jp/dgb_studio/index_e.htm

they're 6 way instead, but you can get the 5 strat stock and the missing neck+bridge combo

[ernie666]

Yes, it is pretty much the same wiring configuration as a strat (1 master volume, 2 tones, 3 single coils, 5 way selector switch). I thought this was going to be a simple job like finding the schematics here online but boy was I wrong. I have a 5 position rotary switch with only one layer (I know the PRS ones have a layer of lugs on top and some in the middle of the shaft). This one has 10 prongs (5 on each side) and two center lugs (which I believe they are the wipers). I don't know if this can be done with a single layer one. Thanks

[ashcatlt]

Yes it's doable but not often done. First figure out for sure which lugs go to which common - which you've called wipers. Now, on one side connect bridge hot to lugs 1 and 2, neck hot and neck tone to 4 and 5. On the other side connect middle hot and mid tone to 2, 3, and 4. Connect both "wipers" to the volume pot where the blade switch would go. The rest is exactly like any other strat diagram.

Note that the lug numbers are essentially arbitrary. You'll want the bridge probaly at the clockwise (from shaftside) end.

[newey]

ernie666-

Looks like ash has you on the right track here, so I'll just chime in to say:

Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

[sumgai]

DevilBoy,

Welcome to The NutzHouse, and nice wordplay on your name.


You've been looking at diagrams for your intended rotary switch all along.... in fact, every time you see a standard Strat diagram, that's for a rotary switch.

Huh? How's that?

Easy. Here, hold my beer and watch this:

A Strat's switch is a rotary form factor, laid on it's side. There is a large piece of metal welded to the shaft, at a right angle. You put your fingers on that large piece of metal and push it one way or the other. That rotates the shaft, just the same as if you had twisted the knob mounted on the shaft's end.

Same number of terminals, same terminology, same everything - it's only a matter of how the human operates the thing.... I swear, it's true! I read it on the innerwebs and everything!! ;D

HTH



sumgai

[sbgodofmetal]

if you really know what your doing you can use the 6way rotary and have the stock 5 sounds+bridge&neck together additionally dont rid your strat of the old 5way 'blade' instead wire 4 diferent caps (w/5th pos, as a bypass,)to it and remove the tone cap from the remaining tone pot and run a wire from the 5way to the tone pot. replace your volume with a push/pull pot and wire your middle pickup to the up pos, to give you a middle add reguardless of your selector pos,

[sbgodofmetal]

additionally you can add a passive (no battery needed) subtle overdrive by taking either the bypass pos, on the blade or the up pos, of the push pull pot by wiring in 1,2,or3 diodes in either series or parallel with each other but i'm insane and obsessed with varitone modding and it's only a sugestion but many users including me can provide you with diagrams upon request (or a link to find it yourself)

[sbgodofmetal]

but since you've already got a 5way rotary just wire it like ash suggested, and like i suggested dont just throw out the ol' blade switch you can wire it any way you like you can have both as pup selectors (kinda like the double barrel mod) or make it a varitone blade by adding different caps to each pos, you can replace both vol, & the remaining tone pots w/P/P's to add the neck pup in any selector pos, as well as adding the passive O.D. to the mix with strats the skies the limit

[ashcatlt]

sb (and sg) - you seem to have forgotten that (as I said earlier in this thread) the standard "5-way" strat switch is really only a 3-way switch. It's a DP3T just like the one in a Tele, only modified to have notches in between where the commons are connected to 2 of the three positions at the same time. There isn't any place to put 4 tone caps and a bypass. Well, not on one pole anyway.

The rotary will be a true DP5T with individual lugs for each position. This is why we have to jumper some to get standard strat stuff out of it.

In my strat, I've got a cap to ground at the "neck" lug, ground at the "middle", and nothing at the "bridge" lug. The pickup signal (selected via 3xDP5T) is connected to the jack tip and these go to the common on the 5-way. Set toward the bridge it's on. All the way toward the neck it's on with Tone at 0. Any of the 3 middle positions short the jack to silence. At least that's how it's supposed to work. Lately the "Tone at 0" thing hasn't seemed to work. I've got to get in and check it out, but it's my main gigging guitar, and it's a strat so all the strings have to come off. And I'm a little lazy. And I left it at the bar after our gig Friday night...

[sbgodofmetal]

[newey]

sbg of m:

I tried to fix it for you but no dice. Try re-pasting the code in again from photobucket.

I also noticed you are using the mobile version of photobucket. I can't think of any reason why that would be the problem, but I don't know if anyone else has ever used that, either.

[sbgodofmetal]

i'm still on my psp and have to type the code manually (no cut/copy and paste options) i finally figured out how to upload to photobucket directly from my phone and when its uploaded they send me a confirmation text with the html direct link code which is what i entered but i'll be on the laptop here shortly and i'll see if i can't get it to work then thanks for trying newey

[sbgodofmetal]

ah ha i got it now hehehe.... so this is what i've been talking about. ash you said there wouldn't be room on the 5way to fit the 4 caps and have a bypass and i'm not posting this claiming i'm right i'm merely asking can it be done this way especially if one uses a mega or a super 5way blade switch


and did i at least get the rotary wiring right

[sbgodofmetal]

the standard 5way has 8 lugs to solder to!!! ash i'm not trying to discredit or say your wrong cause i am still an amatuer at guitar wiring but with 8 lugs on a standard switch why would there not be room??? i'm utterly confused here... i understood it being a 3way with 2 inbetween pos, until i got to looking and saw a 5way blade has 8 lugs... so what am i missing here? i'm just trying to understand and learn as much as i can on both standard&custom guitar wiring

[ashcatlt]

The rotary switch in your most recent pic works fine. It's not exactly how I'd described, but it does the same thing. Fine job there.

Yes, the standard Strat 5-way blade switch has 8 lugs. So does the standard Tele 3-way switch. There's 2 poles - or independent halves - on the switch. Each pole has one "common" lug and 3 "position" lugs = 4. 4 x 2 = ... Note that the true DP5T rotary you've drawn has 12 lugs. Just wait till you run into one of these import 5-ways which have only 7 lugs total!

A Mega- or Super- switch will be a true 5 position switch, with 6 lugs per pole and either 2 or 4 poles.

[sbgodofmetal]

thanks ash i'm starting to get this (slowely but surely) so what i'm wanting to do as a varitone, can it be done on a mega or super 5way switch

[sbgodofmetal]

[sbgodofmetal]

actually only the super switch is a 4pole ''24'' lug, with 6 lugs per pole, the mega switch is a true DP5T 2pole 5way with 7 lugs total poleA lugs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and pole b. lugs 1-5 would be wired like my 5way rotary diagram with poles A&B as the commons... info from stewmac catalogue not website i'll be double checking the correctness of my post then i'll correct if nesissary

[newey]

with 7 lugs total poleA lugs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and pole b. lugs 1-5

I count 5, plus a common, on each pole, for a total of 12. It's the so-called (by G-nutz) "half superswitch".

[sbgodofmetal]

ok just got back from stewmac.com and for the E-model mega switch its 7lugs... 1,middle hot wire... 2, neck hot wire... 3,hot to volume... lugs 4&5 unused... jumper lug 6 to lug 7... 7, bridge hot wire in the pic theres an 8th lug connected to a housing screw but not pictured in diagram i'm assuming it a ground as no copper/gold contacts are touching it. how hard would it be to rig this to act as a 5way varitone using 5 caps

[sbgodofmetal]

i did how ever find a way to use a standard 5way as a ''half'' a varitone switch we know a standard 5way has 8 lugs total 4per side right we'll call those sideA and side B for now. on side A from bottom to top are lugs 1, 2, 3, &4. & side B from top to bottom are lugs a, b, c, &d. on side A wire 3 caps to lugs 2, 3, &4. on side B run a jumper from lug a to lug 1 of side A then to M.tone from lug1

[sbgodofmetal]

going this rout with the 3caps of my choice being .022uf at lug 2, .039uf at lug 3, & .050uf at lug 4, it should work like this- pos1-.022uf. pos2-.022uf&.039uf. pos3-.039uf. pos4-.039uf&.050uf. & pos5-.050uf

[sbgodofmetal]

also i could wire a .022uf at lug2 and put two diodes in parallel on lug3 and a .039uf on lug4 to gain this- pos1-.022uf. pos2-.022uf&O.D. pos3-O.D. pos4-O.D.&.039uf. &pos5-.039uf

[sbgodofmetal]

though i think a tele 3way is better suited for tha O.D. version it should look like this.... pos1-.022uf. pos2-.022uf/O.D./.039uf. &pos3-.039uf.... (NOTE: / indicates a jumper wire from one lug to another... so pos1&3 are jumpered to pos2 so at pos 2 you have both tones+O.D.)

[newey]

The Megaswitch "E" model just mimics the standard Strat pickup selections, it just has different internals to get to the same result. As Ash mentioned, there are also import-style Strat switches with 7 lugs- these have only a single commons which is tied internally to both poles.

Neither of these types are truly DP5T switches.

As far as what you are attempting, it should work with the caps, not sure about with the diodes. However, the changes will not be uniform across the switch. You'll get:

1) .022
2) .061 (.022 + .039, "+" meaning in parallel)
3) .039
4) .089 (.039 + .050)
5) .050

If you want the settings to vary from low to high, a real 5T switch, and some more capacitors will be needed. You probably also want one position to be a bypass, as Ash did on his Ric project.

[sbgodofmetal]

how ever you do it you'll be getting some very interesting sounds RECAP... by adding the 5way blade 1/2 varitone, and running your pups to a 5way rotary, converting to a singal master tone, and using a push pull volume for a neck pup add in the up pos, you'll be creating a tonal beast without ever needing to pick up a router/dremel/or a power drill you'll keep the guitars original stock appearance and gain a multitude of new sounds, so what ever you decide on ernie666, i wish you luck

[sbgodofmetal]

well thanks newey i've been wondering aout those ''inbetween''pos, ever since i drew the first working version on paper. for continuity should i switch it to a tele 3way so it'll be pos1-.022uf pos2-.039uf pos3-.050uf??? and no drastic bass adds in pos 2&4 by eliminating those pos, from the switch itself

[ashcatlt]

I think we've lost ernie!

The Tele switch wired as you've described here last would certainly overcome the "back and forth" action from the 5-way version. It also reduces the number of tonal options. It's really a matter of personal preference.

I'm not familiar with the Mega and Super switches except from what I've read around here. Thanks to newey for helping with the facts there.

In case you need it: Series and Parallel Components.