push button help

[R]

ok i can see from all the threads that most people favor the mini toggle switches for all the bells and whistles in the mod you all design but what i want to do is to add a push button switch so that it will turn on the middle pickup and turn off the other ones ( im planning to add a super hot pu there for pure heavy metal) is this possible and what kind of push button switch will i need?



BTW the guitar is a les paul black beauty 3 the middle pu was disconnected and every thing was wired like a normal lp

[UnklMickey]

R,

you left a few blanks in your description of what you are trying to accomplish.

your pushbutton (i'll assume you mean a push-push switch) needs to turn off any/all pickups that are selected by the normal 3-way, and turn on only the new middle pickup.

will the new pickup have a new volume and a new tone control?

will the new pickup connect to the output without a volume and tone control?

will the new pickup be wired through one of the existing volume and tone controls?

would you be willing to use one of the existing volume and tone controls for the neck and/or bridge and the other volume and tone controls just for the new pickup?


there are lots of ways to skin this cat. what do you have in mind?



unk

[R]

sorry for the blanks this time is usually when im asleep ( i work nights)

yes im talking about the push push switch i think they're called momentary off pushbutton

id prefer to have the middle pu share with the neck if possible but im willing to use one tone and volume for the middle pu and the other ones for the other two

im not asking too much am i ? ;D

[Mini-Strat_Maine]

r said:

yes im talking about the push push switch i think they're called momentary off pushbutton

I think a "momentary" only goes on (momentary off would be pretty rare) when you push it, like a doorbell button. A push/push like U.M. referred to would "latch" in one position or the other. Best analogy I can make is the wall switches that were either part of a rheostat (dimmer switch) or located right near the dimmer. Push it once, it goes on, and springs back to the same height. Another push shuts it off.
A push/pull will stay in either the down (pushed) or up position.

They do make push/push pots for guitars, but I dunno what values they come in. Your idea could probably work with an on/on toggle, slide, or rocker switch, too, if you get the right number of poles and throws. (Danged if I know what that would be, but somebody'll figure it out based on what you want it to do. )

[UnklMickey]

r said:

... im not asking too much am i ? ;D

not too much.

doug's right about the terminology. momentary means it goes back to "normal" as soon as you take your finger off the switch. i doubt that's what you want.

what you'll need is a DPDT. whether thats a push-push switch, a switch mounted on a pot, or a mini-toggle, depends on what you like and what you can find.

one pole selects the neck or middle to the (neck) volume and tone control. the other selects whether the bridge throw of the 3-way connects to the neck controls, or is connected to the neck throw of the 3-way.

in one position of the new switch you have the normal neck, neck+bridge, bridge choices.

in the other you have middle only, regardless of the position of the 3-way. the neck controls now control the middle pickup.


if my verbal description of the connections was too confusing, just post a diagram of the wiring you are now using, and i'll modify the drawing.

unk

[wolf]

The above diagram shows how this could be easily done with another SPDT switch. (For easier readability and my laziness, the volume and tone controls are not drawn.
You do not have to use a pushbutton switch but if you do, make sure it is a type which will show you what position it is in. (down or up - some pushbutton switches are the same height on or off).
You might want to add one of those push/pull pots with the DPDT switch on them. You do not have to use one side of the DPDT switch at all.
Here is one instance where elijb's idea comes in handy. You could arrange a battery and an LED to be switched with the other side of the DPDT switch and of course it would light up when the heavy metal humbucker is activated.
Just a thought.

[R]

in one position of the new switch you have the normal neck, neck+bridge, bridge choices.

in the other you have middle only, regardless of the position of the 3-way. the neck controls now control the middle pickup.

thats the idea ive been shooting for ;D
heres the wiring the lp has at the moment



how can i apply that mod to my current wiring using just a normal push pull pot (wolf just sold me on the idea of using the LED)

wolf will your diagram work like uncle's with the neck pots controlling the middle when switched on?

[wolf]

R
Where is unklmickey's diagram?

[UnklMickey]

R,

this should do what you asked for.

the two switches shown are actually the left and right halves of a DPDT.

the left half selects neck or middle pickup, the right half selects normal or middle only operation on the 3-way.

if you choose to use a push-pull pot, the "top" of the switch as shown in the drawing would be the part closest to the pot in real-life. pulling the pot would activate the middle-only mode.

there aren't enough poles to do all of what you asked, and also operate a LED indicator.
you would either have to:

• run without volume/tone controls on the middle pickup,
  
  
• OR have single volume/tone controls when in normal mode,
  
  
• OR have 3 volumes, one tone,
  
  
• OR have the 3-way select middle or bridge when in "middle mode".
  

if you just gotta have the LED, pick one of the options above, or find a 3PDT switch.

whaddaya think?

unk

[wolf]

Well it seems the circuit by Unklmickey is much more detailed. That will do everything that R wants. It was my idea to add the LED.
However, if you are going to have the middle "HOT" humbucker for blistering "lead" work, is it that necessary even to have volume or tone controls?
Another question to consider is the position of the middle pickup. Would it have the harmonically rich sound that the bridge position has?
Just wondering - does anyone use the middle pickup for soloing?

[R]

the diagram looks like it has all the necessities i want the LED was a perk not really need (sorry wolf)

i like the idea of having volume and tone for the middle pu so it helps shape my sound

normally i use the bridge for soloing but since the lp has a middle pickup i dont really use i want to take advantage of it and do this mod

[UnklMickey]

wolf said:

...Another question to consider is the position of the middle pickup. Would it have the harmonically rich sound that the bridge position has?...

IMHO: not even close!

but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

lots of early rockers turned the tone controls down on their guitars to get a nice harmonic free signal. then over-drove their amps to square things off. (even harmonics.)

if there were already lots of harmonics present from the guitar, the sound was too noisy and complex. especially when playing harmonies or simple chords.

i often use the neck pickup for solos. neck+bridge for chords.

that's not the "normal' way things are done today, but then, the same can be said for lots of things i do.


unk

[R]

oh yeah forgot to say thanks guys

[UnklMickey]

R,


"hey man, it aint no thing."



good luck, and if ya can, let us know how things worked out when you get done.


unk

[R]

hmm i think i mest up somewhere tell me unk i added another push pull switch to the schematic for split coil would it make any difference to the workings of your mod

cause right now the three selector switch wont switch between the pu

but good news the switch to activate the middle pu works ;D

edit: got it up and running after rewiring everything all over again thanks again works like a charm

[UnklMickey]

r said:

...edit: got it up and running after rewiring everything all over again thanks again works like a charm

good to hear. if ya can't get it right the first time, at least get it right..........eventually!