Proposition for a Tele w\ 5-way switch and 2 P/P (HOOP incl)

[JD]

Hello everyone,

Here's my second attempt at a guitar wiring. After a version of a Jimmy Page wiring on a LP, I wanted to try something new or my Tele. It's a simple MIM that sounds really good but I wanted to give it a few more options tone wise.
More options yes, but my first focus is to preserve the 3 I already have. So I read online about The Bill Lawrence wiring and learned a little about Half OOP.

So down the Rabbit hole I went: How to get a maximum of sounds with 2 single coil pups and the controls available, i.e 2 push-pull and a 5-way switch. That last one was tricky because a Strat 5-way switch isn't exactly a 5-way switch. The following is for for beginners like me: it uses middle points between 1 and 3 (resp 3 and 5) to create possition 2 (resp 4).

One way to circumvent that issue and to have true independent 5 positions is to use Superswitches (e.g Fender's) or Megaswitches (e.g Schaller's). Unfortunately a Tele cavity is rather on the narrow side and those big switches usually won't fit in the cavity without woodwork witch I'd like to avoid. Some narrow versions do exist but it's starting to get expensive. And considering my skills with an iron, I have some concerns about soldering on the copper pads of the Schaller type. So I've found some actual 5-way switch on a single wafer from China here:

It looks like they are doing what it says on the tin (one contact only per position) and seems to be easier to solder on.
So my first question is: what do you think about that switch?

Then, with all the parts figured out, I started working on the wiring. I came up with something but I have some questions about 2 of the configurations. I was hoping that the one on the left would actually be a "Neck Only" option, as for the second one I would think it's the same but I would like a confirmation from more experienced people.

So Here's what I've come up with:
a 5-way Switch, 1 push/pull to activate OoP on the Neck pickup, and 1 push/pull to activate a Cap in Parallel with the Bridge pickup. Schematic and configuration recap below (Edited after angellahash correction in Reply #1 on the truth table):

The highlighted configurations are duplicates witch leaves me with 15 individual configurations out of 20 possibilities.
Note that OoP configurations can't be Humbucking with the polarities of my pickups.

Also, aside from the Volume and Tone circuits that won't change (again I like the sound of that guitar, I'm tryng to add other sounds without changing the stock ones) any recommendation about the cap values (C1 & C2) ? I went with things I read, but i guess I'll adjust once I start actually building the thing.

And here's The wiring that goes with it.

I guess what I'm asking here is: does that seems correct? useful?

Any other comments are welcome !

[Deleted]

does as you said it would
I think the Charts a bit wrong ie you have two 10 for one point


as for the Neck and Bridge duplicate you could use a 4P5T (or a Fancy board on a cheap Switch) 
C2 tie to one END, to free up one Pole, for the 4P5T same as you did with you 2P5T but say put a New C3 between the two Commons and 1&5 to ground at one end, and 1&5 going to the ON on the Tone Switch, Tone Common to the Main Line 

this will give you Neck//C3, Bridge//C2 and Bridge//C2//C3 [ Bridge // (C2+C3) ]

Phase correction as use on circuits to bring the Current in line with the Voltage as used mainly on Lighting circuits by using Capacitors and can use Inductors. Never keen on HooP because its white nosie and to change down the line of 90 degrees isnt the same as AC (and AC isnt a Pure Sine Wave) but if i go 180 degrees down i have the upside version of the orienal and if i go 90 my New Peek is the middle of the Old one. But with White Nosie (Random) i dont have a clue where i am along the wave form ie you dont have a half way point
If im middle age say 35 then i expect to die at 70! there is no middle when i dont know the end. When i find the end then i can call a point the middle .

[newey]

Feb 18, 2022 21:36:43 GMT -5 JD said:

It looks like they are doing what it says on the tin (one contact only per position) and seems to be easier to solder on.
So my first question is: what do you think about that switch?

It's what we here (and others) call a "Half Superswitch". It's a 2P5T, as opposed to the regular Strat-type 5-way, which is technically a 2P3T (with shorting positions in between).

I'm using one on my rebuuild/rewire of my Tele (err, Esquire-ish . . .) guitar

Your diagram is fine. As for cap values, you may want to experiment, which can be done external to the guitar if you haven't already unwired it.

[JD]

Feb 19, 2022 5:10:38 GMT -5 @angellahash said:

does as you said it would

Yup, copy paste mistake, I corrected the image on the original post, thanks !

Feb 19, 2022 5:10:38 GMT -5 @angellahash said:

as for the Neck and Bridge duplicate you could use a 4P5T (or a Fancy board on a cheap Switch) 
C2 tie to one END, to free up one Pole, for the 4P5T same as you did with you 2P5T but say put a New C3 between the two Commons and 1&5 to ground at one end, and 1&5 going to the ON on the Tone Switch, Tone Common to the Main Line 

this will give you Neck//C3, Bridge//C2 and Bridge//C2//C3 [ Bridge // (C2+C3) ]

Well the point of picking that half super switch (2P5T) was size, from what I've measured, there's no room in the cavity for a full size superswitch, so all the design and options comes from that limitation, otherwise I'd have probably found a way to avoid duplicates...

Feb 19, 2022 9:37:46 GMT -5 newey said:

It's what we here (and others) call a "Half Superswitch". It's a 2P5T, as opposed to the regular Strat-type 5-way, which is technically a 2P3T (with shorting positions in between).

OK, now I know that , thanks !
Though it's a shame they are not more available... It seems I can't find it anywhere in Europe (Thomann, Woodbrass, Music Store, Ebay, Amazon, Reverb). 2PDT rotary yeah for sure, but not in fender-ish toggle switch form.

[newey]

Oak Grigsby also now makes a "narrow Superswitch", a real-deal 4P5T that is designed to fit a Tele cavity without modification.

If Eurozone availability is an issue, there is always the "Guitarnutz Underground". IOW, it just might be that one of us missed your birthday and would therefore need to send you a belated "present" . . .

[JD]

Aww that's so kind !

But as I've said I've found some cheap on Aliexpress!

The Oak Grisby narrow are a tad more expensive, as are the Schaller. Yet that's what I was going to get before finding that 2P5T which enabled me to get the configurations I wanted and more (I couldn't figure it out with a standard Fender 5-way), admittedly with some duplicates, all the while keeping the wiring simple...ish.

It's all fun and games on paper until you have to physically wire the damn thing (remembering my fancy Jimmy Page with its mess of wires and potential faults...).

So I'm going to try to stick to the KISS rule, more or less, and keep in mind the upgrades for a later day.

My Main concern was that the Neck only configurations are actually neck only, my Tele sounds good on its own, I don't want to mess the stock sounds up, just add some more.

[Deleted]

well you can take out one of the duplica
Flip the Neck 2P5T switch around
and then you have a spare Position 5 going to OUTPUT
hook up to the Other Pole on the 2P2T put in a Capacitor
----------------
i know i can do better but would mean changing a switch

hmmm i do have a 2P5T+5 sort of switch 48mm Long x 13mm Wide x 34mm High
i am working on a 4P5T+5 Lever Switch but the board works also works with a 2P5T+5

[JD]

Feb 21, 2022 8:54:24 GMT -5 @angellahash said:

well you can take out one of the duplica
Flip the Neck 2P5T switch around
and then you have a spare Position 5 going to OUTPUT

True but then how do I redirect the Neck pup to the Bridge pup in position 4 for the series mode?

That's why I chose to have the common on the neck pup side so I can route it where I want rather than choosing what goes to the output. That being said I could have missed something, but I don't see it for now.

As for the switch, you're making those?

[Deleted]

check the output from the NECK going around to the Back end of the BRIDGE but ONLY in position 4


yes it was a board for a 4P5T+5 i was making but it works on these

[JD]

Feb 21, 2022 13:48:36 GMT -5 @angellahash said:

check the output from the NECK going around to the Back end of the BRIDGE but ONLY in position 4

Ok I think I've got that part, I always forget that the 2 parts of the switch work together ^^'
I need to keep working on what to do with that now available position 5. I'll keep you posted if I get something interesting.

[JD]

Hello again !
Well It took me a while, some time off and a lot of sketches, reaching a point where it was so complicated that I had lost the configuration that started this journey (Parallel HOoP) and I ended back close to where I started with only one more config. I also finally got all the parts I need so I am going to get started on the soldering soon-ish.

So here it is: 5-way half super switch to achieve the 3 standard Tele position (and still fit the Tele cavity) plus parallel HOoP and series mode. Volume Push-Pull will activate OoP mode while Tone push-Pull will activate 2 capacitors.

The numbers in the truth table matches the configurations JohnH posted here

And the corresponding wiring here:

Now I am going to sit on this a little, just time to check I haven't got anything wrong (or if you spot any mistake), and when the wiring is in the guitar, I'll post it in the complete schematics section.

[newey]

JD-

The schematic looks fine. I haven't checked it against the wiring diagram yet.

[Deleted]

Looks all correct to me
And I do like // as a sign for parallel

[JD]

Apr 26, 2022 11:17:54 GMT -5 @angellahash said:

And I do like // as a sign for parallel

Teaching too much maths would do that... Just be glad I didn't use boolean algebra ^^'