Help with 5 way rotaries

[frets]

Hi Guys😸😸😸,
Hope you’re having a nice weekend.
As some of you know, I’m doing a heavy modded HHH harness.  And my question involves the exact type of 5 way rotary I will need for each pickup.  I’m pretty familiar with rotaries, but these have me stymied.  Take a look.




I’m confused by the second row of terminals below the 6 lugs where the wiring is.  As you can see, the second row of lugs is used.  Does this mean a two wafer?  Does anyone have a link to this type of 5-Way? I appreciate it.  I always seem to be asking for something😸.  You guys are good eggs to put up with me.

[Deleted]

For one that is a 2P6T rotary. There isn't many 2P5T

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I'll look at it , as you know I don't tend to work off drawings, just figure it out from scratch each time

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Having a hard time with the phasing part, think you do need 3 Pole to do Phasing with another Pickup
My Suggestion is get a 3Pole Switch and pick what PATHS you want 1.. 4...6 and copy them
two ways to do it, always have OUTPUT or always have GROUND hooked up
unless you have a 4 Pole then you can manage the LOT



i did make a switch that does all this called 2PSW , but i do think it needs testing out as i dont think its soilded as these switches

[newey]

frets-

The diagram makes no sense to me. But, is your question about the diagram or about a specific type of 5-way rotary?

As to the diagram, I also question why nothing is connected to the commons of the lower pole. Seems like the HB would only be grounded in one position. But can't tell much more without numbering of the lugs or more explanation.

EDIT: If the "wish list" above is what you want to achieve, let's start with a clean sheet of paper. What type of 5-way switches do you usually use, and what is the configuration of the lugs? That way we can adapt to what you have, switch-wise, for clarity

[frets]

Newey and Angella,
The whole diagram had me confused.
Let me diagram out how I think it should look.

Newey,
I don’t usually use 5 ways, I use Alpha brass shaft 6 ways. 2 pole, single wafer 2P6T. I’ve never used a double wafer.

[thetragichero]

as mentioned, your best bet is a clean sheet of paper. i don't exactly know what the hell they were going for there but at a quick glance it doesn't appear that they achieved it. instead of trying to track down a 5 position rotary switch, i'd just try to figure out a sixth position (i feel like some sort of half out of phase could be relatively easy with a cap between two adjacent lugs, one position gets the pickup directly, one gets it through the cap)

[JohnH]

I used some 5-way rotaries in 2006, on this build:

guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/3773/lp-maximiser-humbuckers-max

Their job was to do all of the combinations within the two coils of one HB, except for parallel out of phase.  They also set up a hum-cancelling reverse phased combo of singles relative to the other PU, so no explicit phase switch was needed.  (Note there's quite a few things on that circuit should be improved though)

But I still have the guitar, and one extra switch in my spares box, Here it is:





It is indeed a two-wafer switch, really the same as the 6 position ones. They work quite positively and reliably. No issues 16 years later, but they are a little stiff so its good to have a good size knob on them. I was putting them into a rather skinny LP copy, and the shafts were just long enough. They would also be fine with anything with a pickguard, but not a full thickness LP.

A view straight-on from the back would look pretty much like your diagram graphic (minus the blonde dog hairs, but they were from Honey our Golden Retriever, and I miss her).

[Yogi B]

May 28, 2022 15:00:29 GMT -5 frets said:

As you can see, the second row of lugs is used. Does this mean a two wafer?

Yup.

Does anyone have a link to this type of 5-Way? I appreciate it.

GuitarElectronics themselves carry one. As noted in the description it's the same type of switch (i.e. it is a 4P5T, but not the same model) as the rotary switches found on some PRS models — this snippet of information might aid discovery of the switch elsewhere (at least in guitar-related stores).

The GuitarElectronics "Switching Connections" diagram would be better if rotated 15° to match the actual terminals of the switch, but at least because it's from the same source the position numbering is consistent. As it seems in this regard GuitarElectronics is in the minority, choosing the 'reverse' ordering of positions — most instead following the convention that turning the knob counter-clockwise (when viewed from the top) results in a lower number, like this:

To me, the wiring itself looks fine, not great, but fine. It does what it says it does, albeit noting that by the somewhat ambiguous "(Reverse Phase)" it means out-of-phase with itself (i.e. North × −South), and not in phase with itself but OoP with other pickups (i.e. −(North × South)). Though, yes, it could be better (e.g. south-start permanently grounded rather than north-start permanently connected to hot, and also avoid shunting the unused coils).

[frets]

You guys are the best. I really appreciate all your help. I’m working up a 6-Way and will post it here in a day or two. I really want:
Series in Phase
Parallel in Phase
Series out-of-phase
Parallel out-of-phase (I think there is a way)
Coil split slug
Coil split screw
Not necessarily in that order though.
I’m making the diagram using the double wafer switch like the one John showed. Thanks John.
There isn’t much help with this on the internet. I hope once I rough something out, you guys can analyze whether it can be done.
But it is nice to know that if I have to, I can use the 5-Way given Yogi indicated it would work okay. I’ve had luck with finding the 6 ways, not so much with the double wafer 5-Ways.
Thanks again guys😻😻😻

[JohnH]

The GE diagram, and also what I was doing on my 2006 build have a lot in common with what you're after. The four wires from the pickup each go to a switch pole, which then directs them to hot, cold, a link to another coil, or disconnects them. For just one pickup, one pickup coil wire can be always grounded, so only three poles are used which is what GE imples. But if there will be overall series switching between pickups, it can be better to use all poles so unused coils are completely disconnected.

[frets]

Hi Guys,

Im planning on three of these, one to each Humbucker.  I think it’s right.  The only way I could figure it was on a 4P6T.

[Deleted]

You need 3poles really +N to output
A) -N , B) +S , C) -S
1) Series .. A1 Link B1, C1 Ground
2) Series Phase .. A2 Link C2, B2 Ground
3) Parallel .. B3 Output, A3 & C3 Ground
4) Parallel Phase .. C4 Output, A4 & B4 Ground
5) Slug/North .. A5,B5 & C5 Ground
6) Screw/South .. A5 & B5 Output, C5 Ground