bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 17, 2018 13:56:35 GMT -5
You might be overdue for a Vacation. LOL If you document the process and report the results, that would add quite a bit to our shared knowledge base. Definitely will do. In the meanwhile, no need to be a stranger. Oh yeah, I'll be around. Thanks again!
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 16, 2018 20:15:51 GMT -5
When I say 'we' I mean you and any of the other nutz who might want to lead the charge right now, and perhaps me at a later time. I'm getting a bit burned out atm. Fair enough, very much appreciate what you've done here! I'm probably a month or two from getting this wired up (I'm using an Epiphone Broadway as the base for a sort of homemade Gretsch Falcon, and just got started on stripping off the old finish). I can run with what we've got here - if I find unpleasant pops between pickup settings I'll come back with questions, and see if the community can help me sort it out. Considering the manufacturer has at least one schematic that makes no use of the TA/TB pads, I don't think it's a problem until I have concrete observations to indicate as such. And no matter how it turns out, good or bad, I'll be back here to provide a status and final commentary on the Freeway switch. Thanks!!!!!! BD
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 16, 2018 12:21:45 GMT -5
I also note that the "transition" lugs, TA and TB, have not been used. Do we know that switching across from 1,2,3 to 4,5,6 won't cause BigDon top have a noise that these lugs were apparently meant to alleviate? Are those lugs typically shown as being grounded on the switch mfr.'s diagrams? The manufacturer has schematics for two pickups, one volume, and one tone here: www.freewayswitch.com/app/download/7524784615/3X3-05+2PU+2Pot+A.pdfObservations about the TA and TB pads: 1. The first diagram always has the neck PU connected to the TA pad, and the bridge PU is always connected to the TB pad 2. On the other hand, in the last diagram there are NO connections to either the TA or TB pad Not sure what we can deduce from this but thought I would try to contribute.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 14, 2018 17:43:09 GMT -5
Actually they're in series. Oops. Thanks! Later today or tomorrow, I'll make a map for each of the six positions and we can transfer that to the freeway drawing. And thanks again!
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 12, 2018 20:46:02 GMT -5
I know there is a resistor and capacitor in series with the Neck pickup. Are the resistor and capacitor in series with each other and in series with the Neck pickup? Or are they in parallel with each other and in series with the Neck pickup? Looking at the original diagram, it looks to me like they're in parallel with each other and in series with the Neck pickup. You saw the same thing, I gather. Let's go with that. Also, are you certain you want the cap in series with the Neck? The Bridge pickup won't have much bottom to begin with. Your logic makes good enough sense, I considered it ... except that I have the 5-way superswitch wiring already installed on a Jazzcaster and I really like the sounds in all five positions. So I think I want to keep the cap as-is, on the Neck.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 11, 2018 21:42:55 GMT -5
Here's what I've got so far - obviously incomplete and with errors, as indicated on the diagram. And, I have no idea how to go about getting it right.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 11, 2018 21:42:28 GMT -5
Now I have six positions instead of 5, and I'm using TVJones T-Armonds instead of Tele pickups. For the sixth position I'm hoping to add Series out of Phase. Here are the six positions as I've mocked them up so far: 1 In Series 2 Parallel Half out of Phase 3 Series out of Phase 4 Neck 5 Parallel 6 Bridge I used this diagram as a starting point and then tried modifying it to mirror the functionality of the Phostenix diagram.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 11, 2018 21:41:59 GMT -5
Ok, so reposting the original Phostenix diagram I've been hoping to use as a starting point: Here's some descriptive text from the old Phostenix webpage: This uses a 5-Way Super Switch. Positions 1, 3, & 5 are the typical choices you associate with 2 pickup guitars (Bridge only, Neck & Bridge in Parallel, Neck only). Positions 4 & 2 are (respectively) the 2 pickups in Series and the 2 pickups in parallel, but Half Out-of-Phase, so I call it 5-Way SHOoP switching (Series - Half Out of Phase). This setup gives you these 5 choices: 1. Bridge 2. Neck & Bridge in Parallel - Half Out-of-Phase 3. Neck & Bridge in Parallel 4. Neck & Bridge in Series 5. Neck In Position 2, the pickups are out-of-phase, but with a cap & resistor in series with the Neck pickup and a resistor in series with the Bridge pickup. The cap in series with the Neck pickup is what makes it "half" out-of-phase and the resistors help give a little more quack to the sound. The goal is to get a sound similar to a Strat in-between tone. The value of the cap and the resistors should be tailored to the pickups being used, but .01uF for the cap & 6.2K Ohms for the resistors is a good place to start. Any time I have pickups in series, I try to add my modified TBX tone control. The bass cut from the modified TBX tone control really helps to thin out the in-series connection when needed.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 10, 2018 22:34:17 GMT -5
<details cut> -----------End of Section Six tests ------------- -----------Completion of initial (stationary) stage of testing ------ All six sections of testing completed and confirmed - now what?
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Apr 10, 2018 22:21:06 GMT -5
Finally getting to this, gotta get this guitar put together sooner or later.
SECTION ONE - COMPLETED
> Place one test tip on the CA pad.
Continuity to the two A1 pads confirmed.
No continuity to any other pads.
> Place one test tip on the CB pad.
Continuity to the two B1 pads confirmed.
No continuity to any other pads.
> Place one test tip on the TA pad.
No continuity to any pads.
> Place one test tip on the TB pad.
No continuity to any pads.
> Confirm there is continuity between
> A1 and A1
> B1 and B1
Confirmed
> Confirm there is no continuity between ...
Confirmed
Moving on to Section Two now.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Dec 3, 2017 20:18:57 GMT -5
Yesterday I gave up pretty quickly. Tried today and, again, futility. My blood pressure skyrocketed just trying to hold this damn thing in place while testing a single pair of pads.
Just ordered some banana clip leads. And, I need something to hold the damn switch.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 28, 2017 22:55:17 GMT -5
Tomorrow (Wednesday) night when I log on after work, I'll have one of these in-hand: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NWGZ4XC/One of you will have to tell me what to do with it. Glad to be able to help the community learn about this switch.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 28, 2017 7:44:24 GMT -5
Is it the Ultra version that you have? Yes it is.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 27, 2017 23:07:52 GMT -5
... the only way to be certain is to have one of these switches in-hand and make thorough checks with an ohmmeter. As luck would have it, the village idiot has one on hand. And through the miracles of amazon.com, I could have an ohmmeter in a day or two. You guys would have to tell me rather explicitly what and how to test. Do-able?
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 26, 2017 19:03:07 GMT -5
> Make a clean blank diagram with no wires on it at allSee below. Phostenix's description of "half out of phase": The pickups are out-of-phase, but with a cap & resistor in series with the Neck pickup and a resistor in series with the Bridge pickup. The cap in series with the Neck pickup is what makes it "half" out-of-phase and the resistors help give a little more quack to the sound. The goal is to get a sound similar to a Strat in-between tone.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 26, 2017 12:19:28 GMT -5
Ok that makes sense. Now I'm thinking about maybe putting the bypass on a volume push-pull, but I'll let that go for now. I just edited the previous diagram to suggest Series out of Phase (rather than bypass) for the 2nd position. I pulled the following image from the Free-way repository. Position 5 shows parallel out of phase (albeit on two HBs), so out of phase should be do-able. Does this help? One other question: Would it make things easier if I put the parallel half out of phase at position 2 instead of position 3?
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 25, 2017 22:22:08 GMT -5
I'm not quite sure what you just said but it didn't sound good. But I'm not ready to give up yet. I just modified one of the Free-way diagrams. Four of the six positions already do what they're supposed to do. Position 2 should replicate position 5 but bypass the vol and tone pots. Is that something we can figure out?
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 25, 2017 20:55:29 GMT -5
Ok, remember this is coming from the village idiot of the guitar electronics world, but I've been staring at the first diagram here: www.freewayswitch.com/app/download/7524784615/3X3-05+2PU+2Pot+A.pdf?t=1499335068If we remove the SOUTH Start and Finish wires from the diagram, we effective have two SC instead of an SH config, and positions 1, 4, 5, 6 do exactly what I want. Next step: How do we replicate position 5 at position 2, but bypassing the volume and tone? That gets me the parallel bypass setting.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 25, 2017 19:17:40 GMT -5
So the switch seems to be the real challenge here. The TBX and Dynasonics might just be a matter of experimenting with a few cap and resistor values. The first diagram here depicts a tele with a bridge HB and the same Free-way Ultra switch: www.freewayswitch.com/app/download/7524784615/3X3-05+2PU+2Pot+A.pdf?t=1499335068Positions 4, 5, and 6 are our standard neck, parallel, and bridge positions, then Position 1 is the in-series config. 1, 5, and 6 only connect to a single coil of the HB. So it seems like this might be a good start ... maybe? The first diagram here depicts two HBs but I'm hoping it can still be relevant: www.freewayswitch.com/app/download/7524785115/3X3-05+2PU+2Pot+PP+B.pdf?t=1499335068Position 6 is parallel out-of-phase ... my half-out-of-phase should just add a cap, I believe. Across which lugs ... no idea. Is this helping? BTW, I may be an idiot but I can manipulate PPT and imaging software, so ... as this becomes clearer (to me) I can probably mock up diagrams for discussion. As mentioned before, I'm hoping this could become a schematic that others like to use, like the Phostenix I started with.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 25, 2017 17:38:05 GMT -5
> BTW, the chances of guitarelectonics.com being able to successfully solve that > one are close to zero, but I will be pleased if I am proved wrong.
I might try tossing it to TVJones or SD Custom Shop (they make dynasonics too), and including retread's guidance. I'll admit I've tried that route before without much luck (dead silence ... then SD responded a few months later to suggest trying a different shop. That was working with P-Rails which SD Custom Shop should know better than anybody else). Given my meager skills, my options are limited.
But I'm still left wondering why it should be so difficult. Three of the positions are the standard positions for a 3-way switch. Another one is in series. Why would that be difficult? Now I'm thinking the 6th position might be parallel and bypass vol and tone - again, shouldn't be difficult. So that leaves the half-out-of-phase which granted, is a little less common.
Or I could just go with another 5-way superswitch which would look a little out of place, but certainly do-able.
There are tons of diagrams for 5-way superswitches. The 6-way, not so much - it's more difficult just to google on (lots of false hits because of the Free-way Ultra name). It'll be nice when we have libraries of said schematics.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 25, 2017 11:23:07 GMT -5
I'm willing to try figuring something out but "good luck" isn't very helpful.
I'm pretty sure this shouldn't be impossible, and I'm pretty sure the necessary smarts exist here on this forum, but ... I'll pay guitarelectronics.com to figure it out. This was less about saving a buck and more about sharing what I thought might be a cool idea.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 24, 2017 23:58:50 GMT -5
So for the volume pot, I'm guessing a 500k might be the right value.
Maybe a .047 for the tone cap, effectively treating the T-Armonds more like dark humbuckers than single coils - since they ARE darker than most tele/ strat single coils.
No changes to the resistors. Do the other caps remain the same too?
If "Yes" to all the above, then I still need to figure out how to use the 6th position, and how to do the wiring on the Free-way Ultra.
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bigdon62
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Post by bigdon62 on Nov 24, 2017 22:53:29 GMT -5
I'm a big fan of the Phostenix wiring for "Tele 5-Way SHOoP with Modified TBX Tone Control", I now have it installed in two of my guitars. The original schematic is no longer available on Google Drive so I'm re-posting a copy I had saved. My Challenge
1. I'd like to apply essentially the same wiring to an old archtop (two pickups, one vol, one TBX tone, one pickup switch) 2. I'll use a Free-way 6-way ultra switch instead of a 5-way Tele super switch 3. For the 6th position, maybe have series out of phase (I'm open to suggestions here) 4. I'll be using T-Armonds (TVJones version of Gretsch Dearmonds) instead of Tele pickups - so how should the values on the caps, resistors, and volume pot change? I primarily play blues and rockabilly, sometimes a little country, but I also appreciate the versatility to occasionally dial it back and do more traditional jazz. The Phostenix wiring gave me that. Also, although I've been lurking here for a while, I'm really the village idiot of guitar electronics. I take my ideas to my guitar tech and he puts my electronics together. So I am tragically at your mercy on this. Thanks in advance for your patience and support. BigDon62
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