P+M 5 Way Switch

[Aussiephoenix]

Hey...

I'm still having some trouble with my wiring options for a 5way switch... I wonder if any of you out there know about these switches and can help me figure out how to wire it to obtain the config I'm looking for.

2 pups: Split P and Musicman 2 coil.

Switch: Allparts 5way switch -

So, I've been reading a little, and supposedly, positions 2 and 4 arent much use to me, as they seem to combine the other 3 options...

What I wanted is:

pos1 : P
pos3: P+M
pos5: M

Now, this is the tricky part:

pos2: P+M Coil 2 (Like a PJ... Kinda)
pos4: M Coil2 (Like a soloed Bridge J)

C'mon guys, I know there are some wiring wiz's out here...

Edited August 20, 2007 by Aussiephoenix

[Aussiephoenix]

New developments:

I've just been browsing some wiring diagram sites including this one:

[url="http://www.stewmac.com/wiring101/diagrams_for_3and5_way.html"]Stewmac 3 and 5-way switch wiring[/url]

From what I've read (and what LITTLE I know...) is this config what I'd want to endup with?:

pos1 (lug 1) - Musicman Humbucker
pos2 (lug 1+2) - Musicman Humbucker + Precision Pup
pos3 (lug 2) - Precision Pup
pos4 (lug 2+3) - Precision Pup + Musicman Bridge coil
pos5 (lug 3) - Musicman Bridge Coil

Of course, there's no mention here of what to do with lug "0" or the lug positions on the 2nd "pole"...

Can anyone help fill the gaps or blow a hole in my theory please?

Cheers.

[BOD2]

I don't know if I can answer your question but I can perhaps shed more light on it (or confuse matters more !).

Firstly the 5-way switch is really a 3-way switch with 2 "in-between positions". Historically the Strat had a 3-position switch - 1 position for each pickup. Players found they could "wedge" the switch at two "in-between" positions, which gave them two additional sounds. Later switches added a notch to hold the switch in these poistions giving 5 positions but still only 3 electrical contacts.

In addition there are two "sides" to the switch that operate in tandem. For each side of the switch, one tag is the common contact and there are three pickup contacts. The pickups were connected to one side of the switch and the tone controls were connected to the other side of the switch (except that one tag wasn't used on this side because there were only two tone controls but three pickups). This scheme is shown [url="http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WDUSSS5L1201"]here[/url] (click on the diagram to enlarge it). The [url="http://www.stewmac.com/wiring101/diagrams_for_3and5_way.html"]Stewmac[/url] sites shows how the different layouts of Strat switches relate to each other.

On the original 3-position switch each position connected one (and only one) of the three pickup contacts to the common contact. while the other side of the switch connected in a tone control (except for the bridge pickup which didn't have one)

So for a 3-position switch you would get three sounds as follows -

Tag 1 to tag 0 (bridge)
Tag 2 to tag 0 (middle plus tone)
Tag 3 to tag 0 (neck + tone)

The 5 -position switch added a further two sounds

Tag 1 and tag 2 to tag 0 (bridge + middle + tone)
Tag 2 and tag 3 to tag 0 (middle + neck + tones)

The Allparts switch is a variation on the original. It is laid out differently but operates in the same way.

So that's what the switch does. I don't know enough about your pickup wiring (how the coils are split etc.) to know if you can achieve what you want with this type of switch.

Hope this helps.

[Aussiephoenix]

I think you did both (shed light and confuse)...

[quote name='BOD2' post='48169' date='Aug 21 2007, 09:29 AM']In addition there are two "sides" to the switch that operate in tandem. For each side of the switch, one tag is the common contact and there are three pickup contacts. The pickups were connected to one side of the switch and the tone controls were connected to the other side of the switch (except that one tag wasn't used on this side because there were only two tone controls but three pickups).[/quote]

Hmmm what exactly is the "common" contact? does it mean that whatever pup config you have selected at the time, the output line ("sound?") always goes through that common contact?

Hence, you'd have the general volume attached to one of them and the ground attached to the other?

[BOD2]

Yes and No.

Yes the "common" contact is the one that the switch will connect the pickup(s) to as the switch is operated. If you just look at one side of the switch (i.e. one set of numbers 0 to 3) then as you move the switch through the 5 positions it will connect -

1 to 0
1 and 2 to 0
2 to 0
2 and 3 to 0
3 to 0

That's your 5 positions.

At the same time, on this design of switch, it also connects the other side of the switch (the other set of numbers 0 to 3) through the same combinations - but note that the two sides of the switch are not connected to each other.

In guitar wiring all of the grounds are connected together (usually to the metal shell of one of the controls) and the grounds are NOT switched - only the "hot" or signal side is switched.

If you had very simple electrics with only a volume control and no tones, then you would connect the pickups to one side of the switch (1 to 3) and then take the output from 0 on the same side to your volume control. You wouldn't need to use the other side of the switch. If you use the same single tone circuit for all pickups (unlike a Strat) then you could take that 0 outpt tag to the tone circuit and then onto the volume control and again you wouldn't need the other side of the switch.

The other side of the switch is only needed because of the tone control layout of the original Strat wiring (i.e, indpendent tone controls for two of the pickups).

[Aussiephoenix]

Ahhhh... And there was light!

Ok, I understand how the switch works now, Thanks a lot for your help mate.

I'm going to look into drawing up a few schematics and see what I come up with with this new info.

Cheers.