Lil' OT: Guitar wiring, tone switch.

Started by JimRayden, September 12, 2005, 01:46:58 PM

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JimRayden

Here's the deal:
The instrument has one humbucker , one vol and one 3-way pickup switch.
The pickup switch is a standard gibson pickup selector, but instead, it's wired to coil tap the pickup. The centre lug of the selector is grounded. One side lug goes to the HB centre tap. I still have the other lug free. I thought I could wire it up as a tone control. So if I select the third position, It'll be in single coil mode but has warmer tone.

To clarify,

1. position - Humbucker
2. position - Single coil (centre tap is grounded)
3. position - Darker single coil

Since the tone control lug is connected to ground at first two positions, disconnecting it from ground must make the tone darker. Can anyone move their gray cells and come up with anything? :)

Tell me if it's still unclear.

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Jimbo

JimRayden

If you didn't understand my previous blabber, it doesn't matter. Just tell me if the switch on this scheme works as a tone switch.

http://ftp.taaviaudio.com/homes/JimRayden/untitled.GIF

My guess is that it turns the vol control into a vol/tone. Can anyone explain me what it'll do exactly?

EDIT: Damn, just realised I cant do that since I only have the switch for an on/off connection, not a two-way one.

Back to the drawing board...

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Jimbo

Yun

hey there, mr.Jimbo....

Looks like it should work, man.  I've played with tone switches myself.  That's similar to mines, dude.  

So yes; it will/should work....

What it'll do is switch between caps, man.  Throw a .001uf and a .047uf cap in there for the "best of both worlds".  


I don't see why you'd put it on a volume control however.  You should do the switch mod with your tone control, man.
"It's Better to live a lie, and forget the past, then to Forget a lie, and live the past"

JimRayden

Quote from: Yunhey there, mr.Jimbo....

Looks like it should work, man.  I've played with tone switches myself.  That's similar to mines, dude.  

So yes; it will/should work....

What it'll do is switch between caps, man.  Throw a .001uf and a .047uf cap in there for the "best of both worlds".  


I don't see why you'd put it on a volume control however.  You should do the switch mod with your tone control, man.


The problem is, I don't have a tone control. Go back and read my first post and understand my limitations.

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Jimbo

JimRayden

http://www.muzique.com/schem/filter.htm


Hmm, I could make a high pass filter and switch the resistor ground on/off... What effect would that have? Fatter when the ground is disconnected, right?

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Jimbo

Mark Hammer

Start by answering these questions:  

What sorts of tones do you want to be able to achieve, taking into account the "nature" of this guitar?

Is this an overwound HB or just a normal one?

Are you willing to stick a push-pull pot in where the current volume control is?

JimRayden

Quote from: Mark HammerStart by answering these questions:  

What sorts of tones do you want to be able to achieve, taking into account the "nature" of this guitar?

Is this an overwound HB or just a normal one?

Are you willing to stick a push-pull pot in where the current volume control is?

1) Well, first position is HB, second position is SC, and I want something third for the third position. Like a tone cap difference. Or something else....

2) normal.

3) No. I just want the third position of the pickup selector become useful.

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Jimbo

Killer Queen

You could try having your extra position switch between series/paralell wiring between the two SC's that make up the HB. (Regular HB wiring is series, I believe.) I'm not sure how much ifference it would make in tone though compared to the other suggestions here. Could also try flipping the phase on one of the SCs, so you have:
HB in phase/HB out of phase/SC

Seljer

Well you could always leave it empty if you're into that Tom Morello killswitch + delay/tremolo stuff (though most of the people on here are tone freaks....)

Mark Hammer

Refresh me again on what the actual switch does.  Is it a simply A-Both-B with a single set of contacts, or are there other possibilities?

JimRayden

Quote from: Killer QueenYou could try having your extra position switch between series/paralell wiring between the two SC's that make up the HB. (Regular HB wiring is series, I believe.) I'm not sure how much ifference it would make in tone though compared to the other suggestions here. Could also try flipping the phase on one of the SCs, so you have:
HB in phase/HB out of phase/SC

Sorry but it's not that kind of switch. :) Now go and read some lecture about Gibson 3-way pickup selector switches.


Great idea, I could make it into a kill switch... Any other ideas?

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Jimbo[/quote]