6 position smooth switch?

[aloupos]

I'm looking to put 6 sets of pickups in a hybrid guitar, and use some kind of smooth switch (lever) to switch the output between them.  I've seen the 6 position rotary switches, but I was wondering if there was anything that was actually smooth that could do it? 

Any ideas? 

[Mark Hammer]

Rotary switches often have a little ball bearing or something similar that moves from position to position and provides the tactile "clunk" as you move.  You can often get in there and remove it such that the switch appears to move continuously.  Whether that is a wise thing to do is another matter.

Why?  Because there are zones where the moving common contact is between successive contacts.  The mechanisms that provides the detente of clunk also assures that you have moved the common to the next contact.  That is, it prevents you from positioning the switch somewhere in the middle of things.

Now, can you reduce the amount of "clunk" between steps, so that you get the centering but it feels a bit smoother?  Possibly.  It would depend on the actually switch mechanism.

However, I gather you are actually asking about whether there is a different sort of switch commercially available that is "clunkless".  Probably the simplest thing there would be to use an electronic switch like a CD4016 or 4066 and actuate it with a momentary button.

[spudulike]

Rotary Encoder ?

[stm]

Most of the times the size of the knob is ignored!

Use as lage a knob as you can get/fit and you'll get a softer feel.  A 1" diameter knob  feels half as soft as a 1/2" one.  This is due to the relationship between force, radius and torque.

[pjwhite]

You could always use a pot, some comparators and relays (or possibly analog switches) to have a smooth way to switch pickups.  You could even use VCAs to allow continuous mixing of the different coil outputs.

That's if you don't mind the hassle of having a power source (battery) inside your guitar.

[aloupos]

I think the VCA's make the most sense, as I'd like to 'sweep' across the pickups.   I'll definately have an active circuit anyway, so battery = no big deal. 

I'm not really familiar with this circuit application, although I do have some LM13700 laying around somewhere.  Can some expand on this approach, give me some 'clues'? 

Thanks for the great responses, as always!

Anthony

[oskar]

The LM13700 are actually pretty noisy, I don't think they are a good choice for such a central part in your sound chain.

This book has a chapter on the OTA that is pretty good.
http://www.amazon.ca/Audio-IC-Users-Handbook-MARSTON/dp/075063006X