Bypass Switch?

Darkstrike · #1 12-13-2009, 09:10 PM

My guitarist has one on one of his Telecasters, it bypasses all the controls, and sends the pickups straight to the jack, giving a volume boost, and he wants me to add one, via push/pull to another of his guitars. Now, I'll probably check his other Telecaster, to see exactly whats done, as he's not sure whats being done, but, I said I'd check here, and see if anyone knows how to wire one up.

This is how I'd think it could be done, but I'm not 100% sure.

Darkstrike · #2 12-13-2009, 09:13 PM

Here's a full diagram I modified with the supposed switch.

**line6man** · #3 12-13-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

My guitarist has one on one of his Telecasters, it bypasses all the controls, and sends the pickups straight to the jack, giving a volume boost, and he wants me to add one, via push/pull to another of his guitars. Now, I'll probably check his other Telecaster, to see exactly whats done, as he's not sure whats being done, but, I said I'd check here, and see if anyone knows how to wire one up.

This is how I'd think it could be done, but I'm not 100% sure.

Well, the problem with doing it like that is that the pot is still applying it's resistance from the output to ground, which is the same as the volume on "10" rather than bypassed from the circuit.

You would need to do something like this:

...But with those two bottom terminals of the switch shorted together (This diagram was to defeat a pickup...)

If you need to do it on both pickups, use a 4PDT switch.

Darkstrike · #4 12-13-2009, 09:21 PM

I see, the switch could be a problem, espcially as we were hoping to do it on a push/pull.

I might be able to steal the one on his other Telecaster, as its retired.

Darkstrike · #5 12-13-2009, 09:46 PM

Um, would it be possible to do a seperate push/pull for each pickup, so if I pulled the neck pot, the neck pickup would be sent straight to the jack, and if I pulled the bridge pot, the bridge pickup would be sent straight to the jack?

It would be less quickfire, if he wanted both pickups to the jack, but more versatle, and I'd have the pots to do it that way.

**line6man** · #6 12-13-2009, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

Um, would it be possible to do a seperate push/pull for each pickup, so if I pulled the neck pot, the neck pickup would be sent straight to the jack, and if I pulled the bridge pot, the bridge pickup would be sent straight to the jack?

It would be less quickfire, if he wanted both pickups to the jack, but more versatle, and I'd have the pots to do it that way.

Yeah, that would work, but you would still be getting the load of the other pickup's volume pot when both pickups were played together, unless both push/pulls were switched together.

Stuggi · #7 12-14-2009, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

I see, the switch could be a problem, espcially as we were hoping to do it on a push/pull.

I might be able to steal the one on his other Telecaster, as its retired.

I'm guessing that it's done more along the lines of your first idea in this telecaster since most people do not understand why you would need to completely disconnect the pots.

I'd say open his tele up and look into how it's done there, and then do the same. If he's happy with the way his tele is wired, he should be happy with the same wiring in the one you're modifying.

R. Laevinus · #8 12-14-2009, 08:03 AM

...if you're doing this on a Tele, it's easy. Just run the hot out from the selector switch to the left center pole of the push-pull switch, and have the lower left pole run out to the volume and tone knobs. Run the hot out from volume back to the lower right pole, and hot to jack from the right center pole.

Then just bridge the upper poles, and you're in business.

**line6man** · #9 12-14-2009, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R. Laevinus

...if you're doing this on a Tele, it's easy. Just run the hot out from the selector switch to the left center pole of the push-pull switch, and have the lower left pole run out to the volume and tone knobs. Run the hot out from volume back to the lower right pole, and hot to jack from the right center pole.

Then just bridge the upper poles, and you're in business.

Nope, not a standard Tele.

Check out the diagram in post #2.

Darkstrike · #10 12-14-2009, 10:06 AM

Line6man is right, while it is a Tele, its a 72 style, with Les Paul wiring.

I'll have to take a look at his other one(which is a standard Tele, to make things more complicated) before I can do anything, it seems.

Stuggi · #11 12-14-2009, 10:40 AM

This mod would be easy on a std tele or strat as you already have a mixed signal to work with, but on a les paul style system it gets complicated indeed. Then again, without bypassing the whole tone stack completely I don't really see the real benefit of this mod as the tone knobs also load down the signal and pickups quite a bit.

metalmariachi · #12 12-14-2009, 01:13 PM

The mod is easy on Jazz, P etc using a push/push or push pull pot.
With a set up like a les Paul using 2 would be better as the tones are interactive when both pickups are on.

MM

JTE · #13 12-14-2009, 01:44 PM

The key is that in order to get the pot's totally out of loadingthe circuit, you have to do a total by-pass by switching the hot and the ground of each PUP to the jack. Otherwise something will still be leaking across the ground to affect the signal. I did this on a P bass using a DPDT switch. Now to do it for two PUPs you'll need 4PDT switch to throw both PUPs at the same time.

Even using two switches with each one dedicated to a single PUP won't get you the true-by-pass required. And for the generally subtle difference, it seems pretty expensive. It's not a huge difference, but it is noticable.

John