switch wiring help requested

bongomania · #1 07-17-2009, 01:36 AM

I have read many of the threads and links about series/parallel switching, but it seems like all of them involve a lot more components and wiring than I will be using. Here's what I want to do:

Two pickups, each with only two wires.
One 3-way switch for neck, bridge, or both pups.
One 3-way switch for series, parallel, or "off" (mute).
Straight to output jack, no pots.

How should I wire them?

I have the pickup selector switch already, but I could use advice about the best kind of toggle switch for the series/parallel/off.

Your suggestions are appreciated!

bongomania · #2 07-19-2009, 01:58 AM

bump!

mrtn400 · #3 07-19-2009, 02:09 AM

Would you want them wired in phase or out of phase?

This is in phase:

The first switch would be Series/Mute/Parallel, and the second would be A/AB/B.

This is out of phase:

It has the same switch settings as the first option.

This has a third switch to make them in or out of phase, and is what I would do:

The options now are In Phase/Out of Phase, Series/Mute/Parallel, and A/AB/B.

You can get all of these switches from StewMac for fairly cheap.

bongomania · #4 07-19-2009, 08:45 AM

Wow--Super awesome, thanks so much!

rcarraher · #5 07-19-2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtn400

Would you want them wired in phase or out of phase?

This is in phase:

The first switch would be Series/Mute/Parallel, and the second would be A/AB/B.

This is out of phase:

It has the same switch settings as the first option.

This has a third switch to make them in or out of phase, and is what I would do:

The options now are In Phase/Out of Phase, Series/Mute/Parallel, and A/AB/B.

You can get all of these switches from StewMac for fairly cheap.

Nicely done diagrams!

mrtn400 · #6 07-19-2009, 10:09 AM

Oh, and just to let you know, if they were set to be in series, you would also have to have both pickups on for it to be a complete circuit.

MIJ-VI · #7 07-19-2009, 12:13 PM

Wouldn't a rotary switch streamline the switching?

bongomania · #8 07-19-2009, 05:26 PM

It would reduce the number of controls on the surface, but it would also be much harder to remember which position had which combination of functions.

I'm actually glad he suggested the additional phase switch, as the bass this is going into already has four holes in it from the V/T/V/T harness it came with, so the fewer holes I have to plug or patch, the better.

Maybe I'll put a Varitone in the fourth hole.

mrtn400 · #9 07-19-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

It would reduce the number of controls on the surface, but it would also be much harder to remember which position had which combination of functions.

I'm actually glad he suggested the additional phase switch, as the bass this is going into already has four holes in it from the V/T/V/T harness it came with, so the fewer holes I have to plug or patch, the better.

Maybe I'll put a Varitone in the fourth hole.

Yeah, you've actually got me kind of excited with the switching ideas.

I really want to go get a plain 'ol P-bass, convert the pickup to a four wire, and use the In/Out of Phase and Series/Mute/Parallel switches instead of the standard V/T.

MIJ-VI · #10 07-19-2009, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

It would reduce the number of controls on the surface, but it would also be much harder to remember which position had which combination of functions.

I'm actually glad he suggested the additional phase switch, as the bass this is going into already has four holes in it from the V/T/V/T harness it came with, so the fewer holes I have to plug or patch, the better.

Maybe I'll put a Varitone in the fourth hole.

So, your bass has hum-cancelling pickups? Or is one p/u RWRP?

You could assign the mute function to a push/pull pot-switch (IF your bass' control cavity rout is deep enough) to be used as a volume control. Perhaps adding a treble bleed cap would be good too.

As well, using a no-load pot as a tone control would maximise (slightly) treble output for occasions which call for maximum 'clank', or for use while employing a tapping technique.

EDIT: If you're a pick player who likes playing complex chords on occasion, then a Fender VI-style 'strangle switch' (a switch-able High-Pass Filter which changes a 'VI's timbre from a bass to a baritone) would be useful in removing the mud from chords played in the lower register.

Said switch is particularly potent when used in conjunction with overdrive (think a Ric 4001's bridge pickup through a distorted amp).

It's just a 0.0033 mfd cap soldered in series between the final output of the pickup switching scheme (via a switch, or pot-switch which can selectively short out the cap to pass the unfiltered/full bass output of the pickup switching scheme to the volume pot) and the volume pot.

CAVEAT: Filtering out the lows on a (passive) bass instrument leads to a loss of volume.

I deal with this by adjusting the amp volume while my 'VI's High Pass Filter is switched on, and then compensating for the apparent increase in volume which occurs when the HPF is switched off, by rolling down the instrument's volume control a bit.

The aforementioned treble bleed cap combats the loss of high end which would otherwise result from running the instrument's volume pot at a reduced setting.

bongomania · #11 07-19-2009, 07:47 PM

They are both hum-canceling. In this bass, I have no desire for a volume knob. I have a volume pot with a treble bleed cap already, and tried it in this bass, and just really felt it was not something I needed.

The no-load tone pot is a good suggestion, but I'm still not sure I want any sort of tone pot or switch in here... basically keeping a minimal signal path with this one.