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5 way switch for Jazz Bass pickups

#2
Have you thought of a blend pot? On my Fender jazz Ultra the difference between one pickup and a little of the other is almost identical to one pickup and a lot of the other. Unless you have specific values in mind.
 
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#4
Adam Harzuf said:
I need a very fast and repeatable system, a blend pot is just the opposite...
Click to expand...
I beg to differ. I have a 250K M/N ungrounded blend on my passive P/J. Obviously, turning it to the extremes and at the center gets the obvious settings, but turning it just out of the center detent gets 'mostly one/a little bit of the other' pickup settings quickly and repeatable.
 
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#6
I can't think of a good way to do this with a "normal" 5 way switch.

A two pole 5 way switch would work, like this one:

5-Way 2-Pole Pickup Selector Switch-Oak Grigsby

The 1, 3, and 5 positions are self explanatory. You only need one pole and you just connect the pickups to those positions directly, and the common terminal to output. For the 2 and 4 positions, switch in a trimpot hidden in the cavity and wired as a volume control (or pair of resistors set up as a voltage divider) on the pickup you want "a bit" of. Then, adjust the trimpot or resistor values to get the "a bit" you want.

You need the two pole switch because you don't want the pot in circuit except in those two positions. The second pole lets you switch the trimpot in and out only when you need it. For the 2 and 4 positions, the pickup you only want a bit of gets wired to the 2 or 4 terminal on the second pole. Then, the output (common) terminal from the second pole gets wired to the 2 and 4 positions on the first pole through your trimpot.

You could also use a normal full size pot and have it available with the other controls on your bass, then you could change the switchable blend amount on the fly.
 
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#8
This is an ancient thread, but I have been considering the same thing. One of the biggest advantages is that a blend pot in the middle position isn't giving you 100% of both pups, the gain on each is reduced.

It totally can be done with fixed resistors in the 2 and 4 position. Or, you solder little "tweaker" pots inside to customize your blend in the 2 and 4 positions. Then you can unscrew the plate, tweak your sound for 2 and 4, then screw it back in and you're good to go.

The problem I have is where do you find a plate to accommodate a 5 way?
 
#9
CMM042 said:
This is an ancient thread, but I have been considering the same thing. One of the biggest advantages is that a blend pot in the middle position isn't giving you 100% of both pups, the gain on each is reduced.

It totally can be done with fixed resistors in the 2 and 4 position. Or, you solder little "tweaker" pots inside to customize your blend in the 2 and 4 positions. Then you can unscrew the plate, tweak your sound for 2 and 4, then screw it back in and you're good to go.

The problem I have is where do you find a plate to accommodate a 5 way?
Click to expand...

I've also seen basses with rear cavity plates that had a hole drilled where the trim pot is so it can be tweaked at will.

If you're not using the three knobs, a 5 way should fit. Volume and tone could even be stacked.
 
#12
dwizum said:
The 1, 3, and 5 positions are self explanatory. You only need one pole and you just connect the pickups to those positions directly, and the common terminal to output. For the 2 and 4 positions, switch in a trimpot hidden in the cavity and wired as a volume control (or pair of resistors set up as a voltage divider) on the pickup you want "a bit" of. Then, adjust the trimpot or resistor values to get the "a bit" you want.
Click to expand...

Just coming back to this old thread again, to say that I actually managed to wire this up, and it’s a great setup! Happy to advise if anyone else is trying. But it works, and it is practical and easy to use!
 
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