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Non-momentary kill switch for P-Bass

Jvermin

Jvermin

Dec 2, 2014
5
1
39
Seattle,WA
www.suburbanvermin.com
#1
Hey guys and gals, brand new here.

Anyways, I'm piecing a P-Bass together and I plan to have it wired directly to the jack, meaning no volume or tone pots. What I would like to have is a button that would allow me to kill the signal, essentially an on/off button. Can anyone point me towards one that would fit in one of the holes in the pickguard, and how would I wire that to work this way with hopefully no "pop" when using it? Thanks in advance
 
#5
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#9
Jvermin said:
Thanks. Would the voltage of the switch matter? I don't want to short anything out.
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Wire the pushbutton switch across the signal and ground going to the Jack. This shorts the signal like an amps input does when no instrument cable is plugged in. It totally kills the signal out and no pop. You do not want to wire it where it just opens the signal wire to the output jack as you will be hum like when you have a cable plugged into the amp but not to the guitar. Acts like an antenna for noise.
 
#11
Several years ago I tried this with my P. I didn't know about the 1 megohm resistor, so it kept popping when I used the switch. I discontinued it shortly thereafter.
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If you used that Duncan diagram, I'm not surprised. It is incorrect. Unless you specifically use a "make-before-break" switch, there's a good chance this circuit will cause a pop. The connection between the upper two terminals should be across the middle two terminals instead.

This doesn't apply to the OP, but FWIW, if you use a push-pull and wire it like this with the earth connected to the bottom lugs, then the switch will mute when down, not up.
 
#12
yeah, all that should happen is the shorting of the two sides together to create instant, pop-free silence, any SPDT latching switch will do that. (hell, any latching switch period will do that as long as you can find two poles on it that either connect or don't when you switch it.)
 
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#13
Years ago I wired a mercury switch to do this. (It was actually on an acoustic guitar with an undersaddle pickup. Nowadays you can get thumbwheel pots to mount in the soundhole.) You just have to orientate it so it closes when the guitar is on a stand.

This way you don't need a hole at all in the front of your axe.

I wouldn't recommend it if you are a punk player who jumps around a lot though! ;)

Or someone who copies the early Bill Wyman style...

200px-Bill_Wyman_-_Rolling_Stones_-_1975.jpg
 
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#14
RobbieK said:
Years ago I wired a mercury switch to do this.
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nice!

i always wanted to stealth install one in a customer's guitar so that it shut off when held in playing position, but when brought back to me i could lay it flat on my bench, plug it in, get signal, and say, "what, it works fine! must be something wrong with your cables"
bananadevil.gif
 
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#15
walterw said:
nice!

i always wanted to stealth install one in a customer's guitar so that it shut off when held in playing position, but when brought back to me i could lay it flat on my bench, plug it in, get signal, and say, "what, it works fine! must be something wrong with your cables"
bananadevil.gif
Click to expand...

I would love to do that on a friends guitar.
 

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