5 Way Selector Switch

Stefanovic · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:44 pm **Posts:** 29

Hey all, I plan to add a set of humbucker active pickups (Lz3's from an Ibanez RGA32 in fact) to my Fender Strat, and have just been enlightened of the art of THE SWITCH

I have this diagram that shows which wires connect to what on the switch, and it makes sense to me. Obviously this would apply to say a S-S-S or H-S-H or S-S-H config (some set with a middle pickup) because of the gap for a middle pickup wire at Stage 1 Lug 2.

My question is: because I have two humbuckers, with no middle pickup, does it make sense to have the Bridge hot wire at the Stage 1 Lug 1 slot and the Neck hot wire at Stage 1 Lug 3, and leave the Stage 1 Lug 2 empty?
My current configuration is a H-S-H so all three lugs on Stage 1 are in use... If anyone can help at all, thank you =)

Have an ace day

Martian · **Posted:** Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:40 am

Stefanovic wrote:

Hey all, I plan to add a set of humbucker active pickups (Lz3's from an Ibanez RGA32 in fact) to my Fender Strat, and have just been enlightened of the art of THE SWITCH

I have this diagram that shows which wires connect to what on the switch, and it makes sense to me. Obviously this would apply to say a S-S-S or H-S-H or S-S-H config (some set with a middle pickup) because of the gap for a middle pickup wire at Stage 1 Lug 2.

My question is: because I have two humbuckers, with no middle pickup, does it make sense to have the Bridge hot wire at the Stage 1 Lug 1 slot and the Neck hot wire at Stage 1 Lug 3, and leave the Stage 1 Lug 2 empty?
My current configuration is a H-S-H so all three lugs on Stage 1 are in use... If anyone can help at all, thank you =)

Have an ace day

Leave your existing wiring as it is with one addition: Solder a wire from Stage 2 Lug 2 to Stage 2 Lug 1. This way, that tone control will work for both the middle and bridge pickups.

Alex_Under · **Posted:** Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:21 pm

If you're gonna put only two HBs with no middle pickup then you don't need a 5 way selector switch but a 3 way, of similar nature (blade type).
Fender makes them too (I have a spare from a previous project). It has the same functionality with 2 lugs less.

Stefanovic · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:44 pm **Posts:** 29

Alex_Under wrote:

If you're gonna put only two HBs with no middle pickup then you don't need a 5 way selector switch but a 3 way, of similar nature (blade type).
Fender makes them too (I have a spare from a previous project). It has the same functionality with 2 lugs less.

Is it not possible at all to use the 5 way switch? I was told that if the pickups have 4 wires (which they do), they can be 'coil tappable' and I can utilise all positions of the coils in this order -
a single coil pos 1
humbucker pos 2
both pups pos 3
humbucker pos 4
single coil pos 5.

Is this possible?

Alex_Under · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:44 am

I don't know if those particular combinations are possible but I know that you CAN use a 5 selector switch on a HH strat splitting coils. You just didn't make that obvious in the begining of your post.
A very similar wiring with what you're after is the wiring of the "Big Apple Strat".
Here it is. Hope that helps
http://support.fender.com/service_diagr ... B_SISD.pdf

bluesky636 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:14 am

Stefanovic wrote:

Alex_Under wrote:

If you're gonna put only two HBs with no middle pickup then you don't need a 5 way selector switch but a 3 way, of similar nature (blade type).
Fender makes them too (I have a spare from a previous project). It has the same functionality with 2 lugs less.

Is it not possible at all to use the 5 way switch? I was told that if the pickups have 4 wires (which they do), they can be 'coil tappable' and I can utilise all positions of the coils in this order -
a single coil pos 1
humbucker pos 2
both pups pos 3
humbucker pos 4
single coil pos 5.

Is this possible?

No, it is not possible to do that with a standard 5-way switch. You need a 5-way super switch as shown in the Big Apple Strat wiring diagram.

bluesky636 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:16 am

Alex_Under wrote:

I don't know if those particular combinations are possible but I know that you CAN use a 5 selector switch on a HH strat splitting coils. You just didn't make that obvious in the begining of your post.
A very similar wiring with what you're after is the wiring of the "Big Apple Strat".
Here it is. Hope that helps
http://support.fender.com/service_diagr ... B_SISD.pdf

The OP only has a standard 5-way switch which would need to be replaced by the superswitch shown in these drawings.

Stratoblues · **Posted:** Thu Mar 10, 2011 4:37 pm

wow, get a gibson. you destroyed your strat. booooooooooo

Stefanovic · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:44 pm **Posts:** 29

Reventon11 wrote:

wow, get a gibson. you destroyed your strat. booooooooooo

I haven't changed anything yet, so it's not exactly destroyed. Thanks for your input, it's really helping me to get the job done

Stefanovic · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:44 pm **Posts:** 29

Alex_Under wrote:

If you're gonna put only two HBs with no middle pickup then you don't need a 5 way selector switch but a 3 way, of similar nature (blade type).
Fender makes them too (I have a spare from a previous project). It has the same functionality with 2 lugs less.

Ok I've decided I'll just for for a 3 three, to get this project underway. In comparison to the diagram on my very first post of this thread, what wires change position and which go onto different lugs? Cheers

Alex_Under · **Posted:** Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:30 am

I'm writing from my job so I cannot draw a sketch for you right now.
I'll see what I can do later.

I just wanted to tell you that you can also have the split-coil option, replacing the 2 tone pots with 2 push/pull pots. Upper tone can be arranged so that when you pull it you split the neck humbucker and when you pull the lower tone you split the bridge humbucker.
This way you can have a total of 8 different combinations:
NH = Neck Humbucking, NS = Neck Single
BH = Bridge Humbucking, BS = Bridge Single

1 ) NH
2 ) NH || BH
3 ) BH
4 ) NS
5 ) NS || BH
6 ) BS
7 ) NH || BS
8 ) NS || BS

Tell me if you're interested in that so I'll take it to consideration before drawing the schematic.

Stefanovic · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:44 pm **Posts:** 29

Alex_Under wrote:

I'm writing from my job so I cannot draw a sketch for you right now.
I'll see what I can do later.

I just wanted to tell you that you can also have the split-coil option, replacing the 2 tone pots with 2 push/pull pots. Upper tone can be arranged so that when you pull it you split the neck humbucker and when you pull the lower tone you split the bridge humbucker.
This way you can have a total of 8 different combinations:
NH = Neck Humbucking, NS = Neck Single
BH = Bridge Humbucking, BS = Bridge Single

1 ) NH
2 ) NH || BH
3 ) BH
4 ) NS
5 ) NS || BH
6 ) BS
7 ) NH || BS
8 ) NS || BS

Tell me if you're interested in that so I'll take it to consideration before drawing the schematic.

Thanks, but I think I will stick with the 3 way for this project, because I could do with the least amount of changing possible, hence why I wanted to try and stay with the 5 way. Using a 3 way will just consists of rewiring the wires on the switch only, which makes it easier for me, considering I do not know a lot about them. Changing the pots and everything is too much for me this time!

If could help me with my last question, then I should be sorted, which was this: In comparison to the diagram on my very first post of this thread, what wires change position and which go onto different lugs?

Thanks a lot for thy help

Alex_Under · **Posted:** Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:45 am

Well then, I think the following is good enough...

Stefanovic · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:44 pm **Posts:** 29

That's looking ideal, why couldn't I find anything like this weeks ago?! :lol:

Just literally two more q's, then that should be my prayers answered:

1: My Ibanez humbuckers have green, red, white and bar - in accordance to this diagram, which is North, south etc?

2: In adding my 9v battery compartment to the circuit, where are the 2 wires from that wiring onto?

Cheers again

Stefanovic · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:44 pm **Posts:** 29

Sorry, and a third:

3: I have 1 Vol, 1 Tone. Not 1 Vol, 2 Tone pots. How would this differ to the wiring on the diagram?

Honestly, that's it. Thanks

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