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Super-Psycho-Advanced wiring

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  • Super-Psycho-Advanced wiring

    Ok, I've been working on this for almost a month now. I've got a Jackson Special 5-way switch (same as a MegaSwitch from StewMac) and am *this close* to figuring out a way to utilise all 4 groups of the switch, but I've hit an enormous snag:

    How to get the pickups wired to each group the way I want without bleed-over.


    Here's what I've done so far:

    I figured that I would need a central point to put all the pickup wires (red, white, black, green) so that I can route their signals to any Group on the switch.

    So, after going through various options I decided to wire each pickup's wires to individual brass tabs, and then from there I could route wires to the individual switch groups.

    I'm using 2 push/pull pots to select between groups 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, and a mini-toggle that selects between the push/pulls (otherwise 2 groups would always be on).

    Here's how I had the 5-way wired up:




    Each group was color-coded - red, green, black, white. There's one wire on each tab of each group. I had to add up to 2 more to some tabs to get the options I wanted.

    I'm doing this with a Warbird Warrior and 3 Custom Duncans with 4 conductors each.

    So, after mapping out what I want each position in each group to do, I set about wiring them all up.

    I've got 3 of the 4 groups wired up and there's just no way in hell I'm going to be able to get them stuffed into the cavity

    Additionally, there's massive bleedover. With the way I have things sorted, the reds and whites are all separated so I can do series/split on various positions, as well as having "bridge+neck" positions. To do this, I need to jump two pickups together, but unfortunately that means that option will be made on any switch position using either pickup's black.


    So it looks like it's back to the drawing board


    Maybe I'm going backwards in this? If I jump the switch terminals together instead of the brass tabs.....


    Then again I'm left with 10lbs of wire in a 5lb sack regarding the control cavity



    I love this switch, but I kinda hate it right now, too
    Last edited by Newc; 03-05-2009, 02:11 AM.
    I want to depart this world the same way I arrived; screaming and covered in someone else's blood

    The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

    My Blog: http://newcenstein.com

  • #2
    Tried jumping the terminals, but got double-connections where I didn't want them.

    I want to depart this world the same way I arrived; screaming and covered in someone else's blood

    The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

    My Blog: http://newcenstein.com

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    • #3
      that is rather full on, im struggling to follow what your doing.

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      • #4
        Holy shit..That switch needs a haircut. HAHAHHAA... Good luck there Newc. Those rotaries have a ton of potential. I look forward to your final results.
        Custom Guitars, Refinish and restorations.
        http://www.learnguitars.com

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        • #5
          It looks like its trying to kill the photographer... like it jumps out of the guitar screaming or something....

          "You deserve what you dream"

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          • #6
            Dude - you soooooo need one of these.
            750xl, 88LE, AT1, Roswell Pro, SG-X, 4 others...
            Stilletto Duece 1/2 Stack, MkIII Mini-Stack, J-Station, 12 spaces of misc rack stuff, Sonar 4, Event 20/20, misc outboard stuff...

            Why do I still want MORE?

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Learn Guitars View Post
              Holy shit..That switch needs a haircut. HAHAHHAA... Good luck there Newc. Those rotaries have a ton of potential. I look forward to your final results.
              Yeah they are, but that's not a rotary. That's a 5-way blade found in many older Jacksons

              Can also be found at StewMac as a MegaSwitch. Same thing, different name.

              But I've got a 6-way rotary on another guitar. 2-hums and 6 different sounds. Gonna poke around with that thing to see what it can do with a couple of push-pulls once I get this thing squared away
              I want to depart this world the same way I arrived; screaming and covered in someone else's blood

              The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

              My Blog: http://newcenstein.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by nor View Post
                Dude - you soooooo need one of these.
                I looked at that before. Unless they've changed it, you have to tell them how you want it programmed before they ship it - no user-programming other than the presets. Maybe it's just me, but I'm thinking my options would be rather limited, or the final cost would be astronomical because I'd want "everything"
                I want to depart this world the same way I arrived; screaming and covered in someone else's blood

                The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

                My Blog: http://newcenstein.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Newc, talk about Mission Control You almost need a terminal block. I wonder if they make a small terminal block that would fit in the cavity? That might help sort out the wiring.
                  Tone is like Art: Your opinion is valid. Listen, learn, have fun, draw your own conclusions.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by guitarbumb View Post
                    that is rather full on, im struggling to follow what your doing.
                    It's rather simple in theory:

                    The 5-way blade switch has 4 independent groups.
                    Each group has 5 independent switching options. Meaning, if I want the "classic Strat" switching:
                    1 Bridge
                    2 Bridge+Middle
                    3 Middle
                    4 Middle+Neck
                    5 Neck

                    I have to wire each of the 5 connections manually for that. A typical Strat 5-way is really a 3-way with bridges that connect the 1+2 and 2+3, which is why you can only get those connections at 2 and 4.

                    I have 2 push pull pots and a 2-way mini toggle.
                    The push-pulls select between 2 groups, and the mini-toggle selects between the 2 push-pulls (so that I only have one group of 5 switching options active).

                    I'm wiring the switch for 4 separate types of switching:

                    Both push-pulls down, mini-toggle Up
                    Group 1 - Standard "Strat-style"
                    1 Bridge1 (since it has 2 pickups in the bridge)
                    2 Bridge1 split
                    3 Bridge2
                    4 Bridge2 split
                    5 Neck

                    Volume push-pull Up, mini-toggle Up
                    Group 2 - Standard "Strat-style" splits #2
                    1 Bridge1 split
                    2 Bridge 1 split + Bridge 2 split (inverted for "quack")
                    3 Bridge 2 split
                    4 Bridge 2 split + Neck split (inverted for "quack")
                    5 Neck split

                    Mini-toggle Down, Tone push-pull down
                    Group 3 (possible connections)
                    1 Bridge 1 + Red (one coil) from Bridge 2 (3-coil pickup)
                    2 Bridge 1 + White (other coil) from Bridge 2 (3-coil pickup)
                    3 Bridge 2 + Red of Neck
                    4 Bridge 2 + White of Neck
                    5 Neck + Red of Bridge 2 (3-coil pickup)

                    Mini-toggle Down, Tone push-pull Up
                    Group 4 (possible connections)
                    1 Bridge 1 split + Red (or White) of Bridge 2 (no quack)
                    2 Bridge 1 Red + Bridge 2 Red (or White) (no quack)
                    3 Bridge 1 + Bridge 2
                    4 Bridge 2 + Neck
                    5 Bridge 1 + Neck

                    However, the problem is that in order to get all those, the same wires from one Group are jumped to another Group, and that joined connection seems to be bleeding back to the source, so that anywhere I have 2 pickups connected, those 2 pickups are connected on any Group and any switch option where either of those 2 pickups are joined (i.e. Group 1 option 1 comes out the same as Group 4 option 3 + option 5 - all 3 pickups on at once).

                    The only thing I have not tried is wiring the pickups directly to one Group, then jumping from that Group to another Group. I've used central contact points (brass tabs) on each pickup wire and wires coming off those tabs going to each Group (as seen in the photo), and got bleed-over, and I've tried jumping switch contacts from the central contact points (brass tabs). The only thing I haven't tried is wiring the pickups straight to the switch and then jumping from those contacts to the other groups. Maybe the switch's internal grounding thing will take care of the bleeding.

                    However, I won't be able to get the Bridge 1 + Red of Bridge 2 connection, as the red+white of Bridge 2 will be joined at another switch point.

                    Make sense?
                    I want to depart this world the same way I arrived; screaming and covered in someone else's blood

                    The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

                    My Blog: http://newcenstein.com

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Bengal65 View Post
                      Newc, talk about Mission Control You almost need a terminal block. I wonder if they make a small terminal block that would fit in the cavity? That might help sort out the wiring.
                      I was actually looking at those in a catalog at work the other night

                      Unfortunately, I didn't find one small enough for a San Dimas-style route (Ontario MAYBE), so then hit upon the idea of soldering each pickup's wire to small brass tabs and running leads from the tabs to the switch contacts. That worked, with no loss of signal according to my meter, but I got bleed-over on mutual connections.

                      Wrapping the tabs in electrical tape kept them from bumping each other, so I know it wasn't that.
                      I want to depart this world the same way I arrived; screaming and covered in someone else's blood

                      The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

                      My Blog: http://newcenstein.com

                      Comment

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