solo switch

axebuilder · #1 07-21-2009, 01:06 PM

thought this looked like a interesting mod.
anyone do it before. Just a tone bypass it looks like, but something that could be cool....

toneseeker · #2 07-21-2009, 01:11 PM

I know that some builders use that trick on amps, so it's worth a try on a guitar.

I would think the effect would be pretty subtle on a guitar, though. OH, I SEE, it bypasses both the tone AND the volume. Interesting.

wfojon · #3 07-21-2009, 01:45 PM

That is kind of taking the "blower" switch on Pacers one step further. The blower is a mini toggle that turns on just the humbucker over riding everything else but the vol still works. Since I don't use a tone on any guitar the blower is good enough.

Pacerguy · #4 07-21-2009, 06:24 PM

I used this diagram when I rewired and re potted my Pacer Deluxe. It worked out well. Not quite the same as a blower switch, but it's still cool to be able to have the volume turned down on the guitar and be able to flip the switch and have full volume and no tone control in the circuit

Nice as well to get a little extra bite out of the single coils. It made the guitar more versatile as well

Solo Switch Circuit for Fender Stratocaster™ Type Guitars
This section deals with wiring a "Solo Switch" for a guitar with the circuitry of the Fender Stratocaster™ or one of the countless copies manufactured with the same design. If you have a 3 pickup guitar (usually 3 single coils), that has one "five-way" switch, one master volume control and 2 tone controls, this is how to wire a solo switch into it.

Diagram 1 is the way your guitar is currently wired.
Diagram 2 is a detail of a small section of Diagram 1. This is where the rewiring has to be done.
There is a jumper wire on the five way switch that goes from the upper left lug to the lower right. Cut this wire and carefully remove ¼" insulation from the 2 ends. Do the same with the wire from the middle terminal of the Volume Control. Solder some wire extensions to these 4 points, making sure these wires are long enough to reach wherever the solo switch will be mounted. Tape the 4 solder connections.
Now, solder these four wires to the DPDT switch making certain that each wire goes to the corresponding terminal. (The wires and terminals have been given letters to make your job a little easier).
You have now finished. Recheck and test your work until you are certain that everything's wired okay.
Plug it in and enjoy your latest guitar modification.

axebuilder · #5 07-22-2009, 08:50 AM

I'd like to give it a whirl when the stuff gets unpacked

I'm not much of a tone pot guy but for some odd reason I have been playing with it the last few jams...

toneseeker · #6 07-22-2009, 09:03 AM

I use the tone pot as much, if not more than the volume pot.

I might have to give that mod a shot some time.

Pacerguy · #7 07-22-2009, 11:18 AM

I'm a tone pot kinda guy myself as well

When I did the rewire on the Deluxe, I ended up using a 250k pot wired to the neck and middle SC's and a 500k on the bridge hum (old Dimarzio super distortion) Worked out well. I used a .044pf cap and a .027pf cap so that each tone control had a pot and cap that was more in line with what the pups needed instead of just using one tone pot and cap for all the pups.
So I can use the neck/mid tone to roll off the highs on the SC, and leave it, and then just flip the switch if I want more bite. Nice as well for rolling back the volume to get a cleaner tone out of the amp, and then being able to go full out with the switch for leads.

It's not a bad mod if your bored and want to try something different

I had an extra hole to fill in the pickguard on the Deluxe, (no coiltap on the Dimarzio, old three wire pup) So figured may as well do something instead of just having a switch that didn't do anything

toneseeker · #8 07-22-2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacerguy

I'm a tone pot kinda guy myself as well

Pssst...

Deez guyz don't know what they missin. They've spent way too much time standing in front of their amp with it turned to 11, so they can't hear anyways. They just turn everything wide open, and forget about it. Subtle as a ball pein hammer.

wfojon · #9 07-22-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toneseeker

Pssst...

Deez guyz don't know what they missin. They've spent way too much time standing in front of their amp with it turned to 11, so they can't hear anyways. They just turn everything wide open, and forget about it. Subtle as a ball pein hammer.

lissen up tinker bell...Subtle like a fucken 20lb sledge hammer...thats how we roll...

toneseeker · #10 07-22-2009, 12:29 PM

Don't mess with me, i'll put fairy dust in your dentucreme,
and you sneeze so hard, your Depends will fall off.

wfojon · #11 07-22-2009, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toneseeker

Don't mess with me, i'll put fairy dust

Fairy dust was some good shit back in the day..

One of them white powders I heard about....

toneseeker · #12 07-22-2009, 12:52 PM

Goody powders work fast.
Richard Petty says so.
But I wouldn't snort them.
BC powder, either.

wfojon · #13 07-22-2009, 02:33 PM

I'll bet that monkey ass powder would be some good snorting..

toneseeker · #14 07-23-2009, 05:49 AM

wolf1728 · #15 07-26-2009, 04:34 PM

Anyway, getting back to the subject of guitar wiring, I think the solo switch mod is a great idea
and I have wired it. Why do I like the idea so much? Well, that's my website.

The 2 diagrams posted are from here:
http://www.1728.com/guitar4.htm
I've got 8 guitar wiring/rewiring pages and I'm always planning to add more.
Here's the guitars I've rewired: http://www.1728.com/super7.htm

Well, as far as that solo switch goes, besides eliminating all volume and tone restrictions, it allows
you to play softly (let's say at a volume setting of one), you can turn on the solo switch for that
glass-shattering, sound barrier smashing solo and then turning it off you go right back to that
volume setting of one.
Oh this is my first posting here - hello everybody.