3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

[Mojoe01]

A few days ago, somebody mentioned in a post that prior to 1970, all fender guitars came with a 3-way switch. So I'm just wondering...how do you do this? If I take a standard 3-way switch and wire 3 pickups to it like it were a regular strat or something, would this work? In other words, how can I use 3 pickups on a 3-way switch? I know it won't give me the 2 & 4 positions obviously, but thats fine for what I'm looking for.

[beandip]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

That's how they used to be man, and now a days, I dont think you can find a 3 way switch like that. Well, you could do some searching for a switch out of a vintage classic or AV guitar. You could just use a standard strat switch and not use the notch postitions.

[ArtieToo]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

The modern 5-way switch is the "old" 3-way switch. They just added the "click", or detent, to create the #2 and #4 positions. The "old" 3-way, would only allow you to select one pickup at a time. You can mimick that functionality by not stopping on the #2 or #4 positions of your 5-way.

. . . but why would you want to?

Edit: Sorry. Somehow I missed the last sentence of your post.

If you actually want to recreate this functionality, you could do a couple different things. The easiest, will be to find a "vintage" 3-way switch on eBay. The next thing would be, (if you're mechanically inclined), to carefully disassemble your present 5-way, and "block", or defeat the #2 and #4 detents.

One last option, and this could be cool, use an ordinary 3-way to select between neck and bridge. Hardwire the middle pickup, and then you'ld have:

1. neck/middle
2. neck/middle/bridge
3. middle/bridge

That would actually be a useful, and interesting switch function.

Edit #2: Now you got me thinking.

Or, wire neck and middle together, to one side of the switch, and bridge to the other. Now you'ld have:

1. neck/middle
2. neck/middle/bridge
3. bridge

Which would be quite functional in an HSS Strat. Its all good.

[Kent S.]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

You can order the three way strat switch, as they still use it (or did on one or two models). I thik the old Yngwie model had a three way switch, it's the same type of function used on the tele switch.

[Biu]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

I think Stew Mac sells a classic Strat 3-way. I like the sound of single-coils by themselves MUCH more than the notch positions as well, so I guess there's a few of us out there with some demand for 3-way switches.

[ArtieToo]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

Its interesting, different folks preferences on this. I, on the other hand, use positions #2 and #4 almost exclusively on my Strats.

Occasionly, I'll use the neck by itself, but never, the middle or bridge.

[Mojoe01]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

Yeah, the only reason I was wondering is cause I have a 3-way from my tele (as you can see from my sig, it now has a 5-way for its setup) and I've been trying to figure out what can be done with my old strat and some pickups I've had lying around from past projects. I've just been trying to come up with interesting combos, and that thought crossed my mind so I figured I might as well ask. I don't use the notch positions too often, and since I can get them in my tele, I don't really have much demand for them anywhere else. I personally prefer the purity of a single pickup or a full-on humbucker.

[Mojoe01]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

Actually, to refute that last sentence from my previous post, that all depends on what you consider a notch position...cause, on my les paul, I use all 3 positions all the time. I especially like using the middle position (so, I guess thats basicalyl a notch position) for getting "allman brothers-esque" tones. Come to think of it, its a position I've only recently begun to explore, so who knows...I might come around to really put a 2 and 4 position to good use someday soon...and if that day comes, I'll just have more modding to do! A win-win situation if you ask me!

[Creedis777]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

I JUST played a Fender American Standard Strat on sunday and HATED the #2 and #4 positions. I thought they were very muddy and toneless. I wouldn't mind a three way switch strat though.

[Simon_F]

Re: 3 pickups and a 3-way switch?

You could do the #2 and #4 sounds on the old 3-way Strat switches. Certain guitarists (I think Clapton was an early exponent) discovered that if you could get the 3-way switch to "stick" in the in-between positions you got those extra tones with two pickups on. But getting it to stick there in a live situation wasn't always easy. So the 5-way switch was developed to make it easier. As ArtieToo says, the only difference between a 3-way and a 5-way is the two extra stops. The contacts, wiring etc. are the same.