Switching between pickups idea

[Davey]

i just got this crazy idea and thought if it's make-able

so basically, it's switching between pups without a switch per-se.
what i'm thinking of is, you have a pot, one end (fully open for example) is the bridge pup selected. pot turned down ('closed') is the neck pickup, but when you turn it, you let some of the output of each pup through
example:
pot on 9/10 - 9/10ths of the bridge volume, 1/10th of the neck volume
.
.
.
5/10 - like the middle position of a 3 way switch
.
.
.
you get the idea?

that you basically dont have 'just' the bridge pup, then both together and then the neck pup, but every setting inbetween.

could this be made?

[rinse_master]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

You can get blender pots, they do what you described.

I think they are made by Lindy Fralin (probably others too)

*Edit* - Check out Lew's site, I know he uses blender pots on his strats, even better, check out his Ultimate Stratocaster Tone thread...

[Davey]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

oh really? i didnt know that. thanks for the quick reply

[captain cavman]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

It can be made but I don't think the result would be nice (tonewise).
First at 1/10ths you have almost no sound and under 3 or 4 the sound turns crappy/muddy.
On the 5/10th curse you will have partly the neck and partly the bridge , not the middle position of a 3 way toggle but this position on a LP with both volume pots half way down.

Finaly , I'm not sure it would be wise on stage and what about the volume control ?

[rinse_master]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

Yeah, on strats they can be used to blend neck & bridge (so you can have neck & bridge or all three pups on) and I'm pretty sure that'd work for 2 pu's

[Davey]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

on a volume, tone tone guitar you can swap one tone out for one of these. it's like a 100 way rotary switch. i think it's feasible.
the middle position is neutral to both. view it like 0 resistance to both. when you go to the bridge, the resistance increases towards the neck to the point where it's cut off and the resistance towards the bridge stays at 0, vice versa for turning the knob to the neck side. i didnt mean, use an actual pot for it

[rinse_master]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

i didnt mean, use an actual pot for it

That's good, like captain cavman said, it probably wouldn't be that good an idea...

[ArtieToo]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

There's some terminology thats getting mixed up here. A "Fralin" blend pot, is completely different than the type sold by Stew-Mac and others. The Fralin type is a "normal" potentiometer thats used to "dial-in" another pickup. Usually the bridge.

The type that Stew-Mac sells are two "ganged" volume controls on a common shaft. But the resistive element only goes around half way. So, in the center, its the same as having twin volumes, both at max. You turn the knob one way to turn down one pup - the other way to turn down the other.

The only real problem is the "ordinary" problem that results from all dual-volume control guitars . . . but thats another thread.

Artie

[Davey]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

i do believe we're in order to make a new pot for this hehe

like a 3 switch pot
o bridge (have to turn it so you move it out of this position, like switch pots on car radios)
|
|resistance towards neck decreases
|
o bridge & neck (both resistances at 0)
|
|resistance towards bridge increases
|
o neck (when you turn it all the way it makes click and the bridge is cut off)

[ArtieToo]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

That would be an awful lot of work, to accomplish, basically, nothing. The standard Stew-Mac blend pot will take the volume all the way to zero just as it is. You will gain nothing by switching the pup "off" at either extreme.

One other thing you may want to consider. I've worked through most of these scenarios, (on paper), and the one that seems most versatile, and simple, is to simply add a "Fralin-style" blend pot in a normal 3-way switch configuration.

That is, the blend pot wired between the "hots" of the two pups. With the 3-way in the neck position, you dial-in the amount of bridge that you want. With it in the bridge position, you dial-in the amount of neck that you want, and with the switch in the middle, both pups are on full regardless of the blend pot position.

Just a thought.

Artie

[Davey]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

well, i think thats the closest i'd get without making my own pot hehe..

thanks bunches for explaining it artie

[ArtieToo]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

I just realized, as I reread my own post, that you might actually gain something with the "switch-off" function of the blend pot. Depending on how you choose to wire the blend pot, (which is essentially the same as wiring dual-volume controls), you would relieve the circuit of the "load" of the second volume control. It might make a subtle difference.

This is in reference to your first idea - not the "Fralin-style" blend pot.

(All my notes are at home.)

[Davey]

Re: Switching between pickups idea

this was just a wild idea, but it sounds good. it'd sure give you more options for tone than a normal switch.. paired with push pull pots for spliting buckers =) oh, all the options