Night Hawk switch wiring

[Lightning]

Gibson Night Hawk switch wiring...does anyone have any links, any info?

My singer lets me play his and I'm intrigued by the switch, but I don't even want to ask if I could take it apart.

[Lightning]

Re: Night Hawk switch wiring

Bump

[Kent S.]

Re: Night Hawk switch wiring

Gibson Night Hawk switch wiring...does anyone have any links, any info?

My singer lets me play his and I'm intrigued by the switch, but I don't even want to ask if I could take it apart.

Here you go ... www.gibson.com/relations/schematics/

[Lightning]

Re: Night Hawk switch wiring

Kent,

Thanks for the response, ruff scan, no text description of pickup combinations or if the switch is broken up in short poles. Got anything else? Hey man that didn't answer my question but in regards to Flash…do you see the I/O tap on the PUs and the main out laying on one pole? My rule has always been don't leave the second coil dangling...even if it doesn't create a capacitance issue it's like an antenna.
Everyone's doing it that way...like it's ok or maybe it'll be like true bypass where it's ok until some one realizes it's not. Any way when you were thinking about Flash's switch were you considering that pole saving idea I'm seeing in the Night Hawk drawing? I didn't start this thread because of Flash, my singers Night Hawk has had a lot of sweat poured into it and if I open it up and something quits working 2 months down the road...man there's nonstandard stuff in that guitar...I don't want the liability. I'm quite intrigued with the wiring though.

[Kent S.]

Re: Night Hawk switch wiring

Kent,

Thanks for the response, ruff scan, no text description of pickup combinations or if the switch is broken up in short poles.

Yeah, and that's what i deal with more than I'd like too ...
I haven't got any idea what you are referring to as to the term * short poles*, it's a typical switch that is identical (in function at least) to the multipole used by DiMarzio, Gibby also uses a couple of other switches.
the switch is a 4P5T non-shorting (almost everything in guitar use is) lever style, with two of the poles using offset throws for the 1st or 5th positions (depending on your perspective according to which way you wire it, as the which end you have the switch pointing) with independent throws. Thusly:
Com. 5 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 5 Com.
Com. 5 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 5 Com.

Got anything else? Hey man that didn't answer.........................

I already PM'ed Flash about a schematic that he was inquiring about.
I have no idea whatsoever as to what capacitance would have to do with anything here ... as it doesn't in any shape or form; However, many other designs use what you are referring to and it works just fine (I'm guessing as to what you are specifically referring to here) ... There are situations in which it causes no problems at all, there are also other situations in which it can ...proper design ... I think not. But, if it comes down to having to sacrifice a tonal option for something that will not matter in a given situation ... then that aspect of design goes out of the window. Shielding has a lot to do with the issue ... But is not the saving grace in many situations.

Everyone's doing it that way...like it's ok ................................

Reread the above ...

Any way when you were thinking about Flash's switch .............

Not sure what we were discussing (I've only got about 7~8 projects going at one time), I forget if Artie was helping him or not, or if that was the inquiry that all of the info needed was already on the SD site under it's schematics section.

I didn't start this thread because of Flash, my singers Night Hawk has had a lot of sweat poured into it and if I open it up and something quits working 2 months down the road...man there's nonstandard stuff in that guitar...I don't want the liability. I'm quite intrigued with the wiring though.

If it's wired up stock, and something stops working (comes loose), then just go by the original schematic, and put it back like it was ... problem solved; if it's not wired stock (modded), then who knows what was done to it. As far as the nighthawk goes, I didn't particular care for them, and for that reason never paid much attention to them or their layout. As far as the coil assignments you can get the colour code/magnetic polarity/wind direction
off stew-macs site or there is another one also (not sure if it's guitarnuts,guitar electronics, or whomever) then just trace it out per the switch settings. The diagram ruff or not is clear, and has all the info needed for that.

[Kent S.]

Re: Night Hawk switch wiring

Also, as I was worried that the post would cut me off (man I hate that crap when you run over the character limit) .. as I recall (only vaguely) I think the Nighthawks were as such:
3 Pup Model...
Position: Push/pull up:
1) Neck HB Neck O.C.
2) Neck & Bridge HB Neck O.C. & Middle
3) Bridge HB Middle
4) Neck HB & Middle Bridge O.C. & Middle
5) Bridge HB & Middle Bridge O.C.

2 Pup Model...
Position:
1) Neck HB
2) Neck O.C.
3) Neck O.C. & Bridge I.C.
4) Bridge HB
5) Bridge O.C.
I believe they were all in phase form the brief time I tested one of each.
Again, the best thing to do is trace it out for yourself, as this is from memory on two designs that I didn't particularly care for.

[mrid]

Re: Night Hawk switch wiring

I used to have a 3 pickup Nighthawk with a minihum neck, single coil mid, and humbucker bridge. I would have kept it if it wasn't for that damn wierd, tilted humbucker!

[ArtieToo]

Re: Night Hawk switch wiring

. . . I forget if Artie was helping him or not, or if that was the inquiry that all of the info needed was already on the SD site under it's schematics section.

Heh - Yeah, I am, but I've been so busy lately, I haven't had time to draw it up properly yet.

I hope Flash bears with me a bit longer.

[Lightning]

Re: Night Hawk switch wiring

Term = Terminal

Short Poles = multiple shared throws that vary according to the design.

Thanks for getting me the info......2 PU version...those swith positions described, thats exactly what it sounds like. Position 3 is great for funk chording, that's the one I was curious about. Yea 5 & 2 are really useless. I was thinking about adding neck parallel to the rotory on my LP (I already have the two inside coils in series) but I like how totally open the night hawk sounds in pos 3.

I'm using the CTS rotory. It builds in wafers. Currently has (2) 3 pole 4 throw wafers. In wiring it I made sure there wasn't one leg of a coil tied to the currently chosen signal path. Thai just looked like a radio tuner to me because of the capacitance between the coil and the metal hardware to ground. I thought Seymour put 4 leads and a ground on pickups so you you could do true isolation wiring but in drawings I see here (and everywhere else) in split coil switch positions I see one leg of the unused coil connected to the signal path. I think it's in FAQ Seymore actually addresses this issue and says its ok.

Anyhow, Thanks for the info!!
Chuck