5-way super switch orientation??

Quicksilver689

New member
This is probably a dumb question...BUT...

Does it matter whether the 24 terminals on a 5-way 4-pole superswitch face the rest of the electronics or face away form them? What I mean is - both of the wafers that the terminals are attached to (12 on each) serve exactly the same purpose and are wired exactly the same way, right?

I ask because on my guitar (Schecter C-1 Classic), the routing for the selector switch is so close to the wall of the control cavity that if I have the terminals facing away from the rest of the electronics, they actually ground out against the cavity wall (because it's shielded).

Again...probably a stupid question, but thanks in advance for responding! :)

Chris
 
Re: 5-way super switch orientation??

It can matter when it comes to fitting in the guitar (depending on the body).

I usually mount the poles away from the cavity wall. Either way is fine, you just want to be sure you have room to work, and to install the pickguard (if any).
 
Re: 5-way super switch orientation??

QS,

I am curious. What wiring options you are considering that prompt your use of the super switch? If I'm not mistaken the Schecters are furnished with mega switches.
 
Re: 5-way super switch orientation??

I replaced that stock switch with a superswitch to get the PRS-style 5-way rotary switching combinations...the stock Schecter wiring scheme (and switch) don't quite give you the same options, in the same order, as with a superswitch.

While it can be argued that those combos can be obtained with the stock Schecter switch and wiring scheme by flipping one pickup around (as was commented on in a different thread), it doesn't quite yield the same tones using the same coils, in the same order (specifically, positions 2 and 4 get flipped). I'm using a DiMarzio Air Norton/D-Sonic combo (a la Petrucci and Sfogli, with both pickups in reverse and with flipped wiring), and to get those combos completely correctly I had to have a superswitch to do it.

More so than that, though, is that if I ever want to try a different wiring scheme, by using a superswitch I'm not limited to just this one. It was also a good wiring experience for me to go through. :)
 
Re: 5-way super switch orientation??

While it can be argued that those combos can be obtained with the stock Schecter switch and wiring scheme by flipping one pickup around (as was commented on in a different thread), it doesn't quite yield the same tones using the same coils, in the same order (specifically, positions 2 and 4 get flipped).

Ah - sorry, I'd missed that 2 & 4 get swapped over, sorry!

One thing I'd note with the Superswitch is that your ability to change the combinations later depends heavily on how much thought you put into doing the jumpers and so on - if you wrap the wire too much it gets very hard to remove or swap things later.
 
Re: 5-way super switch orientation??

ah, ok...thanks Sporky :)

And NP about the whole 2&4 thing - it took me a lot of staring at diagrams and thinking things through before I realized why things didn't quite look or sound the same...and I really like how pos. 3 in the "PRS rotary-style" wiring scheme has the two outside coils in series too.

Getting a superswitch, a bunch of wire, and diagrams, and just having at it has been a good learning experience for me too :)

Thanks for all your help guys! :)
 
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