And yet another "new" switch. (6-way)

[Artie]

While doing research on Mincer's project, I discovered this switch:

https://guitarelectronics.com/6-way-guitar-lever-switch-oak-grigsby/

I don't know how long this has been available, but I've never seen it before. Just like a 5-way, but with one extra position. Opens up all kinds of possibilities. I've got my drawing board set up as we speak.

 

[Mincer]

It is amazing something like that took this long to come out...

 

[Artie]

I wonder how long this has been available? I've never seen it mentioned anywhere.

Oak-Grisby, (aka Electroswitch), has a few cool lever switches: https://www.electro-nc.com/oakgrigsby-guitar-switches

And more: https://www.electro-nc.com/oakgrigsby-selector-guide

 

[Erlend_G]

That's real nice

I feel like I should buy one, just to have it laying around.

(off topic: some day I'll install a rotary switch in my Epiphone.. to try get series/parallell out of the two stock P90's together)

 

[beaubrummels]

I'm waiting for the one that goes to 11

 

[Artie]

I may have to buy one of those to see how it works. The positions don't line up with the terminals. A standard 5-way has 3 terminals and 2 "spaces." That's five positions. That 6-way has 4 terminals and 3 spaces. That's 7 positions. One end of that switch doesn't do what we'd expect it to do. :scratchch

 

[jeremy]

i was looking at that too, i wonder if the 6th position is only a combo between the last two terminals

 

[Artie]

i was looking at that too, i wonder if the 6th position is only a combo between the last two terminals

Yup. I believe it has to be. Notice that if we number the handle positions 1 - 6, left to right, that switch is in the #4 position. One more click right will take you to the middle terminal, and one more click right would straddle the last two.

 

[Artie]

Which could work out beautifully for a Strat. Place a jumper between terminal #1 and the "finger" terminal. The first five positions give you traditional Strat modes. The last position gives you neck & bridge. All using just one side of the switch. Leaving the other side for multiple tone control options.

 

[Mincer]

Which could work out beautifully for a Strat. Place a jumper between terminal #1 and the "finger" terminal. The first five positions give you traditional Strat modes. The last position gives you neck & bridge. All using just one side of the switch. Leaving the other side for multiple tone control options.

This can solve some issues I have with Strats, namely getting special switches to have the outer 2 pickups on. This way, I can wire it so I get that *and* all the strat positions.

 

[Artie]

And, by jumpering two of the unused terminals on the back wafer, you could also include the middle pup for all three.

P.S. I wouldn't start soldering 'til I get one of these in my hand.

 

[beaubrummels]

Which could work out beautifully for a Strat. Place a jumper between terminal #1 and the "finger" terminal. The first five positions give you traditional Strat modes. The last position gives you neck & bridge. All using just one side of the switch. Leaving the other side for multiple tone control options.

I thought it said the intent was to be able to add the bridge with the neck in a 3-PU strat type?

 

[Synapsys]

Great idea, no doubt. Still not as versatile as the 10 position Freeway switch I have installed in my Jackson DK2 with a Full Shred/Vintage Rails/Cool Rils set.

 

[Artie]

I thought it said the intent was to be able to add the bridge with the neck in a 3-PU strat type?

Yup. I just saw that. I didn't actually read any of the text. Just looked at the pic. :smack:

 

[Mincer]

Great idea, no doubt. Still not as versatile as the 10 position Freeway switch I have installed in my Jackson DK2 with a Full Shred/Vintage Rails/Cool Rils set.

The durability of the Freeway switches comes up a lot, so I am curious about these alternatives. When you think about it, the idea of soldering to all these little tabs and coming up with diagrams is pretty archaic, and not very ergonomic. I remember a company that came out with a pre-wired switch with little dip switches defining what each position does. You'd think someone would engineer something similar for these more complex switches.

 

[Artie]

I remember a company that came out with a pre-wired switch with little dip switches defining what each position does.

I remember seeing those too. But I couldn't remember who it was if my life depended on it.

 

[PFDarkside]

The durability of the Freeway switches comes up a lot, so I am curious about these alternatives. When you think about it, the idea of soldering to all these little tabs and coming up with diagrams is pretty archaic, and not very ergonomic. I remember a company that came out with a pre-wired switch with little dip switches defining what each position does. You'd think someone would engineer something similar for these more complex switches.

I remember seeing those too. But I couldn't remember who it was if my life depended on it.

Do you remember a PCB based Les Paul layout that allowed you to add treble bleed do 50’s/modern independent/dependent volume and multiple cap options? It sounds like I’m describing the Les Paul Standard HP from a few years ago, but it’s not. I wonder if Gibson bought them like they bought the auto tuner company.

 

[Artie]

I've seen PCB LP's, but I don't recall seeing one with those options. Although, it doesn't sound like a bad idea. I might steal that. (Minus the PCB.)

 

[PFDarkside]

I've seen PCB LP's, but I don't recall seeing one with those options. Although, it doesn't sound like a bad idea. I might steal that. (Minus the PCB.)

If the whole guitar world wasn’t so crazily anti-PCB, anti-SMT, I really think the idea could fly. Especially with Gibson quasi-standardizing the Molex connector for pickups...

 

[Artie]

Having spent my whole life in electronics, I'm very much pro-PCB. Especially in amps. But in guitars, I have mixed emotions. They could be good in some situations, (control cavity), and bad in others, (Strat pickguard mounted components). I'd hate to see pots soldered to a PCB. They'd be hard to change out, and you'd have to remove the whole assembly to change just one. Also, on the couple of LP's that I've done that had those connectors, there was no way the connector would fit through the pup wire hole in the body. That means the connector was added after the pup was installed. Kinda defeats the purpose, IMHO.

It's not a bad idea, but would need to be implemented very carefully.