Anyone use the Jackson style triple on-off switches?

[PFDarkside]

Have you guys used these types of switching setups with three on-off switches? I understand it’ll be much more complicated live, but just messing around at home, recording, etc. it would offer access to a bunch of different tones…

One option with JB/Hot Stack/Hot Stack
Bridge HB - Series/Off/Parallel
Middle stack - Parallel/Off/Parallel OOP
Neck stack - Series/Off/Parallel

So knowing the ins and outs is one thing, using it is another. Who’s actually had a guitar like this and is the switching worth the options? What if there was a rhythm/lead circuit that switched between the selection above and a series HB, no tone selection?

 

[idsnowdog]

I tried a three toggle setup on my Westone H/S/S guitar but it was more trouble than it was worth. I was using on/off/on toggles for series/off/parallel for the JB Jr's in the middle and neck. I was getting signal leakage through the switch in the off position and the parallel option wasn't that useful so I replaced them with on/off toggles. I have a Yamaha Pacifica with H/S/S and that has Lace Sensor pickups. In addition to a 5-way switch the bridge uses an on/on/on switch so I can do single/double/single coil which adds some interesting variation to the 2nd position on the 5-way switch.

 

[ErikH]

I had a Series 10 or Pro Player Jackson copy back in the early 90's with 3 on/off toggles. Nothing fancy other than on/off. It was a PITA actually. I much prefer a 5-way blade switch. Even at home I would never use all the switching opens that 3 x 3-way toggles would offer.

 

[PFDarkside]

Hmm…. Thanks guys. You have confirmed my concerns.

I know Mincer’s philosophy is to figure out the top 5 tones and wire them into each position using a 5-way. Typically I’d agree with that but in this case I’m looking at the James Tyler Dann Huff style switching. The Hot Stacks and JB can be run both parallel and series, but it uses push buttons for that and a standard 5 way to select the pickup.

I guess that easiest way to try it would be to get an old pickguard and try it out for a bit on a Strat first.

 

[beaubrummels]

The only 3 x SPDT pickup configuration I have is on my Brian May guitar, which also has a second set for phase on each pickup. I don't mind flipping 2+ switches at a time on it. It's idiosyncratic, but you get used to it. I rarely have to switch pickups during a very active part of a song. Usually I set up a sound and there will be some kind of break where I can change sounds for another section.

For the phases, technically it's not supposed to sound different flipping the phase on one pickup, but on this one it actually does sound different. I'm guessing because the pickups are wired in series, I think I'm getting some leakage or loading from the inactive pickups that is exposed when flipping the phase. All the sounds are useful and helpful, but I do tend to leave the middle out of phase, the bridge / neck in phase and just use the pickup selectors to get a variety of sounds.

 

[PFDarkside]

The only 3 x SPDT pickup configuration I have is on my Brian May guitar, which also has a second set for phase on each pickup. I don't mind flipping 2+ switches at a time on it. It's idiosyncratic, but you get used to it. I rarely have to switch pickups during a very active part of a song. Usually I set up a sound and there will be some kind of break where I can change sounds for another section.

For the phases, technically it's not supposed to sound different flipping the phase on one pickup, but on this one it actually does sound different. I'm guessing because the pickups are wired in series, I think I'm getting some leakage or loading from the inactive pickups that is exposed when flipping the phase. All the sounds are useful and helpful, but I do tend to leave the middle out of phase, the bridge / neck in phase and just use the pickup selectors to get a variety of sounds.

That’s an interesting one, so the pickup selectors are really just shorting out the coils? Did he do that because he didn’t know anything different or was it intentional?

 

[beaubrummels]

That’s an interesting one, so the pickup selectors are really just shorting out the coils? Did he do that because he didn’t know anything different or was it intentional?

Not sure the rationale, other than in interviews he said he was trying to make a guitar that would sustain and feedback in a musical way, so I think series plus phase was a way of getting it to really scream.