Blend knob with four controle layout

[guitar timmeke]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to the forum. I've been reading for quite a few years and decided it was time to sign up.

I've tried to wire it up myself but i guess i'm not so good with electronics other than heating equipement... ;-)
So here is my question:

Can anyone help me with the wiring for the following setup:

Guitar controls for a two pu guitars (two humbuckers, two p90's, p90 and tele bridge, etc...)
controles:
1-master volume
2-blend knob (instead of the bridge volume)
3-tone neck
4-tone bridge

3way toggle:
Pos 1: neck pu (master volume, neck tone, blend bypassed)
Pos 2: master volume, blend knob, tone neck, tone bridge
Pos 3: bridge pu (master volume, bridge tone, blend bypassed)

extra:
phase switch - two way toggle

This way you should be able to keep the out of phase sound manageable, and pos 1&3 as usual without the blend knob making things complicated.
The blend knob should have a center notch to make it easier to find the true middle, where both pups are engaged fully.
This setup would make a four knob array + a phase switch the ultimate control array in my mind.

I don't even know if this is possible, but i'm guessing it is.
(if this is posted in the wrong category please kindly direct me to the right place... )

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

You can't bypass the blend pot with a standard Gibson toggle switch. The standard toggle switch takes two inputs and switches between them for the output. It could be possible if you were using a Fender style switch. Is that what you are using?

 

[gregory]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

You can get a QPDT/4PDT switch that is packaged by DiMarzio.

I don't care for assigning artists' names to things simply because they use them and are famous, but it's often called a JP switch (not Jimmy Page, but John Petrucci).

 

[Artie]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

You can't bypass the blend pot with a standard Gibson toggle switch. The standard toggle switch takes two inputs and switches between them for the output. It could be possible if you were using a Fender style switch. Is that what you are using?

You can definitely do it with a Fender 3-way, with the limitation that at all switch positions, all three pots will be "in the circuit". So, using a 500k blend pot with a 500k vol pot will yield a total load of 167k. Swap out the 500k vol pot for 1M and you can raise that to 200k. Might not be too bad if you start with some "hot" humbuckers to begin with.

 

[guitar timmeke]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

You can't bypass the blend pot with a standard Gibson toggle switch. The standard toggle switch takes two inputs and switches between them for the output. It could be possible if you were using a Fender style switch. Is that what you are using?

I don't know yet, but I prefer a three way toggle switch. It's all just a "concept" that i'm planning on using for a build. Eventually I'd like to use it on my les paul and my Dot.

 

[guitar timmeke]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

I would really prefer a 3-way toggle, so guess I.m going to do some searching for a suitable switch.
The value of the pots is something that i'm going to decide on when i know what kinda pickups I'm going to put in...

 

[gregory]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

DiMarzio EP1111

 

[Artie]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

I would really prefer a 3-way toggle . . .

The cool thing about the open frame design of the Switchcraft toggle, is that it's customizable. Here's one I did for my own experimentation:



Other options are do-able. They're just labor and "parts" intensive. But if you really want one, it's possible.

 

[guitar timmeke]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

Thanks guys! I guess i'm going with the Dimarzio switch.
Now if any of you can draw me up a wiring scheme... lol

 

[Artie]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

In the following diagram, the terminal strip is optional, but I highly recommend it. Especially if there's any chance that you want to swap in different pups in the future. It also makes getting the wiring correct much easier.

Notes:

1. When you connect the wires to the toggle switch, leave enough slack so that you can rotate it 180 deg's later.
2. Wire everything up as shown, but don't connect the pup wires until it is all done.
3. Go ahead and connect the pickup ground wires to the terminal strip. Doesn't matter which side you use. Ground is ground.
4. Now, just "tack" the hot wires to the two "plus" terminals of the terminal strip. Make sure the blend pot and switch select the pups in the order and blend rotation that you want. If it's backwards, just reverse the two hot wires on the terminal strip. If the switch is working backwards, rotate it 180 deg's.

This now allows you to just unsolder the hot and ground wires from the terminal strip if you ever want to swap pups. Make sense?

Artie

If that doesn't show up full size, PM me and I'll email you the full pic.

I hope that shows up ok. The way this forum manages attachments drives me nuts.

 

[guitar timmeke]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

Man this is awesome!! thanks so much Artie! Looks great.
So the terminal strip makes perfect sense. Don't know what i'm going to use for it but it does make perfect sense.
The extra phase switch goes between the pup and the terminal right? I've done one of those before so that should't be a problem.
Great!! Now i can start to order/gather the components and start soldering.
Guess i'll first try it in my epi dot. It has a gibson 57 classic in the bridge and a 59 sd in the neck. I'll probably order a new 4 conductor 59 neck pup because the one i have is a braided wire one, witch is not so good for a phase switch.
The dimarzio switch i found on the thomann site, but the blend pot i'll have to find somewhere else...
Again, thanks a lot man, this is way cool!!

 

[Artie]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

The extra phase switch goes between the pup and the terminal right?

Exactly. Mind you, an EPI Dot might be the most difficult guitar you could choose to try this in, because of working through the F-hole. If you decide to forgo the terminal strip, then the pickup "hot" wires can attach either to the lug on the tone pots or to the switch where the green and yellow lines are. (The green and yellow wires must also still be connected.)

Let me know if you run into any snags.

 

[guitar timmeke]

Re: Blend knob with four controle layout

Hi all,
I'm trying to get amp the parts together for this wonderful project that Artie drew up for me but I can't seem to find a good blender pot? I think I need a 500k linear dual pot wit a centre detend, but none of the suppliers here seem to offer that. I did find a Göldo pot, but it's a 500k log pot. And I prefer CTS or something similar, otherwise my knobs won't fit...
Any of you know a good supplier? Mind you, I live in Europe, so ordering from the US is a hastle and pretty expensive due to the damn import tax.