Changing the toggle switch in my Explorer

[Napthol]

The 3-way toggle switch that came in my Explorer was cheap and not functioning as good as it should have so my guitar technician put in a switch he had. The switch he put in is much more solid and works better, but what I noticed is when I shut off my neck pickup by shutting off the volume and do that cool lurching tat-tat-tat sound by flicking the switch back and forth between the neck and bridge pickups, the resulting sound I'm hearing doesn't sound quite right. It doesn't sound like when I use my Les Paul to do it. The only explanation I can come up with is that is simply the way that particular switch sounds when I do the effect.

I have a switch, it's a Switchcraft and I was thinking of putting it in.

I have not changed a switch on a Gibson style guitar before and was wondering if it's a pretty simple straight forward procedure.

 

[beaubrummels]

'doesn't sound quite right' doesn't really tell anyone what the problem might be. What exactly do you hear, and what exactly were you expecting to hear? Did the tech change anything other than the switch, like the pots or other wiring?

You need a 90 degree switch for Explorers, Firebirds and SGs, or possibly a short import switch might fit, but not all switches will fit and work.

 

[Napthol]

No pots or wiring was changed. It just has a different sound than say my Les Paul does. I kinda dislike it that's why I was thinking of maybe changing it.

 

[GuitarDoc]

An Explorer does have a "different sound" than a Les Paul, but that has nothing to do with the switch.

So, what exactly are you hearing from the switch?

 

[Mincer]

Is it a harsher or smoother transition between positions that you are hearing?

 

[Napthol]

I would say it is a harsher transistion. This is really hard to describe if not impossible to describe. I can't use the normal words that we use to describe sound like warm, compressed, hard, soft, bright, bassy, mellow.

Those words don't apply.

But it does have a different transition sound than my Les Paul does.

I think its just the nature of the switch he put in.

 

[Mincer]

It could be. Some switches are more 'glidey' when switching positions.

 

[Chistopher]

it could also just be a new versus worn in switch

 

[Napthol]

I have what is called a shorty switch. Unless I'm mistaken I thought my technician told me that's what I would need.

 

[Seashore]

Is there somewhere else on your guitar that you could put a killswitch for those stutter effects? Replace one of the knobs or drill a hole?

 

[beaubrummels]

FYI There is a pot that has a push-kill switch in it. Doesn't require any extra holes.

https://shadowelectronics.com/products/sh-124