How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

[WashburnXpro]

I'm not new to guitar but I'm basically new to modifying my guitar. Can
anyone explain how 2 humbuckers, 1 vol, 1 tone, standard 5 way switch
works? I saw a diagram on Seymour duncan page but I really don't
understand how it works, I've been surfing the internet for days to find
information but most of them are about using a 5 way super switch and I
only need the basic mod of the 5 way switch. I really hope you guys could help me. Thanks a lot!!!

 

[htwheelz67]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

mine are wired like this, a big apple strat. The neck pickup has a reverse polarity 59, just flip the magnet on a regular HB, that way you get more quack. These do have Duncan color codes (pearly gates plus and rp 59n)
Just wire for one tone control, I would add a treble bleed as well or a switchable one.
https://p13.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/010-7200_02B_SISD.pdf

 

[WashburnXpro]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

Thanks man. But the diagram still shows a 5-way super switch. I hope you can explain the mod possibilities of a standard 5-way switch. Thanks a lot!!!

 

[dystrust]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

AFAIK a standard 5-way switch doesn't work with two pickups, you'd need a super switch like the previous poster mentioned.

 

[WashburnXpro]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

AFAIK a standard 5-way switch doesn't work with two pickups, you'd need a super switch like the previous poster mentioned.

But then I saw this diagram from the seymour duncan page itself. ---> https://docs.google.com/gview?embed...wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2H_5WSPL_1V_1T.pdf

I'm really hoping someone can explain how this diagram works. Thanks a lot!!!

 

[htwheelz67]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

I may be wrong but a std 5 way should give bridge hb, bridge split, both hb , neck split, neck hb.

 

[WashburnXpro]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

I may be wrong but a std 5 way should give bridge hb, bridge split, both hb , neck split, neck hb.

Thanks a lot man!!!

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

A 5-way blade is a 3-way blade with bridged connections between the bridge, middle, and neck.

A 3-way blade is no different from a 3-way toggle, in that the middle position is a bridge between the bridge and neck.

For most switches, these connections are automatic and do not need to be manually wired, nor can they be changed without performing surgery on the switch.

The reason these diagrams often use a SuperSwitch is because it only has 4 connections total that cannot be changed, and those are the 4 poles to at least one contact related to those poles.
Think of a SuperSwitch as 4 blade switches on one frame. Each one can be wired separately, and if you had a way to select which one was active, you could have 4 different switching configurations. With a standard 5-way blade, you're limited by the automatic bridges, which is why you often see positions 2 and 4 as split bridge + middle or split neck + middle. These positions link the bridge and middle and neck and middle by design. All you can do is determine how the bridge or neck will interact with the middle.

However, for H-H, you would have to manually wire the middle, in which case you do have options, but only 3:
-Bridge Full + Neck Full
-Both split
-one out of phase with the other

Even so, 2 and 4 will be limited to splitting either pickup.

But I'm sure someone will be along with a collection of diagrams showing a ton of wires offering a ton of options.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

Usually you end up with something like:
-Bridge (full)
-Bridge (full) & Neck (full)
-Neck (full)
-Bridge (split) & Neck (split)
-Bridge (split)

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

But then I saw this diagram from the seymour duncan page itself. ---> https://docs.google.com/gview?embed...wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2H_5WSPL_1V_1T.pdf

I'm really hoping someone can explain how this diagram works. Thanks a lot!!!

To me it looks like that particular diagram is doing

Bridge
Bridge + Neck
Neck
Neck Split + Bridge Split
Bridge Split

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

But then I saw this diagram from the seymour duncan page itself. ---> https://docs.google.com/gview?embed...wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2H_5WSPL_1V_1T.pdf

I'm really hoping someone can explain how this diagram works. Thanks a lot!!!

Regarding that specific diagram:
A standard 5-way has 2 poles, or sides. Each pole has a Common. Typically this is used as an Output to the volume and tone controls, but in a 2H setup with separate volume for each pickup, these can go to the jack.

In this case, one pole of the switch is used only to split the neck pickup only when the switch is fully forward, as illustrated by the red+white going to the Common, and the tab for the 5th position going to ground. As there is no jumper connecting the 2 halves of the switch, it is operating somewhat independently, serving merely as the grounding side (so you get the North coil of one and the South coil of the other I presume, as the red+white of the bridge pickup is hot in that same position).

It looks to me like position 4 is split bridge only, since that's where the neck pickup is being grounded.

So, you're getting:
Bridge
Bridge + Neck
Neck
Split Bridge
Split Bridge + Split Neck

 

[Mincer]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

I am learning from this thread!

 

[Artie]

Re: How does a standard 5 way switch work on h/h guitar?

To me it looks like that particular diagram is doing

Bridge
Bridge + Neck
Neck
Neck Split + Bridge Split
Bridge Split

Yup. That's exactly what it's doing.