I have the wrong switches. I think.

[Sporky McGuffin]

Hallo - not been here in a while. I trust you are all well.

I am about to go off on a guitar-building course and have been sifting through my various switches. I would like to do the old series/parallel/split thingy with some 3-way slide switches (they look like Jag/JM ones) but I think the ones I have aren't going to do it.

They have two poles, each with a common and two throws. In the middle position nothing is connected; in each outer position each common is connected to its respective outer lug.

I've had a bit of a scratch of my head but can't figure out how to do series/parallel/split with these. Does anyone know if it's possible?

Ta muchly in advance.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

Re: I have the wrong switches. I think.

As I said, the switch has 6 lugs. In the middle position none are connected. In the upper position the centre and upper of each pole are connected, and in the lower the centre and lower of each pole are connected.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: I have the wrong switches. I think.

Sounds like an On/Off/On, which will get you Series/Parallel or Series/Split, but not Series/Split/Parallel.

I'd say use those switches to at least get the guitar up and running if it's a pressing matter, then put in the correct switch at a later date.


Then again, I have a 3-way On/On/On mini-toggle that, according to the manufacturer's spec sheet, shows that in the middle position only the 2 center contacts are on (v-shaped rocker inside the switch that goes:

_|    Up
***
 V   Middle
***
 |_  Down
***

That switch can be wired Series/Split/Parallel, so I'm assuming that with the center not touching anything, the R+W are being grounded, even though neither are actually touching the ground or going to a hot output.


So, if it's On/On/On, you might still get Sr/Sp/Pa

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

Re: I have the wrong switches. I think.

That'd be my suspicion too - ta. I'll have to see if I can find some suitably chunky 3-wat on-on-on slide switches. There are some nice little ones from RS that have 2 poles and 3 throws but I'd like big 'uns.