What's up guys, I'm new here and have a question about an Ibanez switch I'm getting for a blackout install in a newer RG7420. I am replacing the cor-tek original 5 way blade with a cor-tek 3 way and I noticed in some photos and wiring diagrams there are some metal jumpers connecting 2nd-3rd and 4th-5th and 6th-7th on the tabs on the switch and in some (such as the stock photo) there are no metal jumpers. Am I going to have to put some metal wire jumpers on there if there are not any? And what do they do? If it is already a 3 way, why would jumpers need to be installed yourself to make it work? Thanks to anyone with input in advance, I am enclosing a diagram of what I am doing and the switch in the diagram has the jumpers like I am talking about.
Ibanez switch question
- Thread starter Thrasher7
- Start date
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: Ibanez switch question
The 2 center tabs that run to the controls are the Commons (used here as Outputs). Blade switches almost always have two sides that mirror each other. In this case, there are 2 tabs for the bridge side, and 2 for the neck side, and each side has its own common/output. There are also two on the outer ends (one on each side) that are not being used, which I find curious.
The pickups connect to their respective bridge/neck position on the switch, but also have to jump to the "and" positions on each side of the switch, so they meet in the middle position, and only in the middle position. This is why you see them jumped to the neighboring terminals.
Typically, Strat-style 5-way blade switches have automatic bridges between positions 1 and 3 (2) and 3 and 5 (4), but with 3-way blade switches, they can come in either fashion - auto-bridging in the middle like a Gibson-style 3-way toggle, or where the middle position has to be wired manually. It appears this switch will have to be wired manually for the center position, so that's why you have to jump the pickup leads to the neighboring terminals, and link both Commons.
However, if your guitar has separate volumes for each pickup, you would not link the Commons, but rather run each one to the respective volume pot.
The 2 center tabs that run to the controls are the Commons (used here as Outputs). Blade switches almost always have two sides that mirror each other. In this case, there are 2 tabs for the bridge side, and 2 for the neck side, and each side has its own common/output. There are also two on the outer ends (one on each side) that are not being used, which I find curious.
The pickups connect to their respective bridge/neck position on the switch, but also have to jump to the "and" positions on each side of the switch, so they meet in the middle position, and only in the middle position. This is why you see them jumped to the neighboring terminals.
Typically, Strat-style 5-way blade switches have automatic bridges between positions 1 and 3 (2) and 3 and 5 (4), but with 3-way blade switches, they can come in either fashion - auto-bridging in the middle like a Gibson-style 3-way toggle, or where the middle position has to be wired manually. It appears this switch will have to be wired manually for the center position, so that's why you have to jump the pickup leads to the neighboring terminals, and link both Commons.
However, if your guitar has separate volumes for each pickup, you would not link the Commons, but rather run each one to the respective volume pot.
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