Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

L

LEOVAN83

New member
Hi guys!

Question. I currently have a guitar with a master volume and a 3 way toggle. It's my live guitar and I want to make it as simple as possible. I would normally go for a switch, but, since I want to keep it looking the way it does (knob, switch), I think the best solution will be a push-pull pot. Here's what I wanna do.

I want to completely bypass the volume section of the push-pull pot, basically just using the switching part, again, because I want to keep it looking like it is. Is there a way to directly connect both humbuckers into the push-pull part of the pot without using the volume, so it's always 100% on for the pickups when I push the pot, or 100% off when I pull the pot. On and off basically, I dont care if the knob rotates even better if I could find a way of "blocking" the rotation?

Anyway guys, I just bought my push-pull pot today, it'd be awesome if you could help me out with a diagram. Here's what I got again:

2 humbuckers (2 conductors)
Master Volume (TO BE REPLACED BY PUSH PULL - ONLY THE SWITCH PART OF IT)
3 way toggle switch.

Oh, the push pull pot I got is a DiMarzio EP1201 500k (the 500k doesn't matter as I dont need the volume pot).

Thanks SO much!
 
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Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

red goes to output jack.. blue goes to pickup/switch/etc


would of had it up here sooner but had to make changes as i wire my stuff "backwards" as a personal preference ...this should work fine

 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

Hi Brandenburg!

I'm confused, on the diagram you've posted, there are wires still going to the volume pot lugs. I just need the DPDT part, I guess, or do they "have" to be connected? Now, if they do, the pot I got is a 500k one, but my pups are EMG's so their pots are 25k, that's why I didn't wanna use the pots at all.

Finally, I also got a mini toggle DPDT ON/ON/ON for the same purpose (except I like the look of a knob better now that I have it here). How should I wire the pickups into this mini toggle so the down position is "ON" and the other 2 positions (middle, up) are OFF?

Thanks!!
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

LEOVAN83 said:
Hi Brandenburg!

I'm confused, on the diagram you've posted, there are wires still going to the volume pot lugs. I just need the DPDT part, I guess, or do they "have" to be connected? Now, if they do, the pot I got is a 500k one, but my pups are EMG's so their pots are 25k, that's why I didn't wanna use the pots at all.

Finally, I also got a mini toggle DPDT ON/ON/ON for the same purpose (except I like the look of a knob better now that I have it here). How should I wire the pickups into this mini toggle so the down position is "ON" and the other 2 positions (middle, up) are OFF?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...

if you want it to bypass the volume pot.. still going to need to go to the pot when the switch is not engaged(i.e. PUSH) if not.. why even have a volume pot and just wire it directly to the output jack.. My way is a tad different than most as I have my volume pot to be by default "bypasses" and pulling it returns control to the pot.. i also have a kill switch.. so i just flip a switch and play.. I only really use the volume when doing clean expressive blues stuff

they make push/pull pots in 25k btw
https://www.allparts.com/EP-0225-000-25K-PushPull-Pot_p_1292.html

confused on the last question.. why not get the right switch.. serious OCD of mine.. a position not used would drive me crazy.. also confused at what you want to achieve from that switch.. a on/off for all pickups at once.. i.e. a kill switch or an individual pickup?
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

What I want to achieve is to eliminate the master volume and just turn the whole guitar ON or OFF with either a DPDT toggle or a push-pull pot (I was hoping for the pot since I want the guitar to look the way it does. This is my live guitar and I never use the volume for other than rolling it real fast and get the guitar "on", so I want to have a switch or push pull. I just want to have the simple guitar where I flick or press something and the thing fires up.

The guitar has a 3 way toggle switch which I do need to select the pickup I wanna be using, the kill "click" will affect the whole guitar though.
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

kill switch is the easiest switch to wire.. whether its a dedicated DPDT or a push/pull pot.. same principle


I just had a thought..... I think i know what you want.. a DPDT pot that all it does it BYPASS the pot and kills the volume..

well thats easy.. if thats what you want.. ask and you shall receive.. i can take my 1st drawing and make a few changes.. like this
red is your input.. i.e. a switch or pot.. blue is output and goes to the jack.. black is ground..
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

Right! I wanted a switch at first, but after looking at some photoshop I did, I like the kob/3 way toggle/knob configuration. So, again, at first I just wanted to eliminate the use of the volume pot at all, just use the push pull (DPDT) part of the pot to turn the guitar on or off, like a kill switch so I can just mute the thing by pulling the knob up when I wanna cut the signal completely, specially live - plus, I rarely roll the volume down live, and rolling it up could be easily replaced by just pushing down on the knob and the guitar is "on".

Giving it some thought, I can have both things with the same push-pull pot - if I get bored of not having the volume pot connected, I could easily just move some wires around and that's it, I think it's way better than a toggle switch.

I have EMG's, so I'm guessing I'm gonna need 25k pots for this, allparts have the 25k push pulls so I will be ordering one of those - since I do want the volume to be used at some point, if I need to with a simple re-wiring. I'm assuming the connections will be all the same on both active or passive, as long as I use 25k for the actives, right?
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

LEOVAN83 said:
Right! I wanted a switch at first, but after looking at some photoshop I did, I like the kob/3 way toggle/knob configuration. So, again, at first I just wanted to eliminate the use of the volume pot at all, just use the push pull (DPDT) part of the pot to turn the guitar on or off, like a kill switch so I can just mute the thing by pulling the knob up when I wanna cut the signal completely, specially live - plus, I rarely roll the volume down live, and rolling it up could be easily replaced by just pushing down on the knob and the guitar is "on".

Giving it some thought, I can have both things with the same push-pull pot - if I get bored of not having the volume pot connected, I could easily just move some wires around and that's it, I think it's way better than a toggle switch.

I have EMG's, so I'm guessing I'm gonna need 25k pots for this, allparts have the 25k push pulls so I will be ordering one of those - since I do want the volume to be used at some point, if I need to with a simple re-wiring. I'm assuming the connections will be all the same on both active or passive, as long as I use 25k for the actives, right?
Click to expand...

yep.. only thing you need are 25k pots.. the electronic connections will be the same
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

Brandenburg said:
yep.. only thing you need are 25k pots.. the electronic connections will be the same
Click to expand...


Hi Brandenburg! Sorry to ask again, I finally got my 25k push/pull pot and I'm about to finally do the wiring!

Ok, so here's what I have: I have a hot and a ground wire coming from my pickups/selector (from both humbuckers) that need to go into the p/p. Then, this will be connected to the ouput.

Could you please post the diagram so I don't carp the pickups? lol! lets say red is hot and black is ground (from the pickups/selector) and lets say blue is hot and Green is ground (from the push pull into the output Jack...

Remember I do wanna use the volumen control this time, so it will have a working volumen pot and the pull will kill all, the push will turn it on.

Could you be so kind and do that for me? Thank you so much!
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

You guys are making this way too complicated. Just do this:

kill_switch.jpg

This is independent of any other wiring.
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

Because I wanted to make the point that the kill switch is independent of everything else. Wire up the pot as you normally would. Volume or tone. Doesn't matter.
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

ArtieToo said:
Because I wanted to make the point that the kill switch is independent of everything else. Wire up the pot as you normally would. Volume or tone. Doesn't matter.
Click to expand...

I appreciate your help, but I actually need one of those diagrams Brandeburg kindly does, I got the guitar ready to be wired but I just wanna be sure so I don't solder and solder pointlessly.

Thanks!!
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

Brandenburg said:
i just moved and was pretty tired yesterday.. ill have it to you today if possible.. sry for the delay
Click to expand...

Thank you so much! keep in mind I'm starting so it'd be great to know the ground and hot from the pickups on the diagram, as well as the same towards the jack, youre good with colors! hehe
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

ArtieToo said:
You guys are making this way too complicated. Just do this:

View attachment 68977

This is independent of any other wiring.
Click to expand...

not convinced this will work as advertised.. you still will get a signal even if the switch is engaged because the kill IS independent of the pot.. UNLESS you can prove to me otherwise, ill believe that your idea will not work.. basically, per your drawing.. if engaged, the circuit does a loop and doesnt do anything.. basically a kill switch BUT the pot is still connected to the output.. SO you will still get a signal, no matter if the switch is engaged or not.. THIS is why the kill switch cannot be independent from the master volume.. Surely im not the only one that can see this or think this through logically..

edit>>
basically after looking at my drawing.. it will not work as advertised either.. let me rething this

edit 2>> ******t i second guessed myself.. yes i think mine will work.. i really hate coming back to a problem after several days.. like im hooked on stupid here..

this should work.. not sure about your color requirements as mine meet those requirements i think.. ground is ground and can be connected to any ground
 
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Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

As Artie said, shorting the tip (lead/hot) to the sleeve/shield will definitely kill the signal — I've done this many times myself.
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

Matt_Herman said:
As Artie said, shorting the tip (lead/hot) to the sleeve/shield will definitely kill the signal — I've done this many times myself.
Click to expand...

thats not the issue here. BUT you will still get a signal if the pot was wired normally.. ya gotta think this through.. AND this is not his only requirement as he want a total bypass ..he just wants to use the push/pull as a kill without using the volume pot at all.. most use a simple toggle but he wants a pot DPDT

if you kill the signal as artie did.. how will the guitar get a signal at all? the signal does a loop ant thats it.. basically nothing..
 
Re: Push-pull as a kill switch help needed!

I may have misunderstood the OP's request, however if the intention is to kill the signal (as in 'off') then shorting would work.

However if the request is for a 'blower' switch, then yes, that's something different.
 
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