What's the deal with rotary switches?

[JoyDivision24Hours]

How many switching options does a rotary switch offer? Can you get coiltapping or seriel switching from it?

I'm thinking about building this cool little guitar with three Seymour Duncan Lipstick Tubes and a rotary switch. But I'm not sure about the rotary switch.

And how many pickup combinations can I get?

 

[aleclee]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

Depends on the rotary switch. I've seen rotary switches with at few as three and as many as six positions (the PRS ones have five). You can do coil tapping and series/parallel options with the appropriate rotary switch but, like a lot of megaswitches, it's hard to use mini-switches for such funtions without some weird side effects like "dead" positions.

 

[Artie]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

A rotary switch is simply one that operates by turning a knob, rather than toggling a handle. They come in a variety of configurations. Look at these, for example:

Edit: removed picture to save bandwidth. I think everyone saw it.

Available from this website.

As you can see, with this one switch alone, you can get:

1 pole, 12 positions
3 poles, 4 positions
4 poles, 3 positions
2 poles, 6 positions

The variety of switching options you could get on a guitar are limited only by your imagination.

 

[JoyDivision24Hours]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

This is what I want to do with a three-singlecoil guitar:

1. Bridge
2. Middle
3. Neck
4. Bridge+Middle (series)
5. Neck+Middle (series)

And maybe:
6. Bridge+Middle+Neck (series)
7. Bridge+Neck (paralell)

Might just throw in a blender pot to add the middle pickup in paralell to the neck or bridge pickup.

 

[aleclee]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

Is there a particular reason why you want/need a rotary? I dig 'em on my PRS guitars but a lot of folks really dislike 'em.

 

[HolyDirt]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

Is there a particular reason why you want/need a rotary? I dig 'em on my PRS guitars but a lot of folks really dislike 'em.

I am one of those people that hate them... but the only rotary i've tried is the one stock on some PRS guitars... They are versatile, but i just dont need all that stuff.

 

[JoyDivision24Hours]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

Is there a particular reason why you want/need a rotary? I dig 'em on my PRS guitars but a lot of folks really dislike 'em.

I want something less ordinary that has many wiring possibilities.

One day I hope to have my own brand of guitars and I'm already making designs and I want to come up with something that has its own personality.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

A rotary switch is simply one that operates by turning a knob, rather than toggling a handle. They come in a variety of configurations.

Hey Artie, Newark stocks electroswitch (they are the same ones that used to be carried from Waldom made by centra-lab/berschlab (sp?), they might be an offshoot of the company,i don't know about that ...But it's the same switch that was used in the PRS (those were custom made with alterd to five positions and with a split shaft), they are the blue plasitc looking ones (a long chemical name for what they are) the stock model is 2~6 positions adjustable, shorting or non-shorting ... only catch is it comes only with a long solid shaft(hacksaw), doesn't bother me because I like barrel knobs,but someone wanting speed knobs will have a fit. I like those better than the goofy looking rotaries with the contacts on the bottom, plus they take up less space.

 

[Artie]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

I know what you mean. They must be a good switch too, because they are in a lot of military equipment.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: What's the deal with rotary switches?

I know what you mean. They must be a good switch too, because they are in a lot of military equipment.

I think I paid like $47 a piece or so for them, they are cool though as you can adjust the tension of the stops also, and buy them as a frame and add on sections to them, of course the depth of a guitar prevents getting to carried away ... They aren't REAL HAPPY with being resoldered three or four times though, definite time for the 15watt iron instead of the 40watt iron.