Wiring a 5 way rotary switch in a HSS strat

[Musketter147]

I've got a rotary switch with in an HSS guitar with 1 tone and 1 volume, but cannot figure out how to wire the 5 way rotary as a standard 5 way blade. I can get all 3 pickups on constantly or I can get neck/neck/middle/bridge/bridge, but not neck/neck and middle/middle/middle and bridge/bridge. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Wiring a 5 way rotary switch in a HSS strat

I've got a rotary switch with in an HSS guitar with 1 tone and 1 volume, but cannot figure out how to wire the 5 way rotary as a standard 5 way blade. I can get all 3 pickups on constantly or I can get neck/neck/middle/bridge/bridge, but not neck/neck and middle/middle/middle and bridge/bridge. Any help is greatly appreciated!

There isn't just one kind of 5 way rotary switch. There is a 2 pole kind and a 4 pole kind.

Please post a picture or two of yours so we can figure out what type you have.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Wiring a 5 way rotary switch in a HSS strat

The good news is that as long as you aren't trying to split coils, you can do this with either a 2 or 4 pole 5-way rotary. Check out the terminals shown on the 5-way diagram on the Stewmac page (link: https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/components-and-parts/switches/rotary-switches.html). While that's a 4-pole switch, you only need to use the "back end", which is what a 2 pole 5-way would look like.

Using the color-coded terminal numbers from the "Back End" of the 5-position switch on the page linked above:
Jumper from Blue 0 to Red 0, and connect to the volume pot.
Jumper from Blue 1 to Blue 2, and connect to the bridge "hot."
Jumper from Blue 4 to Blue 5, and connect to neck "hot."
Blue 3 is open.
Jumper from Red 2 to Red 3 to Red 4, and connect to middle "hot."
Red 1 and Red 5 are open.