Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Jul 31, 2022 22:11:27 GMT -5
I’m sorry but I have a brain block when it comes to switch descriptions such as SPST DPDT and such so I need the help of other geezers and or genius folks.
The problem is on an old Cort Double Neck guitar. The wiring is a bit of a nightmare with 1970s active electronics and lots of switching and I have this remote hope that although done in haste by evil people with poor soldering skills, the wires are all going to the right places under the dirt and spider droppings - - I assume that spiders poo.
I need to find the proper description for a special switch so I can search through Mouser and Digikey with some sort of chance of finding what I’m looking for. Imagine a normal pickup selector switch on a cheap Epiphone Les Paul. It has three terminals. I need a switch with six terminals that acts like two of these switches side by side with a common single lever. What would you technically call one of these?
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Post by Tinkerer on Jul 31, 2022 22:49:28 GMT -5
I'm guessing it is a DPDT switch, and from there the configuration is either on/on, or on/off/on, or on/on/on depending on what the switch is controlling.
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mroulier
Wholenote
Chemo'd and Radiated!
Posts: 155
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Post by mroulier on Aug 1, 2022 10:38:46 GMT -5
Single Pole, Single Throw (SPST) One circuit, generally On Off. Single Pole, Double Throw (SPDT) One circuit, 2/3 possible actions. On/On or On/off, Or On/Off/On, best example is a mini pickup switch on/off. One cable goes in from the pickup and comes out the other side to the output jack. Double Pole, Single Throw (DTST) Two circuits, both sides can be active at the same time. On/Off or On/On. Like a Marshall 5W/20W switch. Both sides get power but it re-directs the circuit path. Double Pole, Double Throw (DPDT) Two circuits with three options. On/Off/On or On/On/On. Like a Series/Parallel/coil cut pickup switch. Or a Les Paul toggle. I have a DPDT on my Warmoth Doubleneck wired on/off/on, so I can select the neck I want, or make it silent. Check this StewMac picture for how to translate a 3-way toggle switch versus a 'square' 6 pin toggle. Stew Mac |
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DrKev
Wholenote
It's just a guitar, it's not rocket science.
Posts: 418
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Post by DrKev on Aug 1, 2022 11:44:30 GMT -5
Correction to mroulier's post above...
A DPST switch can only be ON/OFF, not ON/ON.
A DPDT switch can be ON/OFF/ON, or ON/ON/ON, *OR* ON/ON (the middle position on an ON/ON/ON switch is usually is one pole up and one down down). Remember, "throw" refers to the number of contacts which can connect the common pin, NOT the number of switch positions.
Wrnchbndr needs a DPDT switch. Whether he needs ON/OFF/ON, or ON/ON/ON depends on how his circuit requires the switching.
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pdf64
Wholenote
Posts: 556
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Post by pdf64 on Aug 1, 2022 11:47:11 GMT -5
It’s a dual pole dual throw DPDT switch you’re thinking of, but pickup switches are something of an unusual case.
In that there’s a centre position in which all three terminals of each pole are connected together.
That may be described as ‘make before break’ or as having ‘shorting contacts’.
Rather than Mouser etc, you may be better search / asking a luthier supplier, so yes, Stewmac etc.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Aug 1, 2022 12:16:26 GMT -5
To help you understand how the switch works, a "pole" is a connection through the switch that opens or closes a circuit. A "throw" is a switch position. If it's a simple two-position switch, (on-off), it's a single throw. If it has three positions (on-off-on, or on-on-on, etc.), it's a double throw.  |
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Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Aug 1, 2022 14:41:36 GMT -5
I got it figured out. Yes its a DPDT with an On On On but to emulate the way that a 3-position selector switch works, you need to use a jumper wire externally and I’m not sure that every switch that is classified as a DPDT On On On will work. I found an appropriate switch using a data sheet via Mouser but wouldn’t you know that its non-stocked at Mouser and backordered at DigiKey. I put the part# into Google and found it available on Amazon from a supplier in Mexico. Hopefully this’ll work. This Cort double neck has insane Rube Goldberg switching options of 4 independent switches and also has active electronics ala 1970s tech. I’m really trying to keep it original including all of the functions one of which is to enable all 4 humbuckers to work at once. I dunno… I gues you might want a sustained drone from the 12-string to back a different use on the 6-string. Oh, and while your doing that, you can reverse the phase of one pair of humbuckers to the other pair. I firmly believe that it is always possible to provide too many options.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Aug 3, 2022 17:54:06 GMT -5
Sounds like a real spaghetti bowl of a circuit! I updated my diagram above with some hi-tech CGI and special effects:  |
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Post by Pinetree on Aug 4, 2022 14:33:58 GMT -5
Whoa.
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