There is no multipole three way lever switch available. What pickup combinations are you trying to get?

Hi Alan please see the PM I sent you

Why not make use of coil taps. The Ibanez SV series has some cool options...


Or you could have it any way you want. Basically the push pull pot doubles your switching options on a standard 5 or 3 way switch.

Hey Donovan! how are you?
yeah a configuration like that was what I was aiming for when I started this Oneill build, actually ?

however, as you might have noticed in the shop (or not. it depends on my mood ? ) I change pickups a hell of alot mid-solo, and a five way is too much switch to flip all the time on-the-fly. Also going from positions 5 to 2, for example, is quite a finnicky business and requires deliberate stopping-of-picking to make sure its in the right spot, compared to a three way which, after a flick or a sharp pull of the pinky, has gone from neck to bridge unnoticeably to the audience ? and then the secondary switch kind of acts as a three-way coil tap, changing what configurations the main three way makes... its achievable with two on-on-on dimarzio four pole switches, but I cant believe NO ONE makes the same thing in blade-type?? the Morse-model Music man has one!?!? GRRRR!!!!

Sorry for the delay - not been here much lately - sick as a dog with flu.

I'll take a look and reply here soon. Rather keep it on forum as it might benefit someone else down the line.

Sebastian wrote: I change pickups a hell of alot mid-solo,

There's your problem right there.

Why would you want to do that?

I think that using a 5-way quickly is just a case of getting used to it - it's something else you have to learn, just like playing the notes. Watch Jeff Beck play - he's constantly manipulating switches, volume and tones while he's plaing (as well as some damn nifty simultaneous trem manipulation). Some of the clips posted for Vai yesterday also show some pretty fast and accurate switching. Also, most of the time, your solo tones are going to be the single pickup sounds (they cut through better than the 'tweens), which are the easiest to get on the fly.

Anyway, from your PM:

basically what I want is a master 3 way tele type and a secondary 3 way les-paul type, both to be used in a single H-S-H format. the tele is the main switch and will loosely follow a typical vintage strat layout of :
position 1: bridge
Position 2: neck (I swap between neck and bridge alot, so want the two next to each other)
position 3: middle

basically what the les paul switch will do will be to change the overall configuration into one of tele, strat or gibson type combinations.
so for example:

les paul switch in position 1: full humbuckers
In position 2: single coils
In Position 3: strat-type out of phase single coils

so for example (hoping i havent lost you or your interest so far ?)

les paul and tele switches in positions 1= bridge humbucker
both in position 2= middle single coil alone.
les paul position 3 and tele in position 1= typical strat position 2

I know its odd and all, but its what i think would suit me ahead of a typical 5 way, which isn't suited for on-the-fly pickup changes mid-solo between strat positions 2 and 4 for example. there's too much careful placement of switches!! I do alot of pickup changing and don't want to have to work a 5 way all the time but want all the options available. I believe what I need is two on/on/on three-way switches, but I want the blade type for the main switch as opposed to two gibson types (just because i'm fussy ?)

OK. I don't see you getting this. As discussed there are no multipole three way lever switches, you would have to use either a Superswitch (5-way) or a couple of three way rotaries (which I hate using). Getting someone to make a specialised switch would cost a fortune (as in tens of thousands).

What I would recommend to get maximum flexibility while still being usable is learn to use a 5-way, then set up a Superswitch with a Strat type layout, but replacing position three (middle pickup alone) with bridge and neck. Then use a simple two way toggle or push-pull pot to cut the humbuckers to single-coils. This gives you your typical Strat type or Ibanez type layouts, but position three gives you your Les Paul type middle in humbucker mode and a Tele-like bridge + neck together in single-coil mode (Gareth Travis calls this sound "gonk", which I think is an accurate discription ?).

An optional variation is to use a three way mini toggle to give you inside coils/humbucker/outside coils, which is a bit trickier to use, but still doable - I have two of these switches on my Sanox (one for each humbucker) and I have learned to be very accurate at getting them set where I want. It's all just a case of careful positioning and practice at using them.

BTW - I'm presuming that when you say "strat-type out of phase single coils", you mean the usual "quack" or "cluck" sound from using more than one pickup together rather than proper phase switching.

Donovan Banks wrote:

Sebastian wrote: I change pickups a hell of alot mid-solo,

There's your problem right there.

Why would you want to do that?

Well I cant really say WHY I want to do it, its just how my ears perceive the range of the guitar and what I just do without realising it. (for example, how the further up the neck you go, the more body you lose and so make up for it by switching to the neck pickup and vice versa...) as well as the fact you change your approach to the instrument depending on what sound it puts out. I play COMPLETELY differently when using single-coil guitars (sadly I'm a SRV-clone on a strat and can't break that...) compared to my usual humbuckers where I tend to think in a more linear, controlled fashion. All that kind of stuff helps me in my attempt to keep some sort of interesting phrasing going ?

Yes Alan, apologies I am referring to the typical strat "quack". (I'm not a fender person and know next to NOTHING about them!!) I assumed because the middle pickup is usually reverse-wound it would cause phase-cancelling. But yes, an article on Brian May's Red Special I read ages ago just sprung to mind, and I am wrong ? Funny you mention Beck, I've JUST been watching his latest "Live at Ronnie Scott's" DVD and attempting to mimmick his trem-work with a hardtail guitar ? Another massive manipulator-of-guitars is Gary Moore.

I'm also a hater of the rotary switches, they're totally impractical...

Thanks for that, its given me quite alot to think over and I'll let you know what the final result will be!

you might want to have a look at the FreeWay switch - StewMac no 0040. Dunno if it will do what you want though.

Imho too many options. Not worth it. I am working on a 5 way switch that gives the 5 usual fender tones in hum cancelling / parallel (hsh with a single coil hum in the middle), and then with a flip of a switch, the 3 humbucker tones and the middle in series instead of parallel. One position is doubled, the neck and humbucker.

I've been as efficient as possible but am still using a 24 pole 5 way superswitch as well as a 9 pole 3pdt.

I doubt you'll be able to get what you're looking for with just those switches, look at a super switch, a toggle switch for coil splitting and a toggle switch for phase.