Your fav switching option

[subversion]

hi everyone- do share your favourite switching options. some people say it's largely dictated by the type/ number of pickups on board but there is a sizeable number of players who are more inspired by switching options regardless of the former consideration. to some of us, the tonal variation keeps us playing 8)

Poll option:

pickup types represented by
H = humbucker
S = single coil

PS: it would be interesting to know your customized option(s)...

 

[dhalif]

yo brother sub. my fave is H-H coil split.. reason being i mostly utilize only neck and bridge pickups.. so its easier switching 3 way then 5 way.. and also coil plit on each pup sometimes to get strat tones... plus another thing i prefer the switches to be positioned nearer to my picking hand like of a strat's to allow space for quick flicks. cheers \m/

 

[ShredCow]

Customised Switching.

I would only go for 2 switching options, HSS or HH. Maybe, H-S.

If HH, then a 3 way and the 3 way will be a 3-way toggle like the Gibson Les Paul type. No blade switches.
2 x 3-way mini toggles for series/parallel/coil split options. 1 x 2-way option for out-of-phase switching when pup selector is in middle position.
That covers too much sonic ground - better to have than don't have because I am a 1 guitar person.

If HSS, just the a-typical 5-way switching can be done but I'll opt for a varitone instead of a regular tone switch - so many many many more options available that way.

 

[deathism]

wah shred..all those tonal options..


i wonder..is it really audible? i mean the difference in tone..

 

[ShredCow]

Yeap. Obvious differences.

Even between parallel & split coil.

I mean. One hums and the other doesn't. 8O



Okay, seriously, there is a tonal difference. Split has more bite/snap to it compared to parallel (when played with moderate gain), parallel can sound like a tighter humbucker under high gain. Cleans, pretty obvious lah.

The phase switch is also a very obvious thing.

Thru out my experimenting with pickup selection / switching, what doesnt'really make much difference... is selecting different coils of a humbucker, IF the humbucker has been wound with similiar coils. e.g. Evos. If its a pup with mis-matched coils (or whatever the term) then yes, the difference is there. e.g. Tonezone, one side is brighter, more spanky, another side has less output and a very compressed, warm tone.

 

[leecs]

HH 3 way + coil split & high pass filter for me!!

 

[mellapong]

HH 3 way, coil split.

 

[DjThugs]

o...mine goes under custom i guess...HHH 3 way...

 

[loldude333]

Mine also goes under custom. H-H, 5 way, Ibanez style. Go look at the RGT42DX switching style. That one.

 

[Taylorboy87]

SSS! 5 way.

 

[HarrisonYeo]

H-S-H 5 way

 

[subversion]

lately i'm into the HH 3way + coil split option, as per dhalif's applications- i have no use for a single coil when there are humbuckers in the mix. the coil split option is for days when i am lazy to switch to an SSS guitar during play...

 

[JonEthan]

I like H-H switching coz I don't really use the mid pickup.

Something quite intriguing to me though is H-H with Piezo bridge

 

[Everdying]

i got 5 guitars with H-H, and 1 with H-S.

 

[crozzfire]

custom, H-S, 3 way switching.

 

[subversion]

ibanez's HH 5-way isn't quite custom... 8) i've replaced to a HH 3-way + coil split recently.

 

[ShredCow]

Actually, Sub, the Ibanez 5-way for H-H is sort of custom... Ibanez uses their own specially made switches so you don't need a 24-lug megaswitch to accomplish their H-H 5-way switching.

 

[subversion]

yes- i found that out. that switch is for keeps 8) but for the fact that it's available off the shelf, it's not quite custom to me...

 

[ShredCow]

No man... the switch isn't available just off the shelf.

There are 2 types of 5-way switches... one that has Core-Tex stamped on it. The other one is white in colour and that can be purchased as a japanese import 24-lug super switch - hard to find though.

The Core-Tex one can be found everywhere but it is NOT the same as the Ibanez switches. You cant' wire them up for H-H 5-way switching.

Apparently Ibanez has a different type of Core-Tex 5-way switches made for them.


Additional Info
Worst of all. Those switches are fragile and not very sturdy. You can easily damage them while soldering - need to use heat sinks...

 

[keithC]

hmm, i thought i'd like a S-H-S, but i tried a HH split coil before too. it sounds superbly clean even with no single coil pups... so i guess its good? besides i'm a humbucker guy too, prefer more solid, smooth sound, not so twangy.

currently, mine's a 5-way HH config, just wanna ask, lets say i have a stock HH guitar eg les paul, how and where can i go to upgrade such that i can split my bridge/neck pickup?

and... can absolutely EVERY humbucker be split to produce strat-like sounds?
greatly appreciate help here, thanks..