4-way switch

[Pelagaard]

Finally getting ready to do the wiring for my Jazzcaster, but I can't find a diagram for a 4-way switch that switches the way I want.  The standard setup doesn't make sense to me with regards to order.  I want to have the individual pickups on either end of the switch, with the two combined settings in the middle positions.  Is it possible to modify this diagram to work, or is there a mechanical reason switch needs to be wired this way? 

This is what I want for a final layout:

1. Neck
2. Parallel
3. Series
4. Bridge

Also, does the neck pickup need to be grounded to the switch (I'll be using a Jazzmaster pickup, not a tele pickup)?

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Here's a diagram I did showing switch wiring for the series option in any of the 4 positions. Sounds like you'd want the third one. Sorry for the large picture but it gets a little hard to read if you shrink it down. I've also attached it as a PDF.

 

[Pelagaard]

Either 2 or 3 looks good.  If I swap the two hots, will that swap positions 1 and 2 without messing up positions 2 and 3?

 

[Verne Bunsen]

It's not quite that straight forward as the other side of the switch, the one controlling the neck pickup ground, is coordinated with the way things are configured on the "hot" side. The jumpers have to shuffle a bit.

 

[Pelagaard]

I suppose I can always mount it "backwards" to get 1 and 4 where I want them.

 

[Fat Pete]

I suppose I can always mount it "backwards" to get 1 and 4 where I want them.

You could, but is there just be a terminology issue - which physical position are you referring to as '1'? The standard appears to be that the usual bridge position is referred to as 1.

 

[Pelagaard]

All diagrams I've found call the position closest to the neck as 1, and for some reason that's the bridge pickup.  I want 1 to be the neck pickup, and 4 to be the bridge.  I'm indifferent to whether series or parallel are 2 or 3.

 

[Fat Pete]

All diagrams I've found call the position closest to the neck as 1, and for some reason that's the bridge pickup.  I want 1 to be the neck pickup, and 4 to be the bridge.  I'm indifferent to whether series or parallel are 2 or 3.

That's the way that makes sense to me, but it is sometimes labelled the other way around. Fender themselves appear to call bridge position '1'.

Anyway, it looks to me like the third diagram in Verne's pdf is exactly what you're after - just rotate if necessary.

 

[amigarobbo]

All diagrams I've found call the position closest to the neck as 1, and for some reason that's the bridge pickup.  I want 1 to be the neck pickup, and 4 to be the bridge.  I'm indifferent to whether series or parallel are 2 or 3.

I'd go for the warmer serial nearer the neck pickup than the bridge. i.e. switch to the <- warm to the -> bright.

But that's just me.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

All diagrams I've found call the position closest to the neck as 1, and for some reason that's the bridge pickup.  I want 1 to be the neck pickup, and 4 to be the bridge.  I'm indifferent to whether series or parallel are 2 or 3.

Yeah, like everything else there's no "official" standard for the position numbering conventions that I'm aware of, but as shown, looking at the switch from the bottom and with the neck to the left of the image and with the volume and tone pots to the right, the standard positions will be in the "intuitive" order with bridge pickup toward the rear and neck pickup forward and the series option wherever you choose.

I'll attach the full diagram here which will provide a bit of context for the switch orientation. You'll notice the diagram shows a linear volume pot and Gibson 50s style tone circuit. It's how I do it, and I'd recommend it if you were asking me, but it's not a requirement by any stretch. The standard configuration will work fine for you if it's what you prefer, I just don't happen to have a diagram handy that shows it that way. Hope this helps!

 

[Pelagaard]

Now that I'm really picturing what's mechanically happening with the switch and the contacts, I think your option 2 is what I'll be going with.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

That one and the first one are definitely the ones I've found to be the most functional.