6-way rotary switch

[Pelagaard]

I'm kicking around and idea for a bass using 3 thunderbird style pickups, and I'm hoping to use a 6-way rotary switch to achieve the following options:

1. Neck
2. Neck + Mid
3. Mid
4. Mid + Bridge
5. Bridge
6. All

Does anyone know if this will work? If so, can you point me in the direction of switch capable of doing this, and how best to wire it up?

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

You needa 3p6t switch.  Make sure it fits cavity depth.  Wire pickups to center wafer wiper.  Wire output to various 6  position wipers.

 

[Rick]

Not a rotary, but gets to the same place ...

https://www.freewayswitch.com/schematics-toggle/

Look at 3 pups, 2 pots, scheme (2)

 

[BigSteve22]

Rotary switch wiring can get real involved, real fast.

Pictured above, is the ElectroSwitch C4 Series switch I used as a mode selector, for 2 SD P-Rails, on my Jazzmaster. Wanted Rails, P-90, Parallel HB, and Series HB options available. I needed a 6 pole, 4 positions, 2 deck switch to get there. (That's 2 decks, with 3 poles on each deck, and 4 positions for each pole, for a total of 30 possible soldering points. And they're all pretty close to each other too!) In the end, it worked out well, but the switching action is a little stiff. A larger knob would make it easier to turn, but its still not something you'd want to have to mess with in the middle of a song.

If your still interested, I've attached the spec sheet for the C4 Series.  Also note, they ain't exactly inexpensive. I bought mine from Allied Electronics, part was like $23, but after shipping, taxes, and a $5 "Handling" fee, it ended up costing $37, and that's here in the States!

It was something I wanted to try, and it worked out well for my purposes. That said, its something I'll probably never use on a build again.

Good luck with your project!
:icon_thumright:

 

[Pelagaard]

Thanks everyone, I'll dig into all of that tomorrow on my day off.

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

In this application, the 3pole-6throw switch will not be a radical wiring job.
All rotary switches have a "center" wafer which is always in contact with a wiper.  The wafer has a nub that will contact the switch position wipers as the wafer is rotated.
Knowing that, here's the plan
Lets call 'em Wafer 1, Wafer 2 and Wafer 3
Wafer 1 is neckWafer 2 is middleWafer 3 is bridge
So, you take the "hot" wire from each of the respective pickups and wire it to the center wiper position on the respective wafers. 

Next, lets make a "map" of the output positions
1. Neck
2. Neck + Mid
3. Mid
4. Mid + Bridge
5. Bridge
6. All
I'd personally take one long section of un-insulated wire, and thread it through the various wipers.  It will thread through wiper 1 and 2 on wafer 1, then wiper 2 and 3 and 4 on wafer 2, and wiper 4 and 5 on wafer 3.... then.... here's the tricky part, it goes through wiper 6 on all three wafers.  If you were using a wire that had some insulation, but with a few inches stripped at one end, you could route the insulated end to your volume and tone controls.
That's pretty much it. 

Word of Caution - I've played with rotary switches a lot.... The 3 pole switches usually will not fit in a standard cavity.  I've modified them to work, as some brands are held together with screws which slide through spacers.  You can take it all apart, carefully... carefully... shorten the spacers, then reassemble it.  It will take up less room.  You'll need to shorten the screws too (dremel off the excess after its all back together).
I use a drill motor, chuck up the spacer, and grind it shorter with a dremel - but - you have to go slow, and check the length with your calipers every so often, as you want each spacer the same length.  How long to make 'em?  Trial and error.  But something like .020 or .025 shorter sounds about right.  You want them long enough so that the contacts on the stack of switch components don't touch each other.  They make those switches to be able to switch a few hundred volts, so the space is needed when they make 'em at the factory.  We're running virtually zero volts, so just the barest amount of space is needed - there's nothing there to arc out.
Its not a tough wiring job, the tough part is making it fit.

 

[Pelagaard]

Wow, that's much simpler than I was expecting... Thanks.