Does anyone know how the mechanism for the Ibanez "Dyna-MIX Alter Switch” works? Would it be possible to do something like this yourself?

[ThisIsHuhWow404]

Sorry, but my knowledge of how electronics in a guitar works doesn’t go much further than "solder this wire here, solder that wire there" and "if the ohms reader beeps when you touch these two pieces of copper tape at the same time that means you did it right."

The Dyna-MIX Alter Switch comes on the Ibanez AZ models. It’s a micro switch that changes how the 5 way blade functions, essentially giving you two different "modes." I’ll attach a diagram from Ibanez’s website that shows how one of the AZ models works.

Would it be possible to do this yourself?

Here’s the guitar that I have conceptualized in my mind I’d be interested in trying this on. As of right now it’s just an idea in my mind and I haven’t acquired any material to make it a reality yet, and doing so is a ways in the future, but I’m interested in any feedback from the fine folk here.

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It’s a Telecaster with a 3-way micro switch that changes how the 3-way pickup selector switch works.

Mode One on the alter switch would be "Normal" with the 3 settings on the pickup selector being:
Neck pickup
Bridge and Neck pickups
Bridge pickup
With the tone knob and volume knob functioning "normally" in all three positions.

Mode Two on the alter switch would be a "Early 50s Broadcaser/Nocaster mode" where the pickup selector is:
Neck with dark circuit
Neck with the tone knob functioning normally
Bridge with the neck pickup controlled by the tone knob acting as a "blend knob"

Mode 3 on the alter switch would be "Esquire Mode" where the pickup selector is:
Bridge with dark circuit
Bridge with volume and tone
Bridge bypassing the volume and tone and just being wide open

I’d also like to maybe have an option for series/parallel switching, probably by a push-pull pot. If I’m feeling really innovative I’d possibly even have a middle Strat pickup for a Nashville Tele Setup, activated by another push pull.

I’m sure a setup like this would require a lot more than just a makeshift Ibanez Dyna-Mix alter switch, and I’m going to need to do a lot more research into things like no load tone pots, capacitors, and other things.

Is this guitar too imaginative to be feasible? I’m sure it would be easier if it was a Tele with much bigger routes and more to work with, like a Tele with LP controls, or something like the Hybrid Tele or Hybrid Strat that Warmoth offers, but I kind of want it to have that normal "Tele" aesthetic with Butterscotch blonde, black pick guard, and blade switch/one tone/one volume control plate.

 

[stratamania]

It is not just the toggle “alter” switch that achieves that wiring, it is used in combination with a super switch type blade switch to achieve the different options.

Try searching for dyna-mix wiring diagrams to get an idea of the type of switches used and study the wiring to get an idea of what is going on. It is entirely possible to adapt those ideas but whether you could do all three modes in your wiring idea is dependent in part on the limitations of the switches. The alter switch on the Ibanez is only two options. Your mode one and two would be relatively easy to do, you would need a three-way superswitch and not a standard tele blade switch. In other words you could do two modes of your choice but not three.

 

[Waraxe]

Alot of cool stuff can be done with a 4 pole super switch.
In either one, you get a common lug plus a lug for each position.

Its super easy to do a dual switching setup on one.

3 separate switching patterns is doable, depending on what you want to do.

Where you'll run into problems is when trying to use a pot as a tone circuit in one scheme, and a blender in another.
Not saying it won't or can't work, just that it'd be very complicated.

IMO:

Wire up a standard 3 way circuit.
Add a dark circuit via a mini toggle, since it comes up in both your alternate schemes.
Add another mini switch for a blower circuit that bypasses volume and tone controls.

Alternatively, you could just wire like a bass and use a blender pot and no switch. This concept, with the above 2 mini switches gets you everything you need and then some.

Mode 1 gains the dark circuit, the blower switch, and the ability to blend.

Mode 2 gains dark circuit on all positions. Tone on all positions if wanted (super switch let's you control this), and keeps the blender.

Mode 3 is not needed, as you get all 3 sounds in Mode 1. You just leave it in bridge only and toggle the mini switches on and off.
Heck, you could also run the dark and the blower circuits at the same time.

3 pots and 2 minitoggles gives you dozens of choices and a super easy scheme.

Im interested to see what you come up with!

My next build isbgoing to be tele pickup based, possibly with a middle pickup on a separate volume pot.

I might toy around with some of this stuff.

Good ideas!!

 

[Rick]

Well ... you can get what the diagram shows thru a freeway switch. But you're looking at how to darken a pickup ... leo could figure out how to do it ... i don't ...

 

[ThisIsHuhWow404]

Yeah, I think it might be easier to just get all of these sounds with a super switch or a Free Way switch.

 

[db82]

TLDR : Sometimes putting in extra work/experimentation to get the sound you want while keeping your controls simple is worth the effort/time.

I have Freeway 5b5-01's in two strats and I'll be putting a 3b3-01 in my current velocity build. I love seeing their products continually come up here.
Freeway is great way to get through and hear a bunch of different sounds, always have those options in a single flick of a switch. What I find though is :
1)I end up only using a few of the positions
2)If those guitars go in the case for a while and then come back into the mix I have to actively think about the extra options of the switch. Same thing goes for the dynamix on my RGT. I'm literally leaving cheat sheets in cases with these things. There's a part of me that wants to translate what I actually use with the Freeway to a single 4 or 5 way super switch to simplify it.