dumb question about push-pull pots

[ritualhomicide]

Hello,

Could a push-pull volume pot be used to switch between two pickups on a guitar?

for example, a humbucker at the bridge and neck, with a single 500k push-pull volume pot.  no tone pot or anything else.  push = bridge pup, pulled = neck pup.

is this possible?

are there any reasons why it be a bad idea?  (noise, etc.)

thanks!

 

[OzziePete]

Technically the bottom half of the pot is just a switch so yes, if you can rig up the wiring to make it work.

But one pickup would always be on & the other not. Your 'in between' setting would not happen, so both pickups together in parallel for that funky sound couldn't be selected.

You could take a common output from that bottom switch section and run it into the top part of the push-pull (to the pot section) and then use the volume attenuation.

Basically you'd use the same wiring diagram as you'd use for a humbucker coil cut option on a push pull.

 

[ritualhomicide]

But one pickup would always be on & the other not. Your 'in between' setting would not happen, so both pickups together in parallel for that funky sound couldn't be selected.

that's exactly want I'm wanting....either one pup or the other.  I never use in-between settings.

thanks!

 

[Cagey]

Yeah. In-between settings are for sissies and famous people <grin>

 

[Ace Flibble]

It's called George Lynch switching, and there's a diagram for it (using Seymour Duncan wire colour codes) HERE.

I like it, use it on two guitars. I've found the regular middle selection isn't that useful with many pickup combinations, can't say I ever miss it. I either wire pickups out of phase or wire 'em this way.

 

[Strat Avenger]

It's called George Lynch switching, and there's a diagram for it (using Seymour Duncan wire colour codes) HERE.

I like it, use it on two guitars. I've found the regular middle selection isn't that useful with many pickup combinations, can't say I ever miss it. I either wire pickups out of phase or wire 'em this way.

I wish I had done that on my Soloist, as I have discovered that I never use the "in between" position on that guitar.
I could still do it, but then I'll have a 3-way toggle switch on there that isn't doing anything.

 

[Cagey]

Sissy. Or, are you famous? <grin>

As much as I advocate control simplicity, you'd think I'd want to eliminate the dreaded switch. But, it's easier to nail a full-size three-position switch real quick-like than it is to push or pull a pot, and especially so if you'd like that pot to maintain its setting. I wouldn't try it with a mini-toggle, though. Three-position mini-toggles are a bitch to position even when you aren't in a hurry.

 

[Ace Flibble]

If I'm switching from the bridge pickup to the neck pickup on a Les Paul (or my carved Tele, as the case may be) then I'd agree. Moving your hand up briefly to knock the switch all the way up and then back to the strings is much quicker than reaching to a control pot to change pickups. Moving from the neck to the bridge pickup is fractionally less fluid though and if the toggle is below the strings like on an SG, PRS or double cut LP then I find that's no easier to operate than the push-pull would be. Frankly, in either case a push-push pot is faster than either.

If it wasn't for my love of the out of phase middle position then literally all my guitars would have nothing more than a single push-push volume control acting as a pickup selector, then straight to the jack. I saw a Mayones 7-string once that didn't even have that, there was just a 2-way mini toggle to switch between the pickups and that was all. Wouldn't mind building something similar.

 

[Cagey]

Well, at least you've given it some serious thought.

Somebody else, I think it was here, built something where the pickups were wired direct out. Used a volume pedal on the floor to handle that duty and the amp to control tone. Seemed like a good idea, although it sorta means you gotta carry the volume pedal around if you just wanna jam or sit in somewhere. That could be a pain in the shorts.

 

[ritualhomicide]

Yeah. In-between settings are for sissies and famous people <grin>

I neither implied that nor said any such thing.  as someone already stated, the in-between setting doesn't always work for certain pickup combinations.

 

[ritualhomicide]

Sissy. Or, are you famous? <grin>

As much as I advocate control simplicity, you'd think I'd want to eliminate the dreaded switch. But, it's easier to nail a full-size three-position switch real quick-like than it is to push or pull a pot, and especially so if you'd like that pot to maintain its setting. I wouldn't try it with a mini-toggle, though. Three-position mini-toggles are a bitch to position even when you aren't in a hurry.

different strokes.  if I find that not having a pickup switch brings me as much consternation as the very idea does you, than so what?  I'll install a switch.  I like to experiment.  it's just as enjoyable to me as playing.

 

[ritualhomicide]

It's called George Lynch switching, and there's a diagram for it (using Seymour Duncan wire colour codes) HERE.

I like it, use it on two guitars. I've found the regular middle selection isn't that useful with many pickup combinations, can't say I ever miss it. I either wire pickups out of phase or wire 'em this way.

thanks for the link!

 

[Cagey]

Yeah. In-between settings are for sissies and famous people <grin>

I neither implied that nor said any such thing.  as someone already stated, the in-between setting doesn't always work for certain pickup combinations.

I know you didn't. Read it for the ridiculous statement that it is, and smile. While I'm not British, my humor sometimes trends in that direction. That is, extra-dry serio-comic parody and sarcasm.

Sissy. Or, are you famous? <grin>

As much as I advocate control simplicity, you'd think I'd want to eliminate the dreaded switch. But, it's easier to nail a full-size three-position switch real quick-like than it is to push or pull a pot, and especially so if you'd like that pot to maintain its setting. I wouldn't try it with a mini-toggle, though. Three-position mini-toggles are a bitch to position even when you aren't in a hurry.

different strokes.  if I find that not having a pickup switch brings me as much consternation as the very idea does you, than so what?  I'll install a switch.  I like to experiment.  it's just as enjoyable to me as playing.

Well, duh!

There's no need to be defensive. You're not being attacked. This is all about musical instruments. Outside of purely technical issues, it's mostly opinions. Take 'em, leave 'em, make fun of 'em, whatever.

 

[Disco Scottie]

If it wasn't for my love of the out of phase middle position then literally all my guitars would have nothing more than a single push-push volume control acting as a pickup selector, then straight to the jack.

The problem with a push-push is, you have no visual cue as to which pickup is selected. I've got an 80s Ibanez Lukather model with two push-pushes to split the buckers, and I never know what they're set to until I play it. I would only go push-pull for this type of application.

 

[Ace Flibble]

I thought that would be a problem at first too, but I've never actually had a problem with it. It might just be because I'm a little OCD when it comes to keeping knobs exactly in the "right" places - most of my pedals have their controls taped down in fact - but I've always found it to not be any bother to keep track of which pickup a guitar is on, or remember what I left it on last time I used it. It's like playing without looking at the fretboard or trying a new tuning, you get used to it fast enough.

The big, big problem I've run into is just finding a push-push pot that doesn't wear out within a year and also has a nice taper to it. Good push-pulls are a little easier to find but there's a lot to be said for the ease of a push-push.

 

[Firebird211]

I can advocate from personal experience that push-pulls do take a moment longer to use than a pickup selector switch.  It is, however, very quick and easy to smack them back down, so in my designs I make the default setting, the down setting.  What I love about push-pulls are they are very incognito.  I have a guitar with seven extra switches, and only four of them are visible.  On another guitar I have there are no extra visible switches, but the guitar is almost as flexible with three push-pulls,  so rock them switches if you got em. :laughing7: