LP 5 Way Switch

Micahbell

Senior Member
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Has anybody put a 5 way switch on a les paul with three pickups? I am thinking about this, but am not sure how it would look.
 
The new Jimmy Page 3-pickup LP has  weird 6 way switch. It's in the normal 3-way spot, and is set up like the gear shift of a car sorta. It's not just linear, you know? No idea how to get one, but cool!
 
Strange...I bet it would take a long time to get used to.
After looking through the Warmoth site I found that there was the picture I was looking for.
control_lp_routing5.jpg

But if anybody has a picture of a finished LP set up like this, please let me know. Right now I am thinking of a LP with three P90s, with strat controls and a Bigsby trem
 
I have it, and it stinks. I like to have my uppertoggle, and the blade works, but I dont like it. I got rid of it, and routed a 3 way toggle on the upperbout.
 
What was it that you didn't like? The reason I want it is because I love the in-between positions of a strat and want to try to recreate that with P90s
 
Yup, stay traditional and use a push-pull to turn on the middle pup. I just don't think it looks right to have a strat switch there, and for some reason it seems like it would be in the way on a LP, don't know why but it just seems wrong.
 
So how does the push/pull work?
If you have pulled the pot, so the middle pickup is on, and the switch is in the middle position would it be all three pickups on, or just the middle pickup?
 
So is it possible to have it wired so when the pot is down, the three way control is bridge/just middle/neck then when the pot is pulled up it is bridge and middle/all three/neck and middle?
 
don't know, i was talking about a normal three way neck/ both / bridge, then adding a push pull to turn on the middle, so you could get
neck middle, bridge middle,  and all three.  i think you might need a three way blade switch to do that, and your trying to avoid that.

you could do any thing with a five way rotary, such as standard strat switching, then add another dpdt switch or push pull to turn on the other coil, (neck or bridge) to get every coil combo. then there's the whole parallel series and out of phase thing.

might wont to ask CB bout that.
 
The short answer is, no it wouldn't be possible in most normal wiring schemes to have a 'just middle' position using an LP 3-way switch and a push-pull. You would wire it so the LP switch works normally, then pulling the pot activates the middle. This gives you six of the seven possible standard combinations, but not the 'just middle' option. Compared to the strat switch, you get the 'all three on' and the 'neck + bridge on' which a standard strat doesn't get. Truthfully, though, is that middle pup by itself really gonna sound that different from the neck pup by itself?
You COULD do all of the above, then wire up a SECOND push-pull which activate the 'middle only' option, if you want to get complicated. You could also tap all three HBs and have separate switches for in / out of phase and another set of switches for series / parallel operation. Then your axe will look like a computer from a 50s sci-fi movie.
 
haha I don't want anything that complicated - I would just be using p90s if I go through with this so coil tapping isn't needed.

What guitars use a rotary switch? The only reason I don't like the idea is because I have never tried one, but if I can find a guitar that is stocked at a local shop that has one I will go try it out.
 
PRS standards and customs. Most people hate them because it's way harder to get to the right position in the middle of a song.
 
I was also wondering the same thing, I was thinking of building a LP with 3 humbucker, but I want to utilize the PUs like a strat would....Hmmmm
 
I have a new wiring, with which you can use a 3 way for 'real' les paul stuff (with humbuckers) and a 5 way for splitted humbuckers at the same time. I'll post it in a few moments.
 
this is the wiring. I hope you can understand it, haha.
 

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i don't know if that's the stupidest diagram i've ever seen or the most brilient, i'd have never thought of it. too many switches for my taste and there are other methods that seem more obvious and more intuitive to use but that is certainly creative and seem effective and versitile. i wouldn't use it but give you props on ingenuity.
 
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