5-way Super switch & HSS

[Antag]

Hi All,

Just a quick question about the 5-way mega-switch.  My understanding of the mega switch is that you can wire it up for many other combinations than the std 5-way lever (which can only do one set of options, with a choice of splitting the bridge on pos #2).

Does anyone have a list of the different combinations you can achieve with HSS pickup config?

[MrBump]

My 2 Nailbombs in my Charvel are wired with a megaswitch - front only, back only, both together, outercoils together and innercoils together.

Sounds pretty good.  Not tried any other options, but I'm sure there are loads.

Mark.

[Antag]

Not tried any other options, but I'm sure there are loads.

Yeah, that's what I'm really asking about.  I know that the mega switch offers many more options than the standard 5-way (which doesn't offer any really), but there must be some limitations, things it can't do.

For example, I wonder if it could do the following on an HSS guitar:
#1: Bridge hum
#2: Middle
#3: Middle + Neck (Parallel)
#4: Middle + Neck (Series)
#5: Neck

[Philly Q]

Just to clarify, are you talking about the Schaller Megaswitch or the more generic type of double-wafer superswitch/megaswitch?

The Schaller ones have little PCBs and there are four (I think) different models for specific wiring arrangements.

The double-wafer types are the ones which can do loads of different wirings.  They're great, but I can't really understand how they work ( :oops: ) so I've only used them when I could find a wiring diagram for what I actually wanted to do.   I've never been able to find a list or set of diagrams for all the different possibilities, I guess they are virtually endless although there are definitely things that aren't possible.

Phil King seems to understand these things, maybe he'll have some suggestions.

[Philosoful]

I don't know what the megaswitch is but judging from posts maybe it's of interest me saying my 8 I'm having made is going to be a 5 way - 1 = neck, 2 = neck single coil, 3 = all, 4 = bridge single coil, 5 = bridge

[Antag]

I don't know what the megaswitch is but judging from posts maybe it's of interest me saying my 8 I'm having made is going to be a 5 way - 1 = neck, 2 = neck single coil, 3 = all, 4 = bridge single coil, 5 = bridge

Yes, that will be using the 5-way Super Switch - you couldn't achieve it with the standard 5-way lever.

It's well documented, e.g. here & here

[Antag]

OK, I've made a start on a possible wiring diagram:

pic

So far, that will give me
#1 (back): Bridge hum
#2: Middle
#3: Middle + Neck (parallel)
#4: ?
#5: Neck

The $64000 question is how I get Mid + Neck in series in pos #4.

Actually, it doesn't even have to be in that order. What I really want is for #1 (back) to be Bridge Series (humbucker), then #2-#5 in any order:
Mid, Mid + Neck (parallel), Mid + Neck (series), Neck

Any ideas?

[Antag]

OK, I've been doing a bit more thinking about this & this it what I've come up with so far:
pic

So what do I need to do to get Mid + Neck in SERIES in position 5?
Presumably this has something to do with how I ground the singles & involves poles 1 and/or 3?
Presumably I connect the 0 terminals of poles 1 & 3 togehter & then to back of the pot (ground)?

Any ideas?

[Antag]

OK, I might be nearly there:
pic

To get series in pos #5 I need to find a way of connecting Mid negative to Neck positive, without causing a problem for positions 2/3/4

Do I just run a wire from Pole 3/terminal 3 to Pole 2/terminal 3?
But wouldn't that create a loop in position #3?

This is doing my head in! :lol:

[Antag]

Aha!  Might be getting warmer:



I'm off for some dinner & a stiff drink - someone tell me I've got it right please :)

[Philly Q]

This is becoming an entirely self-administered thread!  :lol:

Sorry, wish I could help but those diagrams are like Sanskrit to me.

[Antag]

This is becoming an entirely self-administered thread!  :lol:

:lol: The frustrating thing is that every time I think I've got it, I see something else wrong.

In fact, I think there's a mistake in the last diagram:
The connection from middle negative -> neck positive should go DIRECT from pole#3/2 to pole#2/5, not via pole#3/5
(You don't want to ground the middle negative in position#5)

The only other flaw is that I may have got the series wiring totally arse about face - it needs to be the NECK positive that runs to hot
Then neck negative -> mid positive -> mid negative -> ground.
That'll be a bitch to draw :roll: I'll start on it tomorrow & prune some of the earlier pics from this thread to save space... :)

[Antag]

OK, last pics, promise :)

Here's the correction to the last one, with the wire from Neck positive in position #5 running direct to Mid negative.



& here it is totally rewired to have the Neck positive running to hot & Mid negative grounded in position #5



Anyone spot any flaws?

[MDV]

I have 2 HSS guitars on a megaswitch wired

5: bridge series
4: N & M series
Rest - normal.

And I'm pretty sure theres a megaswitch in my legra (2HB) doing

5: Bridge series
4: Bridge split
3: N&M parallel
4: Neck split
5: Neck series

I know that thats what the options are, I'm not certain its on a 4 pole 5 way. I think it is (its got 2 push pulls for parralel bridge and series out of phase neck as well, and I *Think* you need a 4 pole 5 way for that and I *think* I saw one in the escher-like nightmare of wiring that Bob worked out to achieve this switching when I changed the pickups.