Pickup selector switch options

Bob_Gnarly

Does anyone have any innovative suggestions for an alternative to the traditional 3-way switch?
I have a Jaden Rose Drop Top and have had the switch moved at the expense of my tone control as when I first got the guitar I kept hitting the switch whilst getting over excited at gigs http://www.jadenroseguitars.com/blogs/21

I'm wondering if there is a low profile option, maybe even a rotory pot that anyone has come across?

ICBM

Is that really the original switch location?! Bonkers.

Why not swap the volume and the switch? Having the switch a long way back actually doesn’t make it much harder to hit on purpose, but does stop you doing it accidentally.

Best of all is the Hamer/PRS position behind the bridge, but that would need an extra cavity routing.

PRS also use a rotary switch on some models, but having owned a couple of them I would highly *not* recommend it on a gigging guitar.

Roland

If you change pickup between songs, and not during them, then a rotary switch works. Trying to grip it, and turn the required number of steps, in the gap between two notes is a recipe for failure.

Funkfingers

Roland said:

If you change pickup between songs, and not during them, then a rotary switch works. Trying to grip it, and turn the required number of steps, in the gap between two notes is a recipe for failure.

... and audible clicking noises.

IMO, the best alternative to knocking the switch toggle is to exercise some self-control. Calm yo' (finger) tips.

Bob_Gnarly

Thanks for the comments guys. I appreciate the rotary switch isn't the best option. 
My ideal would be a switch like the attached diagram (excuse the crude PowerPoint sketch)
Alternatively an adaptation of strumming style is the only other option 

[img]https://www.flickr.com/photos/59527120@N04/44277271581/sizes/m/ [/img]

ICBM

Bob_Gnarly said:

My ideal would be a switch like the attached diagram (excuse the crude PowerPoint sketch)

You can get those, but as far as I know not in DPDT 'staggered throw' which is what you need for a standard pickup selector with the pickups in parallel in the middle position. An SPDT centre-off will work but only if the pickups are in series in the middle position.

Also bear in mind it would need a fairly irreversible oversize cut-out in the body, even if you went for a round-format one like this...

https://cpc.farnell.com/unbranded/abrr003/switch-rocker-centre-off-black/dp/SW02926?mckv=sZIH9ErmR_dc|pcrid|224682624125|kword||match||plid||slid||product|SW02926|pgrid|49734256791|ptaid|pla-371789919038|&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-SHOPPING&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn4ncBRCaARIsAFD5-gVM2wYFRk5oZrDpXWF5IkARD_-BQDsDNuBRDOzLeIG-qrXoixjBGQMaArm6EALw_wcB

steamabacus

Have you tried simply rotating the switch so that it operates forward-back rather than up-down? That may be enough to help stop accidental switching. I did this on the (completely differently placed) toggle switch on my Ibanez Artist many years ago.

Bob_Gnarly

ICBM: Yeah, that kind of thing but in DPDT was what I was looking for but having to increase the size of the hole would make me think twice.

Steamabacus: I tried that but it is so close that I was hitting it in any configuration. 

ICBM: Your other suggestion has got me thinking A knob with the right shape might work there and be good for volume swells 

Roland

Funkfingers said:

Roland said:

If you change pickup between songs, and not during them, then a rotary switch works. Trying to grip it, and turn the required number of steps, in the gap between two notes is a recipe for failure.

... and audible clicking noises.

IMO, the best alternative to knocking the switch toggle is to exercise some self-control. Calm yo' (finger) tips.

You can get make-before-break and break-before-make switches

ICBM

Roland said:

Funkfingers said:

Roland said:

If you change pickup between songs, and not during them, then a rotary switch works. Trying to grip it, and turn the required number of steps, in the gap between two notes is a recipe for failure.

... and audible clicking noises.

You can get make-before-break and break-before-make switches

The problem with the PRS rotary is not just that it's break-before-make, it's that each movement either goes from a series coil setting to parallel or vice versa - this produces a halving or doubling of the signal voltage as well as a four-fold shift in pickup inductance, so if there is any signal sounding at the time (which obviously there is likely to be unless you mute the strings when switching) it will produce an audible pop as the signal is suddenly switched in strength.

You even get this occasionally with a standard parallel selector switch, but it's not as noticeable because the signal level change is much smaller.