Mini Toggle switches

barnsleyboy

A quick starter for 10 on the subject of toggle switches. I want to install a coil select switch for a humbucker (centre position humbucker, up one coil, down the other coil. I know that I need an on-off-on switch to do this. I have a DPDT on-on-on switch knocking about. Is it possible via the magic of using jumpers to use both sides of the switch to achieve what an on-off-on switch would do? I've been trying to work it out but it's making my head hurt!

Roland

You simply need to connect the middle point of the humbucker to ground (Earth), or to live. As you say, an on/off/on switch will do that. You can use one half of the DPDT switch. Centre to the mid point of the humbucker, the up to earth and down to live (or vice versa)

barnsleyboy

So it has to be an on-off-on? I can't do any jiggery-pokery to get my on-on-on switch to do the same thing?

ICBM

You can wire an on-on-on to do that, yes.

First you need to determine which orientation the switch has in the middle position. It will be one of these -



For what you want, connect the pickup coil junction to both terminals in the middle row. Connect the pickup hot and ground to the two terminals that are *not* active in the middle switch position, ie top right and bottom left for Type 1.

(Type 1 is the most common by far in my experience.)

barnsleyboy

Once again @ICBM your awesomeness and knowledge saves the day! I've been pondering about this for a while, but now you've pointed it out it's bleedin' obvious! Thank-you, big respect.