Push push pot question

paulnb57

Next project will feature two pickups, and a single volume, can I use a push push pot to individually select each pickup?
So I would have Volume and bridge OR volume and neck?

Is that doable?

FatPete

Yes it is.

Pickup hots to the outer lugs of one half of the switch, output from the middle lug of the same to the volume. Make sure everything's earthed and Bob's your uncle.

Funkfingers

If in doubt, do an Internet search for ESP George Lynch Wiring Diagram.

Things could become tricky/messy if your humbucker has single conductor + braided shielding output cable.

The braid would need soldering to the pot chassis. It could go to the ground lug at the end of the DPDT section of the pot but it is preferable to keep the braid well away from the switch terminals to avoid shorting out.

paulnb57

Thanks guys, we are on!

Funkfingers

I strongly advise you not to skimp on the quality of your push-pull pot.

ICBM often recommends that both poles of the DPDT on/on switch be linked in the interests of greater reliability.

If we label the terminals used in the Warman diagram as A1, A2 and A3, you would need to cross link terminal A1 to B1, A2 to B2 and A3 to B3. 

paulnb57

Funkfingers said:

I strongly advise you not to skimp on the quality of your push-pull pot.

ICBM often recommends that both poles of the DPDT on/on switch be linked in the interests of greater reliability.

If we label the terminals used in the Warman diagram as A1, A2 and A3, you would need to cross link terminal A1 to B1, A2 to B2 and A3 to B3. 

Great advice, which I shall follow

ICBM

Beat me to it . Yes, unless you need the other side of the switch for another function it’s always better to parallel both sides - it helps improve reliability and can sometimes reduce switching noise.

paulnb57

ICBM said:

Beat me to it . Yes, unless you need the other side of the switch for another function it’s always better to parallel both sides - it helps improve reliability and can sometimes reduce switching noise.

Wisdom!

Care to recommend a good quality push push?

Sporky

And if you're going push-push it's even more important to buy good ones. They're complicated-er than push-pulls. I think they're nicer to use though. 

BillDL

The only downside of push-push compared with push-pull is that in the down position the knob needs to be raised more from the guitar top to get the clearance needed for the initial push to release it for the up position, and obviously again when it's pushed to lock into the down position.  While in the up position they will also sit higher.  Although the shafts of push-push pots I've bought have always been long enough for them to work for me when mounted in a hole through the wood of the body, you would have to bear the thickness of the wood at the hole in mind to ensure you have the clearance for the knob to sit higher, and if the body is thick at the hole even a star washer might add enough thickness to make a difference to how close to the end of the shaft the grub screw of tele type knobs is screwed in against, or whether a push-on knob can be pushed on fully.  The reverse is true when mounted through a pickguard if you can't get a short shaft push-push pot, i.e. you have to use a bunch of washers as spacers below the pickguard and the pot then protrudes down further into the cavity.

paulnb57

BillDL said:

The only downside of push-push compared with push-pull is that in the down position the knob needs to be raised more from the guitar top to get the clearance needed for the initial push to release it for the up position, and obviously again when it's pushed to lock into the down position.  While in the up position they will also sit higher.  Although the shafts of push-push pots I've bought have always been long enough for them to work for me when mounted in a hole through the wood of the body, you would have to bear the thickness of the wood at the hole in mind to ensure you have the clearance for the knob to sit higher, and if the body is thick at the hole even a star washer might add enough thickness to make a difference to how close to the end of the shaft the grub screw of tele type knobs is screwed in against, or whether a push-on knob can be pushed on fully.  The reverse is true when mounted through a pickguard if you can't get a short shaft push-push pot, i.e. you have to use a bunch of washers as spacers below the pickguard and the pot then protrudes down further into the cavity.

Thanks BillDL good info

ICBM

paulnb57 said:

Care to recommend a good quality push push?

Bourns. I wouldn't bother with anything else.

Sporky said:

And if you're going push-push it's even more important to buy good ones. They're complicated-er than push-pulls. I think they're nicer to use though. 

And, extremely important to remember - never try to take the knob off when the switch is in the down position - you'll break it. Some of them are fragile enough that even making the mistake of thinking it's a push-pull and trying to pull the switch up can do it - Yamaha ones were notorious for that.