Electrical mods, what do you do if you could? Recommendations?

I have the slot from a 5 way switch (think Fender) in my Spectrum FX. So I can use that 5 way switch if I want to. Right now it's disconnected.

I was thinking, why not add an electrical mod to the FX since I've already got the switch in there?

It would have be something that I could use the old 5 way switch for. Or at least something that would fit where the switch was. Ideas?

Something I saw on one of the rarer les pauls with a 5 way switch is that one position was mute. It shut all the pickups off.

There's numerous things you can do.

If you ain't that fimiliar with electrics, don't worry..

I'm assuming that there is a 3way les paul type for p/up selection on upper horn, so how about having the 5 way as a 3way as follows 1: h s h 2: s s s 3: 2 (down)& 4 (up)positions as per strat via upper horn 3way. this sounds great to me but i'm sure it would be hell to wire up!!!

IanO wrote:I'm assuming that there is a 3way les paul type for p/up selection on upper horn, so how about having the 5 way as a 3way as follows 1: h s h 2: s s s 3: 2 (down)& 4 (up)positions as per strat via upper horn 3way. this sounds great to me but i'm sure it would be hell to wire up!!!

That would be cool! How in the world would I do it...

the Spectrum guitars already have about the most flexible wiring system imaginable, you can get nearly any combination from the stock setup.

maybe you could use the 5-way for something like a Varitone circuit, The Varitone is a band pass filter working on mid and low frequencies.

if you want to nerd-out, here is a good link that discusses the varitone circuit and it's function

Hmmm... all those caps, that may be fun. Great idea.

Thought I'm having... and I have NO idea if things work this way or not.

If I'd run caps on all but one setting of the 5 way switch, would I essentially have those 18 different stock tones on each of the 5 positions? Wouldn't that just be adding a different cap to each of the 4 positions (since one position would be a bypass without a cap)? That would be 90 tones? 18 stock tones in the bypass position, but 18 stock tones plus a cap in each of the other 4 positions?

Again, I don't know how all this works, just a thought.

Never been much of a fan of the Varitone found in the Gibson 345.
I don't detect a whole lot of difference between the settings, at least nothing I would ever go out of my way to use.

Although marginally better sounding, same comment for the S3 type tone switching on Fender. And it's an horrendously complicated piece of electronics to boot!

I think you're much better served with phase reversal or parallel/series approaches, or even incorporating a kill switch position, which could be handy on stage.

yeah you got it. the varitone can be applied to any/every pickup selection thereby multiplying the total number of different settings. (it is actually a capacitor and a resistor for each setting, but no matter).

i have to say tho, i have never used a varitone so i don't know really how well it works or if it is useful on all the pickup settings. i do this kind of thing to find out. i've never tried to wire one. i'd have to work through it on paper to verify the connections. (i guess i just discovered a new project to work on?! drawing board here i come...)

it isn't totally simple because a 5-way will sometimes connect 2 adjacent terminals to the output. but usually there are 2 separate switches so maybe it can be done with a "stock" switch. but, there are a few different constructions for 5-way switches on the market and they are not all exactly the same in the way the terminals are connected. some have 4, and some have 6 terminals for each switch. the wiper blade that makes the connections is not always the same either .... hmmmmmm ...... more later after some doodling...

The Chad wrote:Thought I'm having... and I have NO idea if things work this way or not.

If I'd run caps on all but one setting of the 5 way switch, would I essentially have those 18 different stock tones on each of the 5 positions? Wouldn't that just be adding a different cap to each of the 4 positions (since one position would be a bypass without a cap)? That would be 90 tones? 18 stock tones in the bypass position, but 18 stock tones plus a cap in each of the other 4 positions?

Again, I don't know how all this works, just a thought.

This is making my brain ache!

My brain is aching too! Sounds fun though. Maybe a kill switch, some caps and resistors, maybe something else on board like a time machine, oh the possibilities!