5-Way Switch Wiring Question

[Bencav]

Howdy everyone, I'm new to the Gear Page and my question is regarding the purpose of a jumper wire in some wiring diagrams. I have a HSS MIM Strat which I am in the process of upgrading with new pickups, pots, and some new wiring functions (auto coil tap, neck on switch wired to a push-pull neck tone knob, Fender TBX tone pot for bridge and middle pickup, treble bleed).

OK, now my question. What is the purpose of the jumper wire going from the end of stage 1 to the opposite end of stage 2? In the picture I have uploaded, it is represented by the green wire.

I've read the Premier Guitar article "The Anatomy of the Stratocaster 5-way Switch, Part II" but it did't make sense to me. This is also the source for this image.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[stratamania]

The terminals marked A are the common terminals for each side of the switch. A is always in circuit regardless of where the switch is, the green line in the diagram is joining both A terminals together so that anything at the side marked stage 1 is joined to A at the side marked Stage 2 so the output will flow to the volume pot.

The A terminals are joined as they are always in circuit at each side but not joined together, without joining them together in the above circuit you would get no output.

The volume pot is generally then output to the output jack.

 

[StratoCraig]

The switch is pretty simple. One of the things that can be confusing is that it's really two separate sets of connections. The purpose of the A-A jumper is to join those two sets.

In the diagram above, draw dotted lines from the two A terminals to the three numbered terminals on the same side. These dotted lines represent connections that are made or broken depending on what position the switch is in. When you have the neck pickup selected, for example, terminal 3 is connected to terminal A on the same side, and the other numbered terminals are out of the circuit. Current will therefore flow from the neck pickup to the stage 1 terminal #3, then to A, across the jumper to stage 2's A, and from there, in parallel, to the volume pot, and also to stage 2's terminal 3 and from there to the first tone pot. When you move the switch to select the middle pickup, the connection from terminal 3 to A is broken and instead you get a connection from terminal 2 to A on each side.

On the output (stage 2) side, you connect wires based on when you want the component at the other end of the wire to be active. The volume pot should always be active, so you wire it to terminal A. The tone pots should be active only when the corresponding pickup is selected, so you connect them to the numbered terminals. Notice that nothing is connected to stage 2 terminal #1. This is the standard Strat wiring, where there is no tone control for the bridge pickup. If you solder a jumper from stage 2 #1 to stage 2 #2, then the bridge and middle pickups will share the second tone pot. Or you could remove the tone pots' connections to 2 and 3, and instead wire one tone pot to A, which would give you a single master tone pot for all three pickups.

 

[Zexcoil]

Another implication of this is that if you utilize a master tone, you can wire the tone knob and the hot out to the volume pot to the same lug and use the other side of the switch for other things.

For instance, if you use a blend knob (which the use of a master tone also enables) you can use that other side of the switch to direct pickups to the blend only in certain postitions. As an example, you can have a neck/bridge blend that is only active in the neck position or vice versa.

 

[Bazaboy33]

For instance, if you use a blend knob (which the use of a master tone also enables) you can use that other side of the switch to direct pickups to the blend only in certain postitions. As an example, you can have a neck/bridge blend that is only active in the neck position or vice versa.

Nice. I never thought of that. I never blend the neck into the bridge, so it would be nice to isolate the blend to the neck position only. Do you have a wiring diagram?

 

[Zexcoil]

Nice. I never thought of that. I never blend the neck into the bridge, so it would be nice to isolate the blend to the neck position only. Do you have a wiring diagram?

http://www.zexcoil.com/130405 Blend switch isolation.pdf

Not shown are the middle pickup should be connected to terminal 2 on the bottom and volume & tone connected to the common on the bottom.

 

[Bazaboy33]

Thanks. I'm getting ready to install new pickups in one of my Strats and will have to give this a go.

 

[Bazaboy33]

There should be no jumper between the commons in this wiring scheme, correct? The Blend pot acts as the jumper with a variable resistor.

 

[Zexcoil]

There should be no jumper between the commons in this wiring scheme, correct? The Blend pot acts as the jumper with a variable resistor.

No jumper between the commons.

The blend is just a variable resistance between the hot of the selected pickup and the other pickup. If that resistance is high (infinity in the case of a no load at 10) then very little (or none) of the signal goes through the second pickup. At zero, the resistance is effectively zero and it's like putting the two pickups in parallel.

http://www.zexcoil.com/130405%20Master%20Tone%20with%20no%20load%20blend%20pot%20controls%20kit%202.pdf

That first diagram in the previous post just shows what you want to do on the open side of the switch to isolate the blend when wiring the blend circuit as above.

 

[Bazaboy33]

That's awesome. There may be a few more rewiring jobs in my near future. Well, more than intended anyhow. Thanks again.

 

[Zexcoil]

That's awesome. There may be a few more rewiring jobs in my near future. Well, more than intended anyhow. Thanks again.

No problem. Glad I could help.

 

[Bencav]

Thanks guys! I'm much clearer on what I gotta do now. I appreciate the help!