SERIES: Two or more pickup coils wired so
that the output of one coil feeds into the input of
another coil. The result of this is a loss of
treble and an increase of output. Example: a
humbucking pickup is 2 coils in series.
PARALLEL: Two or more pickup coils wired
so that each coils' input has its own feed from the
amplifier. The result is a tone somewhere between
the tone of each coil individually with a slight
decrease in output. Example: 1) a Strat with the 5
way switch in positions 2 and 4. 2) a Les Paul with
with the toggle switch in the middle position.
DPDT:
Double-pole double-throw. This is a 2-way switch
that has 2 separate switches in one. Each of 2
contacts in the switch can be routed differently
depending on the switch's position. Example: 1) a
mini-toggle switch 2) a push / pull control.
PUSH/PULL:
A Double-pole double-throw switch
mounted on a potentiometer (volume control,
tone control...). This switch is activated
by pulling up or pushing down on a guitar's
volume or tone knob. This is useful for
adding a switch without drilling additional
holes in your guitar. |
push-pull pot
|
5 WAY:
A standard Strat switch. The majority
of my diagrams use a switch with 2 sets of
contacts (like having 2 switches in one).
Some less expensive guitars have only one
set of contacts. It is suggested replacing
these switches immediately; they can be
unreliable and do not provide the awesome
switching potential of the standard 5 way
switch. |
5 position switch |
3
WAY: A standard large toggle (Gibson, Guild,
Gretch, etc...). This switch is usually used for
simple pickup switching, although it can also be
used effectively in a more versatile wiring scheme.
"COMMON" TERMINAL: The terminal(s) on a
switch that, when the switch is changed to different
positions, makes contact with different terminals.
GROUND:
Sometimes referred to as earth. An
electrical ground is a common point in the
guitar wiring that allows a signal or
current to return to a common point. A
good analogy is
"You can think
of a ground as a "sink" that electrical
noise runs down". Poor grounding in a
guitar will cause the guitar to hum or buzz. |
ground symbol |