McCarty Switch - Static

[Jdscpa]

Hi all,

This may be a bone simple question but figured I'd ask here before taking my guitar to a shop for repair. I have a 2016 McCarty that I picked up at Experience PRS that year. It has the 3-way switch obviously and the 58/15 pickups. When I switch from the middle position to the bridge, I will get some static in the switch. Also sometimes when I switch from the bridge back to the middle, it doesn't sound like it fully engages in middle position and I only hear the bridge pickup. I'm sure this is an easy fix, but any tips as to how I could do this easily? Or could this be a bigger problem?

For the record, I stink as a luthier and electronics expert

Thanks for your help!

 

[ViperDoc]

Hi all,

This may be a bone simple question but figured I'd ask here before taking my guitar to a shop for repair. I have a 2016 McCarty that I picked up at Experience PRS that year. It has the 3-way switch obviously and the 58/15 pickups. When I switch from the middle position to the bridge, I will get some static in the switch. Also sometimes when I switch from the bridge back to the middle, it doesn't sound like it fully engages in middle position and I only hear the bridge pickup. I'm sure this is an easy fix, but any tips as to how I could do this easily? Or could this be a bigger problem?

For the record, I stink as a luthier and electronics expert

Thanks for your help!

Most likely a bad solder joint or short on the switch itself. Open the cavity and take a look!

 

[Ovibos]

I'd try a quick shot of Deoxit in there.

 

[László]

After dicking around for months trying to fix toggle switches that either got noisy over the years, or failed to operate correctly - they’re US made by Switchcraft, by the way, whose hardware is usually pretty good - I learned that it’s best just to replace the switch. It’s not an expensive part, and it’s very simple for you or your luthier to replace.

You want to have the right tool to loosen the ring that unscrews on the top around the switch to prevent scratching the guitar, and you can find one at Stew Mac that’s made for this purpose. It isn’t expensive.

There are lots of reasons these switches can fail. The switch itself has something on the bottom of the switch shaft you can’t see from the top, called a “bat.” This thing is metal with a plastic tip that pushes against springs to select one or the other pickup. In the middle position, the bat isn’t pushing a spring, as far as I know, and the default is both pickups on. Toggling the switch up or down causes the bat to push against one spring or the other, and shuts off signal to the other pickup.

I hope I explained this correctly.

In any event, the tip of the bat wears. The springiness of the metal springs changes with time. The springs are in the open, they’re not encased. So this can be a source of contamination. The top part of the switch can pick up grunge from the environment, such as dust and the cooking oils that float around in most houses, and create a goo that gets into the switch. And of course, solder joints can fail, too. Assuming that you don’t have a cold solder joint, it’s just simplest to replace the switch. If it’s just a solder joint, the repair is of course simpler.

Oddly enough, I have a 1965 SG Special that still has the original Switchcraft part, and it still works, though it’s a little noisy when switching. So some of these fail, and others don’t. It’s just one of those things.

 

[Bob Hundemer]

Gosh I had a 1963 SG that I wish I had kept! Bought it used in 1969 and really liked it.

 

[AP515]

I think its just an oxidized switch terminals. Ovibos has it right. Just clean the terminals. You'll be fine.

 

[Going Modal]

Yup, Deoxit spray would be the first & easiest try. Just open the back cover and spray just a bit on all the moving/contact parts.

I kid you not, I had a brand new 594 with a 3-way switch that was literally stuck, like it was hard to move the switch. I was this close to shipping the dang thing back, when I thought of opening it up myself. Turns out the rubber part of the switch was sticking to the metal contacts, and all it needed was some cleaner/lubricant (ie. the Deoxit). Worked perfectly after that.

 

[Jdscpa]

Update...Deoxit did the trick. No more static or cutting out. Great stuff. Thanks for all the replies!

 

[bodia]

Update...Deoxit did the trick. No more static or cutting out. Great stuff. Thanks for all the replies!

Glad you got it sorted out.