The ole 5-way rotary sw....Has it been relegated to history's dust bin?

[Ovibos]

I can’t ever tell what setting a rotary knob is in. It’s too invisible for me. Plus, I only need 3 settings anyway…unless I’m playing a Strat.

And then you only need one.

 

[ViperDoc]

And then you only need one.

LOL. That "one" is so variable for people. For me, it's neck only for solos, and then middle only if I'm playing rock rhythm, and THEN it's middle-bridge if I want some pushed twang, and THEN it's neck-middle for the "thwackle", and THEN it's bridge only for rock and roll skinny chuggin. Strats are great like that.

 

[gush]

#FEARTHEROTARY

That needs to be a tee shirt!

FEART
HERO
TARY

 

[aphantomvaper]

With new SE CE out, does the team think I can wire in a rotary instead of the toggle?

I'm very interested in this!!!

 

[Lewguitar]

With new SE CE out, does the team think I can wire in a rotary instead of the toggle?

I'm very interested in this!!!

Sure. You'll have to fill the 1/2" 3 way hole.

Buy a dowel just one step larger than 1/2". Cut 1/4 - 3/8" off and then use sandpaper to shape it to the right thickness and diameter to fit snugly in the 1/2" hole. You want it flush both inside and outside the guitar.

You don't want to sand after you've glued it in. Get it right and then glue it in. The rotary switch and thin washer will cover the fix.

Glue it in and let dry overnight. A full 8 - 12 hours. You'll have to drill a 3/8" hole in the plug and if you drill it before the glue is hard it'll break.

The next day drill it with a 3/8" bit and install your rotary switch.

I have push/pull tone pots for splitting and can get everything except the middle setting of the rotary: the phantom middle humbucker. One coil from each humbucker in series.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Or you could fashion a “tone washer”

 

[aphantomvaper]

Or you could fashion a “tone washer”

Whut, you sayin my tone ain't clean?

The washer is what I was thinking also.

Thanks for the procedure, Lew!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Whut, you sayin my tone ain't clean?

The washer is what I was thinking also.

Thanks for the procedure, Lew!

It’s was a light hearted reply with a serious note (probably an A#).

If you could make it work, a washer on either side of the rotary, as it passes through the guitar top, might save you from having to mod the guitar.

Just saying.

And I “heard it through the grapevine” that you have a “dirty” tone. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Rod/]

Call me an Outlier if you must, but I've always liked the 5-way rotary and still do.

I do as well. There’s many tones that you can get on the five way rotary switch that you cannot get with just coil cutters on the tone controls and a three way switch