I've been thinking about doing the 4-way switch mod to my thinline tele. A friend said that 4-way switches are better made because they don't make as many of them...what do you think? Is that true? As far as doing a video everyday? Man that'd be great but don't burn yourself out. I think folks would be happy if you only did 3 or 4 a week
How do you change the technology in a guitar with no pickguard? Since there is little to no information on Jackson js22 guitars on the internet you could help me out with what Jackson Jackson humbuckers are capable of. :)
Don’t mean sarcastic or anything, but I’m curious. What’s the point in just using the old bobbins on the old pickups. Wouldn’t just be better in just changing the pickups to one of your sets?
Seems like those switches are not something you'd choose, but there's also no rush to rip them out of your guitars unless they're giving you trouble, or you're already in there with a hot iron.
Depends on what the guitar is used for. If you are gigging it, then go ahead and swap pots, switches and jacks. If you only ever play it at home for yourself, don't bother until something develops a fault.
@@remley8877 Yeah, definitely. they ask $25 for those switchcraft 5pos. in the big jive guitar stores. still expensive for kids. When I was young I had to solder with a 75/150 watt gun...the one with a trigger, that's all there was besides a big plumbing 'stick' iron in garage. You burn n learn, fast! As an old timer, now I can build/clone a Super Lead, S-Rev, Deluxe, whatever etc. I disagree with, or rather call attention to the fact that the exact situation exists w/Switchcraft...the little crescent shaped 'wiper' contact wears out on them, and is designed very much like the cheaper one. or vice versa, as the Switchcraft was first. Sure the Switchcraft is better-longer lasting in most cases, but if your like me and always on volume and tone knobs, if on a budget, I'd replace pots 1st, if they're scratchy, or feel strange, or taper is wrong, otherwise it's just resistance, and low voltage. 2 or 3 resistors in phase inverter MIGHT make a small difference by their composition, but highly doubtful carbon in that pot.........
I really have enjoyed watching every day. Thanks for sharing. I would understand if it was three to four days. You keep making and I will keep watching. Stay safe and Be Blessed
I'm liking the daily videos, even if it's kinda small like this one, or just showing what you're up to that day. I think they're good for community building
I wouldn't say that all PCB switches are bad, I've used Schaller Megaswitches in two of my guitars for almost 20 years. I know a lot of techs are down on them because they can't figure out special case wiring on them, but they are durable, and they don't have the little "legs" on them, which could be difficult for some people, but sometimes "import" is really a serious upgrade
I became a single dad suddenly and had to sell my gear. I found a cheap Ibanez for free on LetGo. Aside from having to set it up it has been great. The only real complaint I have is the pups are dark for cleaner tones. I am blown away by the cheap guitar though, your Jackson video reminded me of it.
I've not had that happen, but did have to sell a Fender Bandmaster head for $50.00 to have oral surgery to remove wisdom tooth. Those amps weren't worth as much in 1974, and oral surgery wasn't as expensive. It was a LOT of money to me then, had just gotten married.
I got tired of replacing worn out Blade-type switches on my 2-pickup Strat, so a couple months ago, I replaced it with a small 3-way toggle switch. So far, so good.
I’ve REALLY enjoyed your daily videos, I’ve learned so much and grown to appreciate you and your business even more!!! Maybe just do MWF to keep a strong rhythm but not so tiresome on you. You ALWAYS can just adhoc another one in or something specific if it comes up outside of MWF?
I’m confused. You did a video not long ago where you were saying how even cheap pots like Alpha are just fine because they all do basically the same thing. That it’s just a simple component. I even heard you say the small dime size pots can work just fine. But here you say you are replacing the pots for good quality pots.
sorry but i disagree that these import switches are junk , they are needed especially if you have the style of guitar that has a shallow body and not much room in. they all pretty much do the same function if it works keep it in and dont mess with it until needed.
In my Squier Bullet Strat I ran across an even boxier 5-way import switch w/side-mounted contacts is the most worse I've ever seen; 2 3 & 4 were junk though 1 & 5 worked fairly good compared to the others. I briefly put a normal 5-way switch in but I forgot one thing after realizing it: the switch didn't fit properly let alone work well in a thinner body unless I route a little chunk of wood for it to fit in the control cavity which I'll eventually do after measuring the height of both switches to determine the proper measurement so I eventually went with one of those inline printed 5 way switches for the time being.
i have just bought a schaller megaswitch E (made in germany) because it gives me the HSS strat switching options i want without an extra switch or a push-pull pot (i don't like to fiddle with them while playing). was surprised to see it was a circuit-board switch. hope the german-madeness of it means they have thought of those issues you mentioned and come up with a good construction to overcome them.
Just saw this one. Question about the switches: when you have a cavity that isn't deep, is there a better quality switch that's not as deep, or is that a case of that's what you're stuck with? Thanks!
I like the daily videos, feel like we’ve gotten to know you, not just as a RU-vidr that puts up videos. I think daily would be hard and probably burn you out too quick, but instead of a set fixed number per week, put them out as you can/want. Sometimes 5 a week if you’ve got time and lots of content, some weeks 2 or 3 because you’ve got shit to do. We’re going to be happy either way...this is good stuff and you present it so well...even if you do hurt those poor pups feelings! 😂
No, because milk expires at the same speed, regardless of bottle size. The correct comparison would be to stocking up food for your storm/bomb shelter: you choose cans and dry products, stuff that will last for years, not fresh produce that will spoil within a week or two. The whole point is that the switches will expire at different speeds, so you will need to be replace it less often, so fewer gig/studio sessions will be affected by the switch becoming noisy/unreliable.
It’s more like replacing a water pump when you replace a timing belt. You’re under the hood with the engine ripped apart. Why not swap out a cheap part while you’re already under the hood, rather than wait until it fails in 5000 miles, and do it all over again? The selector switch in this guitar was defective from the factory, and was cutting out in the bridge position, and needed replacement. The only thing I could have saved was the pots, but since I already had the guitar pulled apart, why not just put 500k pots in it?
Fender and even now some of the Classic vibes, all come with those Oak Grigby switches. My MIM has it. And my MIM player series loaded guard. Love the switches fender uses.
Years ago, I started a rewire mod of an Ibanez 540s. I ordered an upgrade 5-way switch (superswitch or mega switch, I can't remember). I double checked my schematic, uninstalled all the stock electronics, and got it all ready to go only to find out the cavity is not deep enough to accept the upgrade switch. So I had to salvage and reuse the cheap switch. Worked ok, but schematic had to be reworked and wasn't as easy to use.
I wish we had met in a different time. Lots to do still and I feel time is short. I just started building guitar's and repairing them. It's so much fun and I like the people in the atmosphere. They are generally generous as heck. Thanks for all you do big and small
PRS SE's use those cheap Alpha 3 way blade switches. They stop functioning on the bridge position almost immediately every time I get a new PRS. I finally started replacing them right away instead of waiting for them to go and I won't sell one in my shop with the stock switch. Pure garbage.
I don't know about the cheap switch. I had one and it lasted over ten years. I understand the better mechanics on the expensive ones, but if you do the math of money over durability I'm not sure it makes sense, I've seen open switches fail in about the same time. Sure, they're more solid, but I'm not sure that gets the other ones "junk" category. As for overheating while soldering you shouldn't overheat anything even if it can handle it. If you use that as a measure... Well, every single PCB on everything is junk.
The bridge doesn't work on my Tele so I just ordered an Oak switch. It has one of the cheaper "import" switches but afaik it's been in there for many years. The guitar is 35 years old and has seen a lot of play.
Keep doing videos daily if you are enjoying it. We enjoy them. Don't feel pressured to get a video out every day do what you can and want. We'll be watching. Thanks man.
I don’t get the fake wide range humbuckers if they are just regular humbuckers then what makes them sound different from other humbuckers? Are they lower output or something? Because I have played squier telecasters with regular humbuckers and the tele deluxe with wide range humbuckers and they definitely sound different.
Really like those short vlog-y style videos. Wouldn't need to be on a daily basis but it's great getting those nice bites of wisdom. Twice to three times a week would be enough if you ask me.
It like some crazy inception things...its a class within a cellphone, through a pc, inside a patreon class, thats about the class, inside a motor-home 🤣
I replaced all the electronics in a Squier Strat a while back. The Fender switches only fit in Squiers if you grind out the cavity a bit. The Squier bodies are 1/4 thinner than the Fenders usually.
I Used an Oak Grigsby switch and CTS pots in an Indonesian Affinity made in 2000 at the Cort factory, I didn't have to mess with the cavity and its body is 1.5 inches thick. Are the Fender 5 ways bigger than the Oak Grigsbys or do they route the cavities shallower on the newer ones? But yah, Fender 1.75, Affinity 1.5 and Bullet 1.25.
Hey Dylan how can I solve the problem of a Telecaster that has a humbucker in the neck and a single coil bridge with 250k pots? If I go to 500k how will that affect tone on the bridge? My humbucker is so dark right now.
The previous comment was suggesting you keep the 250K pot and add an extra resistor between the humbucker and the 250k pot. The extra resistor would be a 250k, making the humbucker see 500k.
@@scrap_iron_2264 If one changes the pot to 500K but solders a 500K (470K, which may be easier to find, would be close enough) across the single coil, then the single coil will see 250K resistance. This will be easier to understand if instead of thinking in terms of resistance (volts per amp) one thinks of conductivity (amps per volt). A 250K resistor will pass 1 microamp for every 250,000 microvolts (0.25 volts), or 4 microamps per volt. A 500K resistor will pass 2 microamps per volt. If one connects a 500K resistor across the single coil, then 2 microamps per volt will flow through the 500K pot, and another 2 microamps per volt across the added 500K resistor, for a total of four microamps per volt--just like the 250K pot.
i took my squier strat to a guitar tech, and she installed a new pickup switch cause the other one was broken, i have a problem now where my neck pickups stops working and then i jiggle the pickup switch and it works, i opened the guitar to see whats wrong and didnt find anything, and then i come across this video randomly trying to find a solution for my problem, and that pickup switch in the thumbnail on the left is the one she installed for me.. FML
UPDATE, ordered a daddario pickup switch off of amazon, and after seeing the inside of the cheap pickup switch i blew into my pickup switch, wiggled it around fast, and now it doesnt cut out like before, and stay consistent, so probably dust or something was inside breaking the contact
The switches on Squires usually bend if you put pressure on them. The pots are poor materials too. Oak Grigsby switches and CTS pots won’t let you down.
Recent subscriber here, found you while searching gretch info and setups... glad you came up, your vids are great! Btw, was that a formula 1 wallpaper on your phone?
I have a '93 Ibanez RG470 with a PCB type switch - kinda stiff to use but 100% working, still after 27 years. No scratchy noises too. So not all of those are the same. I don't like it for being too stiff, maybe I'll replace it.
I couldn’t get an oak-grisly in my squirt tele because the body is too thin. Are there any import style switch manufacturers that you recommend? I might just try to source a blank control plate for the squire and drill out a hole for a toggle switch and forget the blade style switches.
My experience with the fender switch wasn't that good. The contact went loose in less than a month. Maybe I'm just an unlucky guy, but it wasn't cheap. Never had problem with the import ones tho.
SO then i take it a "free-way switch" which is a pc board switch is junk... i think they are just different, much like radio guys hating surface mounted components compared to hard wire circuits..just one persons opinion.. i have an import strat that has the stock switch and has never given me any issues.. just sayin!
Hi Dylan. Many thanks for your advice on the 3 way switch. I've just purchased a panel assembly from eBay, to use on my DIY lapsteel that I am building. I shall now replace that switch and the pots as well. Thanks again. Keep up the great video content. Cheers from OZ, Chris. 🙃🦘
You've done tons of vids (I wrote that as "tones" the first time lol). Maybe you could go back and touch on some of those older topics if you think they need updating in any way?
its been great on this side, when you first announced it I though, wow that's gonna be tough! I would suggest maybe 3 times a week with a cliffhanger on Fridays or Saturdays to look forward to on Mondayish? Love your stuff man.
I have an old Squier Strat, I replaced all the pots AND the 5 way switch with Fender parts, much better action and feel to the controls, I also replaced the socket with a Switchcraft socket which locks the 1/4 " jack well. I suppose they have to economise on some parts but you can make a cheap guitar better with some relatively inexpensive parts !
Unfortunately CuNiFe magnets are pretty much extinct. They are like vacuum tubes, the rest of the world has moved away from the technology decades ago, and only the guitar world clings to them. CuNiFe was difficult to produce, really difficult to machine, and there is only an extremely small market for 70s Fender humbuckers.
