HOW-TO: Convert On-Off-On DPDT switches to On-On-On Selector switch.

[Ryoskate]

Lets face it. On-On-On Toggle switches for guitars are overpriced. Big time. This tutorial will show you how you can convert a DPDT switch (which are often lot cheaper) to a Guitar selector switch in a few minuites of DIY.

 

(Excuse my sketches... I was going to take pictures of the actual thing but it didn't come out very well.)

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

- Heavy duty DPDT 3 way Toggle switch. Slider DPDTs are made differently and will not work.

- Pliers or small wire cutter

- Hands

 

 

Before we start, this diagram is basically what this mod will do.

 

 

First, you'd want to start off by bending the tabs back to take off the cover.

 

 

 

It SHOULD come apart like this. if your toggle switch doesn't have a rocking contact point as shown in the sketch, this DIY mod will not work.

 

 

Then you'll bend the contact points as shown below

 

 

And place them like this. Each terminal should have one contact point touching on the opposite side of each other in the CENTER position of the toggle switch.

 

 

Then solder / connect the middle contact point. which goes to the output jack. You can either de-pin or leave the 3 unused terminals.

 

 

 

And there you have it. If you have any questions, comments, concerns let me know!

 

 

 

 

[WRGKMC]

Your info is handy but not always applicable.

 

Some of these new switches are very cheaply made and it mat not be possible to bend the rocker given the cheap metals they're made off. The triple on switches are no more expensive then the on/off/on versions if you shop around a bit. Of course if you already have the others then you bight want to try it but you do have to be careful with the rockers. Some are made of some cheap alloy and will crack if you try and bend them.

 

I did find these for $3.99 in my first search. http://www.ebay.com/itm/2Pcs-BLUE-DPDT-Toggle-ON-ON-ON-UL-Switch-MINI-Switches-New-2033-/171760547488

 

These are only $2.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCK-1-MINI-DPDT-Toggle-Switches-ON-ON-ON-UL-SWITCH-/390790280027 Cant get much lower then that for a single switch but you can buy in bulk These are $1.70 each if you buy a set of 5 http://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-BLUE-DPDT-Toggle-ON-ON-ON-UL-Switch-MINI-Switches-New-2033-/171555312507

 

 

One thing you do have to be careful with is soldering all these new plastic switches. If you don't heat sink the contacts they'll melt the plastic casing and move before you get the contact hot enough to solder. Not like the old days when they had Bakelite casings that wouldn't melt. Those switches could be taken apart do the things you suggest. You could also reburnish the contacts with a burnishing file when they got worn. I don't even waste my time with the new ones. They fail and I just put a new one in.

[isaac42]

WHAT YOU NEED:

- Heavy duty DPDT 3 way Toggle switch. Slider DPDTs are made differently and will not work.

- Pliers or small wire cutter

- Hands

 

I assume that these hands must be the kind with opposable thumbs.

[Ryoskate]

Your info is handy but not always applicable.

 

Some of these new switches are very cheaply made and it mat not be possible to bend the rocker given the cheap metals they're made off. The triple on switches are no more expensive then the on/off/on versions if you shop around a bit. Of course if you already have the others then you bight want to try it but you do have to be careful with the rockers. Some are made of some cheap alloy and will crack if you try and bend them.

 

I did find these for $3.99 in my first search. http://www.ebay.com/itm/2Pcs-BLUE-DP...-/171760547488

 

These are only $2.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCK-1-MINI-D...-/390790280027 Cant get much lower then that for a single switch but you can buy in bulk These are $1.70 each if you buy a set of 5 http://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-BLUE-DP...-/171555312507

 

 

One thing you do have to be careful with is soldering all these new plastic switches. If you don't heat sink the contacts they'll melt the plastic casing and move before you get the contact hot enough to solder. Not like the old days when they had Bakelite casings that wouldn't melt. Those switches could be taken apart do the things you suggest. You could also reburnish the contacts with a burnishing file when they got worn. I don't even waste my time with the new ones. They fail and I just put a new one in.

 

You're right... I was originally going to write "vintage" or "will not work with minis" but since I haven't tried the mini or the newer ones I left it as is.

 

As for the cheap switches you suggested, those are mini switches... Hard to tell from the pictures but in real life the toggles are too tiny for use in any guitar unless they're guitar specific, in which case it's often fitted with oversize toggles....

[WRGKMC]

 

You're right... I was originally going to write "vintage" or "will not work with minis" but since I haven't tried the mini or the newer ones I left it as is.

 

As for the cheap switches you suggested, those are mini switches... Hard to tell from the pictures but in real life the toggles are too tiny for use in any guitar unless they're guitar specific, in which case it's often fitted with oversize toggles....

 

Yea its hard to tell by the pics the actual size but I have bought them for low prices.

I've taken them apart with some success rates. If you're lucky enough not to have the springs shoot out across the room then get it back together in one piece working you can sometimes correct the problems. If they're worn I don't even bother any more.

 

There's little you can do fix a worn rocker or worn actuation tips if they aren't clicking well. By the time you get it back together and soldered back in and have it fail, it would have been easier just to replace it.

 

The vintage ones like you said can often be fixed up. Carlton and others used to make some decent switches and you'd have enough room in there to do things. Even they have switched their manufacturing to be competitive however. They can last allot longer though. I'm a tech so its no big deal for me to swap out a budget switch if it fails. For someone else who pays to have it done, buying a higher quality switch that lasts can usually save them money in the long run.

[Elterco]

This works great! Need to use full size toggles which is what you want on a guitar anyway!

[cugir321]

This is a real drag.  You're the only person online that shows how to make a on/on/on out of a dpdt on/off/on switch and I can't get your pictures to load?

Please, can you send my the pictures if I give you an email?

[WRGKMC]

That was from 4 years ago and he hasn't been around since. 

What's the problem with simply buying On/On/On switches?  I buy them all the time.  They may be a little harder to find but they don't coat any more. 

 

$3 here https://guitarpedalparts.com/products/3pdt-on-on-toggle-switch-solder-lugs?variant=18956162498660&currency=USD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInobP6b6h5gIV-RitBh1JrwUoEAQYDyABEgI4K_D_BwE

$4.28 Here  https://www.mouser.com/Electromechanical/Switches/Toggle-Switches/_/N-5g2j?P=1z0z2xkZ1z0z2o3

$299 here https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-DPDT-Mini-Toggle-Switch-ON-ON-ON-Solder-Lug-Premium-Quality-USA-Seller/291676726479?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item43e949a4cf:g:swAAAOSweIla~bZR&enc=AQAEAAACUBPxNw%2BVj6nta7CKEs3N0qUfwJxolBJfeq%2FgzY5o26L8znRAgmYxZEqUpzV5Y3jcuMPDd2l%2F%2BXVQfN4jIcJMd5rr4vvquM14rXi23UpceRnoKNX%2BFy0wCgB0LvA3fyrw7tCX1ROJJ3%2FzUTwgI%2FSRZnz3ZtBx%2FeSdEeI0RWsSJnprrhNM9Sv4yISAL3d2qjBXk6DlH74RpGXrZLqNhdB%2Bm8JQ56Bhu%2F0gRNVpdKzTam5rblCxmhkosgQp02xxpdSfXuY%2BRdutIi5kTvcJc%2Bp0EP3hdKwDOTRm%2Bn0Ip6Eyb2pLn4LvfKmO5hIuIaTfmsZUtEqgylAuuxMl6yJgBCIhbYG0De8Az3i4KIwHYduRP0iSS6Pi%2BjU1qG8QrLD0yX7IO2%2B6xxNBpmUR%2F9D5wXVvO1z%2BQLV9%2B9CvTj4uE10hxdVKjg4SJ%2FqSEdf%2FpmXCkCKyFYpcTMbkCY0wtMxBR3mPEfWeeHa5jFNnUSZKLWIFXzaMR2qe0dP%2FbTTyIEw3Y%2FOLukbllFCUyO5yukpJLbEviQndXxsz%2BZI4Hqv8wS%2BCEGT20Xwp02gwkmdFWZZC%2FQk%2FMuKJWWz6k3mjO9i2XB%2FCG7azwlTmg04vaqjjplnMMzASt5ZRrRdf1CShaOAz0RPwc8D%2FyYNUv8fKTp6Pc%2BPeytbWHQ8QxsiyceNLMiYiIYObW910C%2F3bhgaJbEZ1ZzKY%2BbjZI%2F4sAOzDCybihusn8fXgtdSr7Ppm6dj%2BiJf5gVfXu%2F9chNfzcr6%2FnYYhiJmNcZ5ETtjzqfCphm3Ba4pP1qg%3D&checksum=291676726479ba58b6b9916040919564c5b40a664c7b&enc=AQAEAAACUBPxNw%2BVj6nta7CKEs3N0qUfwJxolBJfeq%2FgzY5o26L8znRAgmYxZEqUpzV5Y3jcuMPDd2l%2F%2BXVQfN4jIcJMd5rr4vvquM14rXi23UpceRnoKNX%2BFy0wCgB0LvA3fyrw7tCX1ROJJ3%2FzUTwgI%2FSRZnz3ZtBx%2FeSdEeI0RWsSJnprrhNM9Sv4yISAL3d2qjBXk6DlH74RpGXrZLqNhdB%2Bm8JQ56Bhu%2F0gRNVpdKzTam5rblCxmhkosgQp02xxpdSfXuY%2BRdutIi5kTvcJc%2Bp0EP3hdKwDOTRm%2Bn0Ip6Eyb2pLn4LvfKmO5hIuIaTfmsZUtEqgylAuuxMl6yJgBCIhbYG0De8Az3i4KIwHYduRP0iSS6Pi%2BjU1qG8QrLD0yX7IO2%2B6xxNBpmUR%2F9D5wXVvO1z%2BQLV9%2B9CvTj4uE10hxdVKjg4SJ%2FqSEdf%2FpmXCkCKyFYpcTMbkCY0wtMxBR3mPEfWeeHa5jFNnUSZKLWIFXzaMR2qe0dP%2FbTTyIEw3Y%2FOLukbllFCUyO5yukpJLbEviQndXxsz%2BZI4Hqv8wS%2BCEGT20Xwp02gwkmdFWZZC%2FQk%2FMuKJWWz6k3mjO9i2XB%2FCG7azwlTmg04vaqjjplnMMzASt5ZRrRdf1CShaOAz0RPwc8D%2FyYNUv8fKTp6Pc%2BPeytbWHQ8QxsiyceNLMiYiIYObW910C%2F3bhgaJbEZ1ZzKY%2BbjZI%2F4sAOzDCybihusn8fXgtdSr7Ppm6dj%2BiJf5gVfXu%2F9chNfzcr6%2FnYYhiJmNcZ5ETtjzqfCphm3Ba4pP1qg%3D&checksum=291676726479ba58b6b9916040919564c5b40a664c7b

 

Really, once you open up a toggle switch you have a 50/50 chance of it even working properly again. Getting it back together and having it click properly without falling apart is the toughest part.  I typically reserve those kinds of repairs as a last resort where its either a temporary repair while I order another one or when the switch is so oddball there's little chance of finding a replacement.  A full sized toggle isn't bad because you have the room to work on it but there isn't allot of gear that even uses them. Full sized are usually high voltage AC switches that take allot of current and use allot of space.  In guitars and audio gear they typically use the mini and super mini toggles which are designed for low voltage.  I don't even try to take those apart. I'd rather spend the $3 and replace them.  Just be sure to heat sink the connectors when soldering however.  The plastic around them melts instantly and will wipe it out. 

[Madman15]

I would love to see the pictures in this original post.

On/Off/On toggle switches cost a buck...On/On/On cost $14 and up.

[WRGKMC]

22 hours ago, Madman15 said:

I would love to see the pictures in this original post.

On/Off/On toggle switches cost a buck...On/On/On cost $14 and up.

Got to know how to shop.  Think I paid $.75 each for them last time.  I bought 10 for $7.50 and still have two left. 

They are the same quality switched Stu Mac sells.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-On-On-On-Mini-Switch-Toggle-series-split-parallel/283554791479?hash=item42052ec037:g:PboAAOSwxgBdOyPw

You want something more durable you should be able to get by with an LP style switch for most guitar work.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-On-On-On-Mini-Switch-Toggle-series-split-parallel/283554791479?hash=item42052ec037:g:PboAAOSwxgBdOyPw

 

 

[Madman15]

Thanks for the info...the eBay contact you provided does not ship to Toronto.

I'll keep looking.

[Jordann]

The problem with all the low price switches shown is that they are mini switches. If you are custom re-wiring a Les Paul or Tele Custom you want the larger switch that fits in the half inch hole and has the larger toggle that looks original.

[6down1togo]

This solution to a non-problem creates more complications than it solves. I wouldn't want a mini-switch for a pickup selector. You don't have enough leverage or length on the switch stem to make a pickup selection on the fly. I like to use the cheek or heel of my picking hand to bump the toggle on the down stoke or upstroke making a seamless change when I want it. You can't do that with a mini-toggle. You have to interrupt your picking/strumming (like us Rhythm players do) to place a finger below or above the stubby little stem and snap it up or down. They don't move smoothly like even a cheap full size toggle does.

[isaac42]

23 hours ago, 6down1togo said:

This solution to a non-problem creates more complications than it solves. I wouldn't want a mini-switch for a pickup selector. You don't have enough leverage or length on the switch stem to make a pickup selection on the fly. I like to use the cheek or heel of my picking hand to bump the toggle on the down stoke or upstroke making a seamless change when I want it. You can't do that with a mini-toggle. You have to interrupt your picking/strumming (like us Rhythm players do) to place a finger below or above the stubby little stem and snap it up or down. They don't move smoothly like even a cheap full size toggle does.

My Rickenbacker 4004Cii has a mini switch for a pickup selector. Like you, I prefer the full size switch.

[IamBurnout]

Using the on/on positions to short out the pickup that isn't desired is a lot easier.

 

[Madman15]

This is the mod I was wiring and is the reason for my request.

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/29420-mod-garage-inside-yamahas-dry-switch

I have a few guitars that I have modified, due to severe RF in one rehearsal space. To get single coil sounds from humbuckers, without splitting coils and falling victim to raging RF noise.

This mod sounds pretty good, I have changed the values of one side of the switch, resistor and capacitor, to my personal taste, but the basic set up works great.

I have a pile of on-off-on mini switches, and was hoping to employ them for this mod.

This is not, to replace a pickup selector switch.

[Martygo]

I did this modification but not as described by the OP.  I don’t see how it would work as described by the OP. The inside of an spdt is simple two contact points on opposite sides and a rocker that is pushed down by a small dowel that descends from the switch tip. If you push one side it pushes one end of the rocker to a contact point. When in the center off position the two raised ends of the  rocker ~_~ touch no contacts. If you bend the ends of each end of the rocker down  ~-~ it won’t be able to switch at all since you can’t lower either side (thereby raising the opposite side) through the action of the toggle. It will be in a state of always center on.

anyway, I left the rocker unbent ~_~ and instead took very small metal tabs and built out each contact points so that they touch the rocker toward its lower center fulcrum from either end but in a position whereby the end points can still be pushed down by the action of the toggle to touchdown on a contact from one side while the other side is raised off the other contact point. Thereby the switch is on on on. To build out the contact points I glued a small thin metal piece to the base of the switch (inside) next to the contact point and then soldered across them for a continual hot metal surface. I didn’t take a pic but wish I had. If I open the switch up I’ll take a pic.