Guitar Chord

This is about how 3-way guitar pickup selector switches works.

The diagram shows pin-out and terminal connections, according to toggle or lever positions. There are four examples of popular 3-way pickup selectors. These switches are used in Fender Telecasters, Gibsons and many other 2-pickup electric guitars.

Most of guitar pickup descriptions, that you can read on manufacturers websites, eBay auctions, e-stores, are usually made from marketing tricks. Yes, they are :o

You can read about how „vintage” is the pickup, how „deep” is its tone, how „the middle” is improved. All these things are based on myths. The tone character described as vintage, deep, with reach middle, etc, just can't be made only by a pickup. These things depends on the whole guitar construction (amps and effects also).

In this post I will show you a wiring diagram of the neck pickup switch. This is something uncommon, what David Gilmour has got in his signature Stratocaster guitar - Black Strat. It allows him to switch-on the neck pickup, when the selector is connecting only the bridge or the bridge and the middle single-coils. In this way, he can play on the „neck + bridge” pickup configuration, or even on all single-coils together.

Diagram: