5-way switch wired as a 3-way

[bmedeiros678]

Hi all,
How would I wire my RG7620 5 way into a 3? I am installing Blackouts. Can you help me?

Thanks.

[Vim Fuego]

The problem is the 7620 has a bizarre switch (used in all 2 pickup RGs) that allows for series and parallel options for the neck pickup. I posted details here
http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70571
You'd be better replacing with a 3 way blade switch if you can find one, or I suppose you could use a 5 way Megaswitch and come up with some new options for the extra 2 positions, say both pickups in series and both pickups out of phase if this is possible with the Blackouts (I looked at Seymour Duncan's site and couldn't find specific wiring info)
Jim

[Crazy_Guitar]

No problem!
You'd need a super-5-way, which your RG7620 already has!

That way, you'll just have to wire positions 2, 3 and 4 to activate both pickups simultaneously.

[bmedeiros678]

Originally Posted by Crazy_Guitar

No problem!
You'd need a super-5-way, which your RG7620 already has!

That way, you'll just have to wire positions 2, 3 and 4 to activate both pickups simultaneously.

Which poles would I connect to eachother? I perfer to make 2 and 4 quiet? Could that be done?

[Vim Fuego]

Ok I looked at http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70571 and if you wire the Bridge to what I've called A and the Neck to what I've called C and then D to the volume control (it probably already is) with nothing else connected that will give you:
1. Bridge
2. Bridge
3. Bridge + Neck
4. Neck
5. Neck
If you also connect Bridge to W and Neck to X and then Z to earth it will short out positions 2 and 4 giving silence for those IF shorting out is ok for active pickups (probably not!).
Jim
BTW. Sorry Crazy_Guitar, the 7620 does NOT have a regular super 5 way!! (The 3 pickup RGs do)

[bmedeiros678]

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

Ok I looked at http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70571 and if you wire the Bridge to what I've called A and the Neck to what I've called C and then D to the volume control (it probably already is) with nothing else connected that will give you:
1. Bridge
2. Bridge
3. Bridge + Neck
4. Neck
5. Neck
If you also connect Bridge to W and Neck to X and then Z to earth it will short out positions 2 and 4 giving silence for those IF shorting out is ok for active pickups (probably not!).
Jim
BTW. Sorry Crazy_Guitar, the 7620 does NOT have a regular super 5 way!! (The 3 pickup RGs do)

Thanks. I looked at the link. Is my switch supposed to look like the one you drew? My switch has 8 tabs on one side. I do not know what super switches are but it looks the same as a rg1507L that has 3 pickups on it. Heres a link http://www.ibanez.com/parts/2000_PAR...C5.htm#3PS1SC5


Thanks!

[bmedeiros678]

I guess I have a megaswitch?

[Vim Fuego]

Yeah, the 8 tabs are the boxes in the diagram labeled
A B C D W X Y Z
Most 5 ways are really 2 switches in one and usually the two sets of 4 poles behave the same (as they do in the 3 pickup RGs) The switch in the 7620 is the SC/2502W and the two sets of poles A B C D and W X Y Z are different.
The Bridge pickup Red Wire should be connected to A to help you identify which is which.
Jim

The switch in your link is the correct one, the diagram is a schematic showing the tracks on the green pcb so I could work out what the switch did! But the tabs are correct the 8 boxes correspond to the 8 tabs.

[Crazy_Guitar]

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

BTW. Sorry Crazy_Guitar, the 7620 does NOT have a regular super 5 way!! (The 3 pickup RGs do)

I'm almost sure they do!
Otherwise, how would they be able to select neck p.u. paralell on pos.2 and "split center" on pos.4?

[bmedeiros678]

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

Yeah, the 8 tabs are the boxes in the diagram labeled
A B C D W X Y Z
Most 5 ways are really 2 switches in one and usually the two sets of 4 poles behave the same (as they do in the 3 pickup RGs) The switch in the 7620 is the SC/2502W and the two sets of poles A B C D and W X Y Z are different.
The Bridge pickup Red Wire should be connected to A to help you identify which is which.
Jim

The switch in your link is the correct one, the diagram is a schematic showing the tracks on the green pcb so I could work out what the switch did! But the tabs are correct the 8 boxes correspond to the 8 tabs.

Thanks for the help Jim!!!!

[Vim Fuego]

Yeah I had the same confusion!!!
The Ibanez SC/2502W is a custom unit that allows the split/series/parallel options. Until I bought a 7620 I couldn't understand how you could get the options you get with an ordinary switch with 8 poles.
In the end I had to trace the circuit on the PCB of the switch to work it out!
You can do it with a VLX91 which is the switch used in the Jems and is similar to a Magaswitch but that has 24 poles!!
I'm sorry I cant remember the number of the other switch Ibanez use that looks the same as the SC/2502W but switches normally and is used in the 3 pickup RGs.
Jim

Reply to Crazy_Guitar
p.s. The "regular" 5 way used in the 3 pickup RGs is
http://www.ibanez.com/parts/2000_PAR....htm#3PS1CGAE5
It looks the same as the one in the 2 pickup models but isn't!!
The VLX91 switch is
http://www.ibanez.com/parts/2000_PAR....htm#3PS1VLX91

[bmedeiros678]

Jim,
If I am reading this right, I would connect the bridge to the first three poles, the neck to the second pole and the volume on all four poles? I wal looking at this wrong, the 1-5 are the positions.

[Vim Fuego]

Sorry, for the confusion you need:
Bridge -> First Tab (box A)
Neck -> Third Tab (box C)
Volume Pot -> Fourth Tab (box D)
For reference:
The Bridge red wire should already be connected to Tab 1 (box A)
The Neck red wire should already be connected to Tab 3 (box C)
And the Volume pot should already be connected to Tab 4 (box D)
all the other wires will not be needed with your new pickups.
The switching options will be:
1. Bridge
2. Bridge
3. Bridge + Neck
4. Neck
5. Neck
I don't know the details of the wires for the Blackouts but there should be instructions in the packaging.
Jim

[bmedeiros678]

Ohhh,
Thank you Jim! Boy that was a lot easier than what I was thinking.