
Photo 1
Got a finicky selector on your dual-pickup guitar? No worries—it’s an easy fix.
Given the popularity of Les Pauls, SGs, Explorers, Flying Vs—and the thousands of other two-pickup axes inspired by these iconic models—it's no surprise I've replaced many failing 3-way switches over the years. Switches get used a lot and eventually they can wear out. When this happens, you'll hear loud popping sounds or scratchy noises, and the signal may even cut out when you're switching pickups.
Fortunately, 3-way toggle switches are easy to replace, and you can do it yourself with just a few tools and a bit of patience. It only takes a few minutes to cover the process, so let's get started.
The project.
To illustrate the steps, I'll use a 1983 Ibanez Les Paul copy that has a standard 3-way pickup selector: neck only, neck-plus-bridge, bridge only (Photo 1). Charmingly, Ibanez kept the arcane "Rhythm" and "Treble" designations for the neck and bridge pickups.
This is a cool guitar and it plays great, but the toggle switch is shot. Like many imported guitars, it has a cheap switch. I'm going to upgrade the guitar with a Switchcraft model, one of several options preferred by discerning players and professionals who are willing to pay a bit extra for reliability. Let's take a closer look.
Types of toggle switches.
On most guitars, you'll find one of two different types of 3-way toggle switches: the box style and the open style. In a box toggle switch, the internal parts are enclosed—typically in plastic—and they can fail if the prongs get overheated, especially when the switch has been re-soldered too many times. As a result, box switches tend to have a short life.
The internal parts are exposed on an open toggle switch, but open switches are usually made from better materials. Switchcraft double-pole 3-way switches boast solid construction and last a long time, which explains why they're used on so many high-quality instruments.
Open toggle switches come in three styles: short straight, tall straight, and right-angle. The short and tall straight switches have their switching apparatus below the toggle, while the switching mechanism on the right-angle switch is perpendicular to the toggle. All three are wired identically, they simply differ in depth and width. For example, guitars with shallow electronics cavities, such as the SG and many thin ES-style hollowbodies, use the right-angle switch. Gibson Les Pauls take the tall switch.
Here's an easy way to tell which type of replacement switch you need: Check out the minimum cavity size for all three Switchcraft styles at stewmac.com, and then compare these dimensions to your guitar's switch cavity.
Removing the old switch.
Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the cover plate on the back of the guitar to access the switch cavity. If you already have an open switch and you're simply replacing it with a new one, draw a diagram of the old switch or label each wire to help you remember the connections.
Image 1
If you're replacing a budget box switch with an open toggle switch, you can use the simple diagrams I've provided as a guide. Image 1 (above) shows a common 3-way toggle as seen from the front and Image 2 (below) shows the back view.
Unsolder each wire and then remove the switch by turning the mounting nut counter-clockwise. Some toggle switches have a hex nut and require a deep well socket wrench, others have a knurled collar nut that can be loosened or tightened using an adjustable toggle switch wrench.
Tip: Don't use a pair of pliers to remove the nut collar! Pliers will mar the knurled nut and if you slip, you'll also damage the top of your guitar.
Installing the new switch.
Photo 2
On the open switch I'm installing in this Ibanez, there are four prongs at one end and one prong on the opposite side (Photo 2). The four grouped prongs are the switch's inputs and output, and the single prong on the opposite side is the ground. In the group of four prongs, the two outer prongs are the inputs for the pickups and the two in the center are the outputs.
Before soldering, I use hemostats to gently bend the outer prongs (these connect to the pickups) away from the two output prongs between them. Then I crimp the two inner prongs together, because they'll share one wire from the switch's output to the output jack.
Note: Open 3-way toggles may differ physically. On a right-angle switch, for example, the ground prong and the input and output prongs are stacked vertically, and on some straight switches the ground prong is located between the two inputs, while the outputs are on the opposite side. But regardless of the layout, the principle is the same, and once you understand it you'll be able to confidently wire up your guitar. Study the wiring diagram that came with your new switch to confirm how it's configured, or use a multimeter to test and identify the input and output prongs.
Slide the new switch into the switch cavity, thread on the collar or nut, and then tighten it. Be careful when tightening the collar—it only needs to be "finger tight." If you torque it too much, you'll strip the threads. Also be sure to orient the switch so the toggle throw matches the original.
Switches get used a lot and eventually they can wear out. When this happens, you'll hear loud popping sounds or scratchy noises, and the signal may even cut out when you're switching pickups.
Switches get used a lot and eventually they can wear out. When this happens, you'll hear loud popping sounds or scratchy noises, and the signal may even cut out when you're switching pickups.
Solder up.
There are typically four wires to solder: the neck pickup, the bridge pickup, the output (this connects to the output lug on the jack), and the ground. Select a wire and clamp it to its respective prong with the hemostats, then briefly touch the tip of your soldering iron to preheat the prong and wire, and finally touch the solder to the connection just long enough to let a small amount of solder flow over the wire and prong. For detailed soldering tips, see "Tips for Replacing a Strat-style 5-way Switch."
Tip: When soldering, be careful not to heat up the prongs too much. Excessive heat can damage the switch.
Once you've soldered the four wires to their prongs, it's time to check your work. Gently tap the pickups with your hemostats for each position of the switch. You should get neck and bridge alone when the toggle is pointed up or down, respectively, as viewed from the playing position, and both when the toggle is in the center position.
If the neck and bridge toggle positions are working in reverse (i.e., the bridge pickup engages when the switch is up), then reverse the leads on the outer prongs. If the pickups are working correctly, reinstall the cover plate and you're done!
[Updated 11/10/21]
- Guitar Shop 101: Tips for Replacing a Tele-Style 3-Way Switch ... ›
- Mod Garage: How to Wire Alternative Tele 3-Way Switches - Premier ... ›
- Mod Garage: Inside the 3-way Telecaster Pickup Switch - Premier ... ›
An overdrive boost that takes cues from a Klon but goes beyond by adding useful tone-sculpting features.
A large range of wide-open tones to explore in the overdrive/boost family. Easy to voice with various types of gear. Might free up space on your pedalboard.
Potentially a little more expensive than alternatives.
$249
Walrus Audio Voyager MkII
walrusaudio.com
When it comes toKlon-style pedals, I like to think I have my bases covered. I’ve done too much research, I own a few, and I have some personal methodology for deciding which ones go on the board for which gig. (Not even I always understand that methodology, but it seems to work!) I’d like to put a check mark next to boost/overdrive in my mental notebook, but things don’t always go according to plan, so, on occasion, I find myself wooed by new offerings.
I promised myself I’d approach the Walrus Voyager MkII with a steely resolve. “I’m not going to fall for this pedal,” I whispered to my current klone-du-jour as I swapped stomps, confident that I’d never feel the need to add more options to a perfect pedal formula, as the Voyager does with its six knobs. But I guess there’s always room to grow.
More Knobs!?
In spite of the many similarities, you can’t really call the Voyager MkII aklone. It has germanium 1N34A diodes like a klone does. When I AB’d with myJHS Notaklön—which sounds exactly like my Klon KTR and has become my go-to thanks to its sturdier build—I was able to dial them in to sound quite close. I wasn’t able to set the controls to identical positions and I had to use my ear to tune the Walrus to get them. But with a baseline established, it was time to explore.
The Voyager MkII features five modes, which include the 1N34A diodes with a bass boost (mode 2), symmetric silicon diodes (mode 3), asymmetric silicon diodes (mode 4), and asymmetric silicon diodes with a bass boost (mode 5). If you’re familiar with what that all means, you know what to expect. If you’ve never tinkered with pedal design or dug into the finer details of your overdrives, distortions, and fuzzes deeply enough to understand those things, this is an excellent way to learn with your ears.
A 2-knob EQ, controlled by a footswitch, opens up the voicing of the Voyager. The mid control determines the amount of boost or cut from clockwise, and the freq knob selects the frequency that is cut or boosted, ranging from 350 Hz to 2 kHz.
Modes and Mids
I jumped around the modes to taste, finding each suitable in different scenarios. As much as I love the warm, compressed sound of the germanium diodes—and the bass boost option is a welcomed touch—the silicon diodes are more open, dynamic, and even feel a little grittier. That creates a lot of sonic variety. I always keep another boost/overdrive on my board along with my Klon or klone, but the Voyager would be a fine way to replace both.
The mid boost turned out to be my favorite feature on the Voyager. This would be a super-handy thing for kicking on between one section of a song and another, perhaps changing color for a lead or single-string part after heavy strums.
As I switched guitars, it was handy to hone in on some frequencies. After reveling in the higher side of the gain knob with a Powers Electric A-Type into my Deluxe Reverb, I had a hankering for some Strat-like bridge pickup sounds. Grabbing my G&L Legacy, I fine-tuned the high-mid cut, taming some of that guitar’s spanky quack and adding some saturation by using just the slightest touch of gain. Moving to my Creston JM, with the Voyager MkII set to moderate gain, I cranked the boost in the lower mid frequencies, where I discovered a cocked-wah sound that lent a ’70s Zappa flair to some off-kilter leads.
The mid boost proved especially useful when getting my existing gear to sit well with the Mk II. In front of my Mattoverse Just-a-Phase, cranking the high mids lent noticeably more attack to a particularly gooey phaser setting in a useful way. And when I plugged into my Champ, I was able to beef-up that amp’s thinner sound in the same way I might otherwise use an EQ pedal.
The Verdict
The Voyager MkII is built from a Klon-style foundation. But its well-considered features make it a much more versatile tight boost and overdrive that’s easy to voice for different guitars, amps, and pedal pairings. With a wide range of tones on hand, it also allows me to stay “in the zone” when looking for a sound instead of going on a pedal-swapping hunt for tone. At $249, the Voyager is priced competitively with other pedals in its class but offers more room to roam.
Walrus Audio Voyager MKII Overdrive Pedal - Seafoam Green
Voyager Pre-Amp/Overdrive mkII - Seafoam GreenPro hardware, unusual circuit tweaks, and killer playability lend new twists to the P-90 solidbody template.
Light and very comfortable to play. Creative tonal options. Excellent hardware.
P-90s may be too hot or bright for some. Middle pickup not as articulate as expected—and surprisingly difficult to activate on the fly.
$1,229
Vola Guitars JZ FRO
volaguitars.com
For nearly 10 years, Vola Guitars' Japan-made instruments stood out for their somewhat unorthodox features, quality execution, visual vibes that walk the line between traditional and modern, and mid-level prices that rival industry heavyweights. In the company’s varied line of 6- and 7-string guitars (and 4- and 5-string basses), the JZ FRO is more on the traditional end. Yet it still stakes out its own territory in terms of style and performance.
Subtle Upgrades
Vola’s most distinctive aesthetic feature is undoubtedly the bodyline scoop/flourish near the rear strap button. On the JZ FRO, it lends a dash of elegance and sophistication to an outline that might otherwise seem too literally Jazzmaster-like, while the handsome roasted maple neck, swooped reverse headstock, and nonstandard pickup scheme help make it clear this isn’t your average offset. It’s a classy, understated look even in the model’s flashier aged-copper and shell-pink hues. But look closer and you’ll note appointments that a lot of seasoned guitarists will appreciate, including Luminlay position markers, stainless steel frets, and a direct-to-output circuit bypass switch situated between the volume and tone knobs.
Slicing and Then Some
It’s not often you see a solidbody outfitted with a pair of humbucker-sized P-90s anda Strat-style middle pickup. The P-90s are alnico 5 units measuring 9.5k and 10.5k ohms resistance. To avail you of this circuit’s numerous tones the JZ FRO incorporates a deceptively simple-looking control array. There’s a lone tone knob, a traditional 3-way selector, and a master volume that pulls up to bring the S-style middle pickup into the mix. In this mode, with the pickup selector down, you get the bridge and middle pickup, in the middle you get all three pickups, and in the up position you get the neck and middle pickups. (More on mid-pickup tones in a minute.)
The P-90s are pretty hot, with a lot of punch and zing. In fact, the bridge pickup’s leanness and the neck pickup’s gristliness sometimes evoke Gibson P-100s.
With the JZ FRO routed through a Celestion Ruby-outfitted 6973-powered combo set to a bit of grind, I loved the bridge pickup’s tough airiness. There’s a detailed, vintage-esque character, and it gets toothier as you pair it with a boost or dirt pedal to drive an amp hard. Compared to the vintage-spec Curtis Novak P-90s in my Les Paul Special, the Vola’s bridge pickup is a little less warm and brawny, but also probably a bit more malleable and adaptable to different genres, especially if you’ve got a lot of effects in your signal path. The neck pickup is similarly powerful, though its contrasts with a traditionally voiced P-90 feel less apparent.
How about that middle pickup? Paired with the bridge unit, it yields funky, Strat-like quack—a tone you’re not going to get with most dual P-90 guitars. Accent them with a wiggle of the super smooth-operating Gotoh trem, and the Strat allusion is even stronger. Mind you, all this tone variation is available beforeyou activate the tone-circuit bypass. It acts like a powerful onboard boost: Everything is louder, hotter, and leaner.The Verdict
Vola deserves big kudos for packing so many unique features into a guitar that feels and plays this nicely at such a reasonable price. The novel tone-circuit bypass could help you cut through a dense mix or boost your solo even when you’re away from your pedalboard. That said, in some positions I found it sounded a little strident or hi-fi, and the fact that the circuit-bypass mode renders the volume knob useless makes it something of an all-or-nothing proposition. The added middle pickup expands tonal possibilities beyond P-90 norms, but don’t expect the same type of added clarity you’d get from a Strat’s middle pickup. Even so, the JZ FRO’s exceptionally smooth performing hardware and excellent craftsmanship make playing a breeze and a pleasure, and its VFP90 pickups pack a mix of power, clarity, and flexibility that make it a great choice for biting rock and thick, bristling blues tones.
There’s no disputing the influence B.B. King has had on the history of electric guitar music. We’re talking about his sound, his best records, his guitars, his showmanship, and his collabs, from an all-star jam at the 2010 Crossroads festival to, yes, even his 1988 U2 collab, “When Love Comes to Town.”
There’s no disputing the influence B.B. King has had on the history of electric guitar music.
With Lucille in hand—as well as other guitars—he carved out his sound by developing a signature one-of-a-kind vibrato and pick attack. His note choice, phrasing, and feel have basically become the fundamental vocabulary of electric blues. Even more than any other of his blues peers, his playing shaped blues and rock guitar. And that’s not to mention his singing.
So, on this episode of 100 Guitarists, we’re celebrating the King. We’re talking about his sound, his best records, his guitars, his showmanship, and his collabs, from an all-star jam at the 2010 Crossroads festival to, yes, even his 1988 U2 collab, “When Love Comes to Town.”
In our current listening segment, we’re talking about Brian John McBrearty’s recent meditation-jazz release Remembering Repeating and Julian Lage’s latest, Apple Music Nashville Sessions.
This episode is sponsored by Gibson.
A terrific twosome or a terrible twinning? It all depends on how you tame your treble.
Rein in those icy high frequencies with these handy tips.
Classic vintage Fender amps are renowned for their clean, shimmering tones. However, dialing in the “sweet spot” isn’t always straightforward, especially when you're playing on a new or borrowed amp. Pair these amps with Fender guitars—also known for their brightness—and the combination can sometimes result in ear-piercing treble and overwhelming volume. An amp that’s too powerful or an unsuitable guitar pairing can easily derail the musical moment you’re trying to create. So, controlling treble is crucial, particularly with louder amps.
In this article, I’ll share my experiences with Fender amps and how I’ve tamed treble issues through guitar tweaks, speaker swaps, amp modifications, and pedals. My goal is to help you achieve those glorious vintage Fender tones without losing your ears—or your audience—in the process.
Backline Bargaining
I’m extra cautious about bringing my brightest Strats or Teles to gigs with rented backline amps. Newer Deluxe Reverbs, for example, can be particularly tricky with dialing in a smooth tone. These amps often feature bright ceramic speakers and the EQ options are limited—there’s no bright switch to dampen the top end and no mid knob to add warmth.
Here’s what I do: I start by turning down the tone knob on my Okko Twinsonic overdrive pedal, which is very transparent. My old Ibanez Tube Screamers naturally rolled off much of the high end, making them easier to pair with brighter amps.
I also adjust the microphone placement set up by the sound crew. The tone gets brighter the closer the mic is to the center of the speaker cone. I angle the SM57 slightly and aim it closer to the outer edge of the cone, leaving a 3–4 cm gap from the grill cloth. Larger 12" or 15" speakers are more forgiving in this process, while smaller 10" speakers are less so. I’ve encountered challenging amps, like a Super Reverb loaded with 10" JBL speakers featuring aluminum dust caps. These amps sounded much harsher through the PA than they did on stage, making mic placement even more critical.
Dimming the Bright Caps
Bright caps are key components in shaping an amp’s treble response. On the Deluxe Reverb, the bright cap is always enabled, which can make brighter guitars sound harsh, especially at low volumes or when using fuzz pedals. Cranking the amp helps by adding more upper mids to the mix.
For my own Deluxe Reverbs, I sometimes disable the 47 pF bright cap or, more often, install a 25k mid pot on the back panel to add warmth. It depends on the tones I’m chasing.
Smaller amps like the Fender Champ and Princeton don’t have bright caps, which naturally gives them smoother tones. But if they sound too dark or muddy, you can add a bright cap. I installed a 100 pF bright cap on my 1966 Princeton Reverb (which has a Jensen C10N speaker from the same year, though not original to the amp). After experimenting, I settled on a 47 pF cap for just the right amount of clarity.
If you’re up for a bit of DIY, experimenting with bright cap values can significantly shape your tone. Black-panel and silver-panel Fenders typically use 120 pF bright caps, with exceptions like the Deluxe (47 pF) and the Princeton and Champ (none).
Guitar Tweaks for Warmer Tones
Your guitar’s setup can also make a big difference. Thin strings combined with pickups set too close to the strings can result in a thin, overly bright tone. Here’s how I address this:
● Lower the pickups slightly. I start with a 2–2.4 mm gap on the high E string and 2.4–3.3 mm gap on the low E, measured between the pickup pole and the string when fretted at the highest fret. Then, I fine-tune by ear to balance output across pickup positions.
● Use thicker strings for a warmer, fuller tone. I tune my guitars down to Eb to deepen the sound and increase sustain. Keep in mind, though, that this can create a looser, flabbier bass response on smaller amps.
● Hotter pickups add mids and bass, naturally reducing treble dominance. Alternatively, lowering the resistance of the volume pot can smooth out the tone by filtering high frequencies. However, changing pot or cap values will alter how your guitar responds when rolling down the tone or volume knobs.
Speaker Swaps
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, speakers play a huge role in shaping your tone. Swapping speakers or experimenting with extension cabinets is one of the most effective ways to adjust treble, mids, or bass. I’ve written extensively about this in previous articles, but it’s worth emphasizing here: The right speaker pairing can make or break your tone.
I hope these insights help you conquer any treble troubles and coax balanced tones from your Fender amps. Happy tinkering!