Molly Ayala
Electric guitars have switches that control which pickup is active, allowing guitarists to choose which pickups are active at any given time. The switch is used to select between different pickups and combinations thereof. The two most common styles of guitar pickup selectors are three-way and five-way switches. The pickup closest to the bridge is referred to as the lead pickup and has a sharper, more cutting sound, while the pickup closest to the neck is referred to as the rhythm pickup and has a warmer and mellower sound. Some electric guitars have push/pull or push/push switches built into them that activate various features, such as pickup coil tapping or by inverting the polarity of one of the guitar pickups.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Switches | 3-way or 5-way |
| Switch Types | Toggle, Blade, Push/Pull, Push/Push, Mini Toggle |
| Switch Functions | Control pickup, volume, tone, coil tapping, polarity/phase of pickups |
| Pickup Combinations | Neck, middle, bridge, or a combination of these |
| Pickup Tone | Warmer and mellower (neck), brighter (bridge), versatile (middle) |
| Pickup Names | Rhythm (neck), lead (bridge) |
| Switch Positions | Up, down, middle, forward, various blends |
| Switch Terminologies | Poles, throws |
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What You'll Learn
Electric guitar switches can be three-position or five-position
Electric guitar switches are usually three-position switches. The three-position blade guitar switch is wired and functions similarly to a three-position toggle guitar switch. When the guitar switch is flipped up, the guitar pickup closest to the neck (the "neck pickup") is selected. This setting is sometimes marked "Rhythm". When the switch is flipped down, the pickup closest to the bridge (the "bridge pickup") is activated, and the neck pickup is turned off. This setting is sometimes marked "Treble". In the middle position, both pickups are active.
Some guitars, such as the Fender Esquire, have what look like pickup select switches, but only have one pickup. In this case, the three-position switch provides different tonal options. The first position gives the sound of the pickup alone, with the tone control bypassed. The second position adds in the usual tone control, and the third position adds a capacitor that rolls off the treble, creating a bass-heavy sound.
Some guitars have five-position switches. These can be wired in a variety of ways, but the most common has the bridge pickup turned on by itself when the switch is thrown all the way down. The second position is a combination of the bridge and middle pickups, the third has the middle pickup alone, the fourth has the middle and neck pickups together, and the fifth position has the neck pickup alone.
The original Fender Stratocaster switches were two-pole, three-way switches, but players found that resting the switch between the three positions could connect the neck and middle, or middle and bridge pickups, creating a new sound. This became so common that people started filing notches in the detent mechanism. The standard Telecaster switch could be considered DP3T, with two poles, each with three-throw terminals. The standard modern Stratocaster switch adds two intermediate switch positions, where each pole has electrical continuity with two of its respective throw terminals at once.
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The switch controls which pickup is active
Electric guitars have switches that control which pickup is active. These switches are usually three-position switches, with one setting for the neck pickup, one for the bridge pickup, and a middle position that lets you use both pickups simultaneously. The neck pickup is the one closest to the guitar's neck, and the bridge pickup is the one closest to the bridge.
Some guitars, like the Fender Esquire, have what look like pickup select switches, but they don't actually switch between different pickups. Instead, they provide different tonal options. One position gives you the sound of the pickup alone, with the tone control bypassed, while another position adds in the usual tone control. A third position adds a capacitor that gives a deep, bass-heavy sound.
Other guitars have additional switches that provide extra functions, such as pickup coil tapping, which turns a two-coil humbucking pickup into a single-coil pickup by disabling one of the coils. These switches may be mounted on the guitar's body or pickguard, or they may be built into the Volume and/or Tone rotary controls.
Rotary switches are sometimes used for pickup selection, but they're also commonly used as tone controls. Push-button switches are less common, but they provide more pickup combinations on guitars with three pickups.
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The pickup closest to the bridge is the lead pickup
Electric guitars have various switches that can be used to activate different pickups or to modify the sound of the pickups. The pickup closest to the bridge is often referred to as the "lead pickup" or "bridge pickup". This is because it has a bright, cutting sound that can be more easily heard over other instruments in an ensemble. This is due to its increased midrange and higher frequency range.
The bridge pickup is typically activated by flipping a switch down towards the floor, while the neck pickup is activated by flipping the switch up towards the player. Some guitars also have a middle switch position that allows both pickups to be used simultaneously. This is known as a "three-position switch".
The bridge pickup is often favoured for riffing, rhythms, and chugging, while the neck pickup is preferred for leads and soloing as it has a warmer, fuller tone. However, some guitarists prefer to use the bridge pickup for solos as it can cut through the mix better and has a brighter sound.
The P-90 pickup is another type of pickup that is typically placed closest to the bridge. This is to allow the rail coil to pick up enough string vibration to achieve the desired tonality. The P-90 can be oriented in different ways to achieve different sounds, and some experimentation may be required to find the preferred setup.
Overall, the bridge pickup being referred to as the "lead pickup" is due to its brighter, cutting sound that can be more easily heard in an ensemble. However, the specific use of each pickup may vary depending on the guitarist's preferences and the style of music being played.
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The pickup closest to the neck is the rhythm pickup
Electric guitars have switches that allow you to select different pickups. The pickup closest to the neck is typically called the "neck pickup" or the "rhythm pickup". This is because it is often used for playing rhythm parts. When the switch is flipped up, towards the player, this neck pickup is selected.
The neck pickup generally produces a "`muddy` tone", especially at lower volumes or with high-gain distortion. However, it can also be used to create a "singing" sustain, reminiscent of guitarists like Clapton and Moore, or a clear sound, even with high levels of distortion, if the mids are not scooped and the treble is not dropped.
Some guitarists prefer the neck pickup for certain genres, such as jazz, fusion, or prog-rock. It is also favoured for clean tones and slide playing. By rolling off the volume on the neck pickup, the "muddy neck pup phenomenon" can be avoided.
To summarise, the pickup closest to the neck, also known as the rhythm pickup, is used for playing rhythm guitar parts and can offer a range of sounds, from muddy to clear, sustained, or singing-like tones, depending on the genre and playing style.
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The switch can also be used to modify the sound of the pickup
Electric guitars usually have a three-position switch, which allows the player to select different pickups. The pickup closest to the guitar's neck is known as the "neck pickup", while the one closest to the bridge is the "bridge pickup". The switch can be flipped up or down to select either of these pickups or a combination of both.
Similarly, the original Stratocaster had a three-way pickup selector switch, which was replaced by a five-way switch in 1977. Guitarists had discovered that by placing the switch in one of the two "in-between" spots, they could get two different dual-pickup combinations, resulting in a "snarling nasal tone" that "redefined electric guitar sound".
Some electric guitars also have "push/pull" or "push/push" switches built into the Volume and/or Tone rotary controls. These switches can activate features such as pickup coil tapping, which turns a two-coil humbucking pickup into a single-coil pickup by disabling one of the coils. This creates a weaker, hollow, out-of-phase sound when combined with another pickup.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric guitars do not have a typical on/off switch. The closest thing to an on switch is the switch that controls which pickup is active.
A pickup on an electric guitar captures mechanical vibrations from the guitar strings and converts them into electrical signals, which are then sent to a guitar amplifier.
Electric guitars have a pickup selector switch that allows you to choose which pickups are active. The switch typically has three or five positions, each providing a different combination of active pickups.
