Multi pickup switch/selector?
 

It's like this. I recently bought a Sunnaudio MS-2 Stereo Preamp. The "magic" with this unit happens when you have 2 different pickups feeding into it which you can blend for a wide/narrow mid-side type stereo output (having said that, I have yet to try the results simply because I just moved and am in temp accommodation with my gear in storage for a few weeks).

Anyway, when I'm settled, I would like to have 3 pickups installed in a new guitar: A K&K pure mini, an internal microphone and a Black Angel soundhole p/u. All passive.

So. Is there an "easy" way to select any 2 of those pick ups to feed into a TRS jack out of the guitar? (the idea being to get very different flavors into the MS-2).

Doable? Not? Bad/good idea?

You could go the Billy Strings route and drill a hole in the top of your Martin and install a toggle switch... ;)

Just kidding!

Since a selector switch would restrict you from using multiple sources at the same time I'd probably opt to use a stereo end pin jack for 2 of the sources and add another jack for the third pickup.

To make things REALLY easy, simply route the three pickups to THREE output jacks. It might appear odd if anyone looked at the end of your guitar, but who does THAT? ;)
With that setup you simply use a cable that is 1/4" TRS on one end and terminates to two 1/4" jacks on the other end. You get to select any two of the outputs and you get to determine which one goes to each preamp input channel.

Does anyone remember Green Acres? The kitchen appliances had numbered plugs and there was a little list of what numbers could be used with what recepticle numbers. Yes, this is sort of like that... ;)

Anyone who owned a Gretsch with the multiple output jacks would be familiar... ;)

To be able to instantly select or route TWO of your three sources you would need to route each of the three pickups to TWO 1P3T selector switches. The two selector switches would configure the outputs of the tip and ring of your output jack. The mini toggles could mount inside the soundhole and you would use one of them to direct one of the three pickups to the tip connection of your output jack and the other mini toggle would assign one of the remaining two pickups to the ring connection of the output jack.

If you are unfamiliar with switch topology, 1P3T means single pole / three positions (or "throws"). That describes the terminal connections and number of positions for the switch. HERE is an example of that type of switch.

The switch shown is actually a 2P3T, but you only need half of the terminal points. All of the grounds can be commonly terminated, so they don't need to route through the switch connections.

Hi Daniel. There's no 'simple' way to do it, but with two outputs (at least one capable of TRS splitting) and an A/B/Y you could certainly choose one to be 'always on' (or off with a mute) and have the others either one/the other/both.

The best example I know of is my Aussie friend Jeff Lang's rig. Have a watch of this video... his regular acoustic guitars are set up exactly like his lap guitars, and he's easy to reach online and generally always happy to talk about gear:

This would be a perfect use case for a 1/4" TIP/RING/RING/SLEEVE (TRRS) jack and plug. In other words, where the barrel has 3 sections, plus ground. Of course in the 1/8" world, these are ubiquitous on cell phones. But sadly to my knowledge, no such animal exists in 1/4" format.

Lobby your Switchcraft representative....

That's just what I was thinking but I've also never seen one, and neither have Audio University


It could be done with an XLR connection using the case as the earth but I would use separate on/off switches for each pickup.

I mean, it’s clunky, but you could wire something like Fishman’s Powertap Earth, both sources to mono on the tip and then the sbt portion could be rolled in via the dial on the bottom of the pickup. Mag would always be on. Then on the ring could go a UST.

I don’t know why anyone would do that though, or what would be gained from it.

You could use an external AB box for the switch, but you'd need multiple jacks on the guitar.

Something like this:

amazon.com/Donner-Selector-Guitar-Effect-bypass/dp/B07N3ZBHR5/

At one time, I used 4 sources, but it was a kludge that only worked due to the specific gear. I had a Duncan MagMic, with the mic/mag blend control on the pickup, ultimately suppling one blended source to the tip of a TRS jack, then a K&K on the ring. That went into the endpin module of a Pendulum SPS-1, configured so that the end pin blended those sources into 1 channel on the SPS-1. Finally, an DPA 4099 mounted on the guitar with its own cable, into the 2nd Pendulum channel. So 4 sources, with multiple blending points, and certain limitations - like I couldn't get rid of the mag without also losing the MagMic's internal mic.

A bit confusing and complicated, but I only needed 1 TRS jack in the guitar. Was it worth it? Probably not. I'm happier with my 2-sources setup these days.

I think it's just the urge to explore. Sometimes it leads to great things if the right folks are doing it and seeing the potential.

I remember in the early '80s sticking two little electric elements to a cheap magnetic soundhole pickup and being amazed by the sound. Once I'd proved the concept I didn't bother pursuing it because I couldnt really see any future in it.

Another £ortune successfully avoided.

Trust me, I've been there too. Everything from installing doorbell piezo elements in the trem cavity of my strat in the 90's to taking apart call centre surplus headsets to use the electret mics in guitars, one under each string across the soundhole (it didn't work... I hadn't learned about phase cancellation yet).:D

Happy days. Expensive but informative.

:)

Thanks folks but the feedback. I think I’d be better served using Doug’s less complicated approach. My permanently mounted K&K would be accompanied by a 3.5mm plug strategically mounted to accept either the mic or the Black Angel.

I actually came across this today in another thread and it makes a lot more sense. Thanks again, all, and especially Doug for this setup procedure.

https://dougyoungguitar.com/blog/blo...l-mic-to-a-k-k

Thats basically why I do it. If I have a gig where I think I'll have issues with feedback, I can unplug the mic and pop in a magnetic pickup. Otherwise, it's simpler to just solder the mic to the ring of the endpin. But the jack/plug setup can come in handy.