Understanding How a 3-Way Lever Switch Works

Another Breja ToneWorks (DIY) video - this time I'll explain how a 3-way lever switch functions so that you know how to wire one up in your guitar.

[@eddiejr540]

I pray these videos never get taken down....these are a goldmine of information!!!!!

[@3point8iscoolyes27]

Why would they be taken down bro

[@eddiejr540]

@@3point8iscoolyes27 ….I don’t know why I said that…I’m an idiot

[@deanwinchester2299]

Absolutly!!!! Sometimes Videos disappear tho i dont Know Why.

[@419thmilitia]

Thank you, the only video on KZbin that's to the point without all the bs

[@ranius7388]

I like radioshop pickups channel as well . Great tips for diy

[@419thmilitia]

@@ranius7388 I used this putting in some Fender custom shop 51 Nocasters they are the best I owned.

[@ParanormalResponse]

I wish I found this yesterday after my 4 hour struggle. I gave up, but Now I am ready to get back at it and do it right. Thank you for the helpful vid!

[@Maturin500]

I rarely comment but had to say what a wonderfully clear, concise and elegantly simple explanation this is! No fluff, no ego, well-chosen and colour-coded graphics, that explain the subject matter. I have worked for 25 years as a teacher and Headteacher: I know great teaching when I see it. What a gift these videos are to those trying to understand this subject matter, thank you!

[@jakevizcarra4072]

Made sense when you showed it. Other people couldn't explain it well enough

[@JoelPerez-le2jc]

Without a doubt, your videos have been a huge blessing to my understanding of guitar electronics. Thank you Don! Hope to see new videos! God Bless.

[@JuliusSmith]

This video finally cleared up my understanding of the two sides of the switch, thanks! The color coding and the emphasis on "independent" without the output jumper finally did it for me.

[@TMoody]

You sir are an absolute genius. I just spent the last 2 hours trying to figure out this import 8 in a row lug 3-way. Looked at your video and bam..... problem solved. THANK YOU!!!!!

[@sunnys3325]

Im doing an amateur build and your vids have helped me tremendously!! Thank You!

[@douglasslayton5068]

thanks much! just picked up a G&L ASAT Classic switch was bad......works like a charm now....now show me how to wire my brains and hands so i am the greatest tele picker on earth!!!!!

[@chickinpickin1]

Very helpful! Thank you for taking time out to put these vids up!

[@lordviewer7305]

I am just discovering your videos on guitar switches, very informative!

[@TT_R89]

That's excellent! Brilliant! I tested all this with a continuity tester using an Ernie Ball 3 way switch, exactly as you explained it. Thank you! I'm going to wire up a new setup :)

[@yeti1002]

Fantastic explanation , very detailed , thanks for clarifying the three way switch mystery / humbucker hookup .... Thanks Jedi Master 😊🙏😀

[@jhannaway9729]

Brilliant...! Thank you for such a simple and informative presentation.

[@sporkpilot]

Very simple and informative tutorial. Thank you!

[@alexrysham3668]

since i never use the middle position on my guitar, i wire the 3 way switch as blower switch also. position 1, neck, 2: bridge 3. bridge straight to the jack. theres a on off on switch to split either neck or bridge. the result is, i can use single channel amp and go from metal to pristine clean and jangly cleans in a sweep of a 3 way switch. super handly to me, saves me more money and pedals.

[@MaxPersico]

Thanks 🙏 clear and helpful. The best explanation ever seen

[@RRoosa]

Great video. I am learning how to build guitars and this video is very helpful. Thanks.

[@zisme]

this was a very helpful video. just what i need to finish my hh strat build. thank you!

[@pascalamat8873]

Thanks you . My Hagstrom F200 P is like new with a Fender 3 Ways Switch and your very good explanation for the wiring !

[@bensas42]

Holy crap THANK YOU SO MUCH, can't believe I finally understood hot it works!

[@musicandsound3481]

Just discovered your channel. Love your straight forward teaching style. Complex concepts demystified by simple, orderly illustration and explanations. I'm a complete novice but you make me totally get it! Thank you.One request: Would you make lesson on wiring strat to standard specs (no mod, just the way Fender does it)? I don't want to mod, just become proficient with standard set up. Thanks for your help.

[@theoversouls]

Excellent presentation - thank you, sir!

[@patarsatar]

An extremely helpful video, thank you so much!

[@ChrisD_GTR]

hey thanks for the detailed video! my first time wiring a guitar from scratch. the info really gave me the confidence to do it myself. and my own doubts about my self be damned. it all works! hah thank you again.

[@mrshatters]

Always dig your videos. Thanks!

[@robot_spider]

Look, I know it's 7 years later, but this video is just what I needed today. Thanks for taking the time to explain the mapping. The wiring diagram I got with my StewMac switch seemed to be reversed from what I was looking at on the physical switch, and my middle position wasn't engaging either pickup. With this information, I should be able to sort out what's going on without simply relying on their diagram.

[@danpeters4182]

Your videos are awesome! Thanks so much for putting these up. Would be great if you could visit various tele wiring schemes in future videos ;)

[@BrejaToneWorks]

I'll be adding some more in the future.

[@metlguitar02]

This is incredibly helpful. TY SO MUCH

[@rockgtr35]

Best explanation of this ever!

[@mr.bonesbbq3288]

Excellent tutorial, many thanks, amigo!

[@blackfender100]

Always great videos thank you.

[@jonathanbenson84]

Thanks man. Great Knowledge

[@TheSkarocker56]

Very helpful & clear. Thanks

[@WillMaskellTaylor]

Brilliant explanation, I've wired a lot of guitars using diagrams but I actually want to understand how it works lol

[@mutantcombo]

Thank you! I wasted hours on Fender and pickup manufacterer's pages, only to find wiring schemes, but no information how the switch works

[@reneliebregt6319]

Thanks splendid explanation !

[@scottaubuchon8312]

awesome video extremely helpful!!!

[@dawsondavidable]

Great explanation, thanks!

[@69jomen]

Best description ever.

[@axedoc2010]

Great video! Thank you so much.

[@SileLence]

Thank you, now it become clear!

[@Pumpkin_Fart]

2:24 - Thanks for this diagram!!

[@andresbriceno73]

Very Helpful! I would love to see where do i connect to a 3 pot strat configuration V+T+T wireing the switch this way

[@MrShadowofthewind]

So i installed a new three way lever switch, i did it the way of the last example in the video, neck and bridge position work, but not both, any idea what i need to check ?

[@BrettShomaker]

I'm hoping you just solved all my problems. Regardless this video is great thank you!

[@docmiller7941]

These vids are awesome and helped more than anything else online. Thanks Don. How about 1 on wiring an a Gibson EDS-1275 Double neck using the Switchcraft Right Angle 4 pole 3-way toggle switch. Not the added 3-way switch Epiphone G1275 uses.Also how about 1 on wiring a double neck Stratocaster with 1 volume 2 tone and 1 3-way using single coil pickups .......................... Thanks

[@BrejaToneWorks]

You guys and your double neck guitars. You're just rubbing it in my face that I don't have one. :) I'll see what I can come up with.

[@dragonsage6909]

Great info, thanks very much, I get it now..

[@giuseppeschintu7393]

Excellent very helpful! Is the lever switch different from passive to active pickups? Because I need to change my passive set to an active set and if there's no difference, there's also no need to replace my lever switch. Thank you

[@mozilla2576]

I appreciate all the videos you make!! Thanks. Was wondering if you had any tips or diagrams for using 2 dual concentric pots in a 3 way switched Tele? It has a humbucker in the neck and single coil in the bridge. Doing this mod to have individual tone and volume for each pickup. The pots are 250/500. Hoping you can help. Sincerely...

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

Great video. How about if you have a bridge humbucker you want to split (tone pot is push/pull)

[@spencerjose891]

Thank-you kindly, sir.

[@skydawgp]

that is a great video, I need to do the tele set up with just the bridge and neck, just wondering were to put the tone on that set up? thanks buddy!!

[@Hiphopdabop]

Excellent

[@user-xk2bo6wz6i]

1:30 Jello Don, first of all you have the best by far editorials of wiring guitars! Great stuff! Wondering if you have a video for best tone for wiring a Tele with a dual potentiometer 250/500 to HS and three way switch?

[@FirestormAudio]

Thank you! I was able to replace the selector in my Ibanez Talman, but I actually wired it backwards. lol

[@patrickkirby7612]

Maybe ya put it in backwards LoL jk

[@arlo_court]

Wow fantastic thanks!

[@eduardocominguez5173]

perfect! thank you a lot! do you have something like this but for a 4 way switch?

[@ajmee9664]

Thanks for putting this together. Position 1 and 3 work for me correctly but Position 2 only has the neck. Any idea what I could have done wrong? Mine is an import switch with only one row of lugs - used the same logic for A1-B4 that you referenced in your 5-way switch video. Thanks again.

[@metalgrandad]

Great video, thank you :-)

[@cb24203]

Would you be able to make one of these videos for a 4-way telecaster switch? With the Danny Gatton wiring.

[@AdamEmond]

Holy heck thank you

[@joe77h32]

New subscriber here, thanks for the info!

[@kitsterino]

Thank you dude!

[@clintwhite3021]

Can someone help :)? I assume this is for a parallel middle position but what would be the difference to make the middle position in series? Thanks!

[@yer2slw09]

Question, Im trying to change up my strat so that I can drop the middle pickup (I never use it), how do I wire up the middle position to split the bridge and neck? This is the only thing I need to figure out to finish my current project. Thank you in advance.

[@rodrigobriones156]

Hi....your videos are super interesting....I have a question, what if I wanted a Tele config with a toggle switch instead of a 3-way lever? thanks

[@PhilORourke]

Don't know what i would have done your vid.phil uk.many thanks quality muso

[@Toasty_1992]

Awesome. I’m curious how to wire a telecaster 3 way switch with two pickups, where the position are as stated. 1. Bridge 2. Bridge and neck parallel 3. Bridge and neck series I understand I need a ground wire coming off my neck pickup cover. But how would everything be wired?

[@SGNighthawk]

Thank you sooo much!!!

[@marcsalet8604]

I have an ibanez in hsh with a 5w switch and i would like to have a hh 3w switch configuration with position 1 for the whole bridge pickup, position 2 both pickups (or maybe only one coil of each pickup) and position 3 the whole Neck pickup. I have one standard volume and one standard tone. Is it possible with a standard 3 way position (like the telecaster) ?

[@awonderingoneil206]

Could you run a wire from the outer casing to act as the ground?

[@joshloki]

so good

[@gerardnatera6997]

2 pickup wiring with 3 way switch: Solution: I initially read the diagram wrong so I had to look at the switch properly to determine where A1 was etc.. B1 follows likewise then it was just a matter of soldering them as per the diagram. Now Position 1, 2 and 3 work

[@NickyTBeats]

I want to remove my tone knob, but where do I solder my neck pickup? to the selector switch? an which ones if possible? doing this to a Jackson soloist

[@mlagathomason2555]

Can I use it as a on off switch for an internal fuzz effect on my guitar?

[@Daniel_Antonio_Arellano782]

I have a Telecaster with the Bridge and the neck pickups only so I assume I use the last mentioned connection. Right? Ohh!, sorry, I noticed you mentioned the Telecaster. Thank you.

[@nickf9392]

That was very interesting, however I think I need the remedial course.

[@iamajediirl6444]

I am looking to wire a double humbucker guitar with each pickup haing its own master volumes no tone control and no selector switch do you have any advise or a video relating to that?

[@araujoviniciusu1]

Thanks man! So, in the 3 pickups wiring the switch determines the signal input from the pickups, and in the 2 pickups wiring the switch determines the output to volume knob right?

[@kennycobb7358]

I have a wire harness one Volume One Tone and trying to hook it to two humbucker pickups made by belcat there's only one wire coming off the pickups I've been looking for videos everywhere to show me how to do this have not found anything stuck and could really use some help thank you

[@jopppsss]

I have a squire CV 70s HH tele. Which one should i follow?

[@dcaudio1]

Doug, I have a question about wiring a guitar. I built a pick guard with a Seymour Duncan pearly gates (bridge hum bucker) and a little 59 single coil sized hum bucker in the neck. What I am trying to do is have 2 volumes and one master tone. I also want the center position to play both. Here is a list of my components. 2- Seymour Duncan hum buckers, 3 500k Mojotone vintage taper pots, 3- way CRL blade switch. My biggest complaint is wiring two volumes...I cannot seem to get the separation of the volumes. I want the top pot to run the bridge, the middle ;to to run the neck and the third pot to run the tone for both and the center position. My CRL 3-way switch does not look like any pot ive seem with respect to the lug layout. Their are 4 on the left and 4 on the right but the right side has the highest lug.....not like the tutorial you have shown. Also worth noting is the bottom lug on the left is common and the upper lug on the right in common. I would be willing to pay you for a drawing of how to hook this up. I also notice this guitar has very noisy ground loop noise. Any help with the noise problem would be appreciated as well. I need to know exactly where every single wire goes to include the input jack. Any help is greatly appreciated....thanks in advance.

[@faradaydavinci2952]

can u make a vid about crossed wires? do's donts ect xD u rock ❤ im a noob, but i get this

[@MrBritrider]

Nice! I have a three way switch for my two pick up Tele. but it doesn’t have a spring. Is there a way to make sure that I mount it to my switch plate correctly? Could I install ass backwards?

[@narcisrodriguez135]

Thanks!!!

[@stephenbarton2625]

Thank you do much!!!!

[@ddavis_drums]

Can a 5 way switch be used as a 3 way switch if I take out my middle pickup?

[@hanten10]

my old switch has a ground wire solder to the body of the switch.. where i need to put it on the standard switch?

[@12south31]

In between the pickups in the center position.

[@waynegram8907]

BREJA TONE WORKS, Vintage strats used a 3 way lever switch, but when putting the lever in between positions on a strat which tone pots are selected? I think the bridge pickup gets the tone pot#2 in the in between position right?

[@raj_pongo]

can this type of switch be a substitute for an On off On switch for Indicator lights?

[@rotten1395]

What is the orientation of that switch. When I look at my switch from the bottom like when I have back cover off and looking at switch while connected. The contact pieces are opposite.

[@owengonzales53]

Same here, kinda confused as to whether or not the orientation matters

[@lemmuelpanganiban]

awesome

[@jblevins1991]

Can you do a video about five way super switches?

[@adam5744]

Are you planning on doing more videos

[@nostrye3576]

I have a question. I'm thinking about wiring my Fender Strat with two humbuckers, two volumes, master tone with a 3 way blade, but I can't find any diagrams for it. Would you know how to wire that up?

[@RennedyBr]

Can I wire this switch in a strat so it goes bridge/middle+neck/Neck? Is that possible?

[@dcaudio1]

SO this is a great video except for one thing. My 3-way switch lugs are the opposite of the videos. It looks like the ground for the switch looking at it exactly like the video are on the bottom left and top right....so for a 2 pickup guitar HS which lugs go to what?

[@danieldominguez1947]

Thank you! I have a question about the diagram you introduce at 4:17. Recently, I changed the pots and switch on my MIM telecaster using this layout. For some reason, Position 1 and 3 work great, but position 2 is silent (both PUPS). I've double-checked my wiring and solder job and they seem in order. Any suggestions on how to trouble shoot? Thanks!

[@danieldominguez1947]

Nevermind, figured it out :) I checked for continuity between the common lugs and all the other lugs. For some reason, my switch requires a connection from B1 to B2 and another from A3 to A4 to work in position 2. Not sure why that is. I haven't seen that layout any where on the internet. Thanks again!