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DPDT push pull pots explained.

push pull DPDT switch potentiometer for electric guitars

DPDT push pull pots explained. Ah, the DPDT push-pull potentiometer switch—a true multitasker for guitar wiring enthusiasts! Let’s break it down into manageable chunks, keeping things simple but thorough.

What Is a DPDT Push-Pull Potentiometer?

“DPDT” stands for Double Pole, Double Throw. This little wonder has two independent switches inside, each capable of toggling between two positions. Pair this with the regular potentiometer part (volume or tone control), and you get a jack-of-all-trades for modifying your guitar’s wiring, as any “DPDT push pull pots explained” guide will tell you.

When you push or pull the knob, you’re flipping the internal switches. This allows you to engage or disengage certain circuits without needing an external toggle switch. It’s like a secret lever for your sound. Understanding how DPDT push pull pots work is crucial for any guitar enthusiast.

How Does It Work?

Let’s take a closer look at its anatomy:

  1. The Potentiometer (Pot):
    The top half works like any standard potentiometer. It can control volume or tone by adjusting resistance in your circuit. Nothing fancy here—just classic pot behavior.
  2. The Switch:
    The magic lies in the bottom half, where the DPDT switch resides.
    • Double Pole: Two independent circuits can be controlled.
    • Double Throw: Each circuit can connect to one of two positions.

The switch has six lugs in two rows of three:

  • Middle lugs: The “common” terminals. Think of these as the starting points.
  • Top row: The connections made when the pot is pushed down.
  • Bottom row: The connections made when the pot is pulled up.

When you pull or push the pot, it changes which lugs are connected, rerouting the signal, a fact often found in “DPDT push pull pots explained” articles.

How Is It Used in Guitars?

DPDT push-pull switches are the Swiss Army knives of guitar mods. Here are a few common applications:

  1. Coil Splitting:
    Use it to turn a humbucker into a single-coil by shorting one coil to ground. Perfect for adding some twang to your tone.
  2. Phase Switching:
    Reverse the phase of one pickup relative to another. It gives you that funky, thin, out-of-phase tone often associated with Brian May or Peter Green and is frequently noted in many “DPDT push pull pots explained” guides.
  3. Series/Parallel Switching:
    Change how your pickups are wired together. Series wiring makes them louder and beefier; parallel gives a clearer, brighter tone.
  4. Kill Switch:
    Silently mute your guitar output when the pot is in one position. Great for stutter effects.
push pull potentiometer wired for coil splitting
push pull potentiometer wired for coil splitting

Wiring It Up

Here’s the basic idea:

  1. Determine what mod you want (coil split, phase switch, etc.).
  2. Connect your wires to the correct lugs.
    • The middle row handles the input/output.
    • Top and bottom rows handle the “on/off” positions, as described in many “DPDT push pull pots explained” diagrams.
  3. Solder it all neatly—no spaghetti wiring, please!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by diagrams, don’t worry—wiring a DPDT push-pull is like assembling flat-pack furniture. It seems confusing at first, but once you know where everything goes, it’s straightforward (well, usually).

Final Thoughts

DPDT push-pull potentiometers let you squeeze more versatility out of your guitar without drilling extra holes in your beloved axe. Whether you’re chasing coil splits, phase shifts, or just looking to confuse your bandmates with a sudden tone change, this switch has you covered. Now you have a better understanding of everything about DPDT push pull pots explained.

So grab a soldering iron, a diagram, and maybe some patience—it’s time to dive into the wonderful world of guitar mods!

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Adding series / parallel wiring to a Tele using a push pull pot.

Here is a nice modification to add a fourth tone to your Tele style wiring by giving you the option of using the neck and bridge pickups ( mid position on the 3 way way switch ) in either series, like a wide spaced humbucker ) or in parallel , the standard tone.

You will need to make a small modification to the wires of your neck pickup, which is hopefully one of our Southern Belles. There is a small jumper wire that goes from the metal casing tabs to the black output wire of the of the pickup. You need to snip this connection through so that the casing is isolated from the black wire. You then need to make a new connection by soldering a new wire onto the casing tab and connect this new wire to the common earth circuit on your guitar.

As always don’t forget the wire up the earth connection need from your metal guitar bridge baseplate into the common earth circuit of the guitar to avoid unwanted buzzing when you take your hand off the strings etc.