Buckethead-style arcade kill switch mod

[ckyratm]

Hello all, question for those who are electronic savvy.

I'm not the best when it comes to wiring and I have an idea for an arcade button style kill switch that I would like to know whether or not it is possible to put in a guitar, and if so, how complicated it would be. I will try to explain this as simply and clearly as I can.

Basically, I would like to wire TWO arcade buttons to a guitar. I would like the killswitch to cut the signal ONLY when ONE of the 2 buttons is pressed. The signal should pass when either both or none of the buttons are pressed.


I've always been a fan of Tom Morello and his rhythmic toggle switch stuff he does on the Rage albums. And the Buckethead style arcade button is much more convenient than wearing out a toggle switch all the time except for the fact that pushing the button down cuts the signal. If I were to tap a particular rhythm in that config, the "upstrokes" would be where you would hear the notes. If I can wire a guitar as I mentioned above, it would allow me to tap the exact rhythm i wanted to play and go back and forth between killswitching and normal playing without having to do anything other than pick my hand up off the buttons.

Would something like this be possible?

Thanks!

[OU818]

Sure.

Wire one as the kill switch and the other as a bypass for the kill switch.

The one that is the bypass should be an ON/ON spdt momentary switch and the kill should be an off/on momentary spdt.

I just did this up really quickly whilst on the phone at work so somebody let me know if my brain has stopped working.

[Gladmarr]

If you use a pair of on-on momentary switches, then you'll get the performance you're talking abot in your original post. On with neither switch pressed or both switches pressed, and off with either single switch pressed.

For the buttons and switches, check out Happ Controls. They make the video game style push buttons, and they can take a beating. We used them in exhibits in the museums I used to work in, and they could stand up to little kids beating on them all day.


http://na.suzohapp.com/all_catalogs/pushbuttons/

[Les Paul Lover]

Would a double kill switch be really more practical? I keep thinking a single one should be enough? And mechanical more reliable?

[Foef]

All you need for a kill switch is a single pole, single throw momentary switch. Wire it across the output of the guitar and you're good to go. When you short the output of the guitar, the signal is muted. It's that simple.

[Moon]

If you didn't want to mess about modding a guitar there are several options that could be accessed using your feet if they're not already busy. I've seen several on the internet but the only one that springs to mind is EHX's pedal called the 'chillswitch'...won't break the bank either.

[jax510]

If you didn't want to mess about modding a guitar there are several options that could be accessed using your feet if they're not already busy. I've seen several on the internet but the only one that springs to mind is EHX's pedal called the 'chillswitch'...won't break the bank either.

I have tried stuff like this. I can do much quicker movements with my hands than my feet even though I played soccer (ok it was in america but still ) you can try putting the pedal up on your amp or somewhere. you have to take your hands further away, but you won't have to mod the guitar. I say if you don't mind the modding to do it. It would be cool.

[ckyratm]

Thank you guys! I'm actually going to be attempting this on my friends older Parker Nitefly. The piezo section is dead, and rather than having it be a waste of space I thought I would try to use it for something. I'm going to end up rewiring everything anyway so I'm going to remove the piezo section in the electronics and install the two buttons where the piezo toggle switch and volume pot currently are. I can post some pics of the guitar sometime if anyone is interested, its a cool guitar. But I am also a bit biased toward Parker stuff.

[Gladmarr]

Out of curiosity, what's the point to the two switch wiring you wanted to do? Is there a reason to have the signal come through if both switches are pressed?

[Les Paul Lover]

Out of curiosity, what's the point to the two switch wiring you wanted to do? Is there a reason to have the signal come through if both switches are pressed?

That's the part I don't understand either. One killswitch should be enough - if you want the signal to go through, just lift the finger?

I suppose having the 2 switches would mean you can keep fretting hand stability, but I'm not sure it's really worth it, i.keep thinking you'd learn to play it right with just the one killswitch.

[ckyratm]

See the last paragraph in my 1st post. It's a very small thing to be picky about, I know.

[jontheid]

It should be a doddle to do exactly what you want.
Get two arcade style microswitches like the ones here:
http://www.arcadeworlduk.com/products/a ... witch.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Each switch has three connections, common (CO), normally open (NO) and normally closed (NC).
'Normally' means when the button is not pressed.
Connect as follows.
Signal from pickup goes to CO on switch 1.
Connect NO of switch 1 to NO of switch 2.
Connect NC of switch 1 to NC of switch 2.
CO of switch 2 is your output.

So with no buttons pressed, signal goes into switch one, is passed to NC connection of switch 1, which is then passed to the NC connection of switch 2 which is then passed to CO of switch 2, which is your output.
If either switch is pressed the signal path is broken.
If both switched are pressed, the signal is passed via the NO connections of both switches.
It is very similar to lighting circuits for hall lights when you have two switches for one light.
The pic below may help.
Cheers,
Jon

[jontheid]

Except that this won't work well at all, as when you break the circuit it will be like having unplugged yr guitar with all the hum and everything.
Bah, need to think more.

It seems to me the only way to kill a signal at the guitar without adding noise is to short it to earth - this is effectively what you are doing when using a toggle on a Les Paul or whatever as one of the volume controls is turned to zero, shorting the signal out.

If you use a shorting method, then you can't use two buttons and have the signal coming through with both of them pressed.
The only way I can see it working now is with logic gates and a buffer. You need the switches as the inputs of an XNOR gate and the output of this controlling the buffer.