Switcheroo?

[Ray K.]

For someone like me who has played many years and is used to either 3-way toggle or 5-way blade switches, how easy is it to go to the Switheroo system?

I personally think the Blower switch would not be any problem, and like the idea. But what about the three separate pickup switches (HSH)?

What are the advantages of this setup?

I've overlooked many Anderson's setup with the Switcheroo system thinking it would be too much fumbling around when I need to make a quick switch from say bridge to neck.

I'm sure there are many here that have gone through this. Please let me hear about your experience - good, bad or otherwise.

Thanks,
Ray K.

[taclassic]

Ray,

I personally love the switcheroo system. But that is because the music I play tends to use one combo for part of the song and the full humbucker (blower) for the solos. It is a little challenge if you do many combos in one song. I hardly do that so I have no issues with it. Plus the switcheroo gives you series, parallel and split on all three pickups which could be cool for some folks. I tend to use neck split and then full bridge humbucker. This can easily be done with a 5Way, but the blower switch on the switcheroo makes it quick and simple.

[Ray K.]

Thanks for the confidence booster. I generally will do what you are doing. Maybe neck or middle for rhythm/crunch then straight to bridge for lead. It's rare that I would need to do more than that mid-song.

Sometimes I will need to go to the neck humbucker instead of bridge (HSH). That might not be as slick/quick, but I'm sure I can get it done.

I appreciate your reply.

Anyone else? :)

Ray K.

[Dave K]

If there was one change I could make to my TAGs, it would be a five way in place of the Switcheroo. If you're playing live and need to switch between bridge/middle to neck only, you have to turn the neck toggle on, then the middle and bridge toggles off. I don't find this easy in a band situation, but maybe others make it work. If you mainly switch between the bridge and another set position, it's not a problem.

You can make things a little easier by replacing the three toggles to on/off instead of on/off/on, but you'll lose the ability to switch between series/split/parallel.

Haing said all that, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used TAG with a Switcheroo,but wouldn't order a new one with it. Make sense?;)

[Ray K.]

Dave,

"Make sense?"

Clear as mud. ;)

I just logged back in to ask another question, that I think you just answered. The description of the system on the TAG site is a little confusing:

"Pickup Switches: Each pickup switch has an off and on switch. Off is the middle pickup position. Flipping the switch down turns on the pickup wired in series. Flipping the switch up turns on the pickup wired in either parallel or split. (The parallel or split function is assignable--see above)."

It starts off talking about an off and on switch. The next sentence states that off is the middle pickup position. Then it talks about flipping the switch down to turn the pickup on, etc.

Huh?! :confused:

Are these 3 position (triple throw) switches with the middle position off, as in no sound from that pickup? Or are they two position (double throw)?

I know this system has got to be much more simple, but I'm having a bit of trouble grasping the total concept at the moment.

I don't play out a lot these days, but when I do, I want/need my guitars and gear to be functional for live use, not just studio or bedroom playing.

Thanks,
Ray K.

[tom]

they are on-off-on switches. down is always series. middle is always off. up can be split or parallel depending how you have the internal switch set. split is the default when we ship these days.

[Dave K]

Tom just answered it clearly.

Flipping three mini toggles during a tune is too difficult for me, unless it's a slow one, so I use the Switcheroo (Confuseroo? :D ) to jump back and forth between neck and bridge mainly. If you're used to a five way, it might be a problem.
I have a Drop Top that I've been playing for twelve years, and at times I still get confused where I'm at while playing, so I use a different guitar if I need to make several position changes during a tune.

I'm sure others will post with their experiences. I'd like to know if I'm the only one fumbling with those mini toggles.;)

[Ray K.]

they are on-off-on switches. down is always series. middle is always off. up can be split or parallel depending how you have the internal switch set. split is the default when we ship these days.
Tom,

That's exactly what I thought, but when I re-read the description that I quoted, I quickly got confused.

Maybe one day, when you have some spare time, you could re-word it. :)

Thanks,
Ray K.

[Ray K.]

Dave,

I really appreciate your replies. They are very helpful.

I also hope others will give their opinions.

You may have read that I "Andersonized" one of my guitars and really like it - tonally and functionally! So, if I did wind up with a TAG with Switcheroo/Confuseroo ;) I could swap out if I run into a situation where I know I'm going to have to do a lot of switching.

Btw, I'm looking at used ones not ordering a new one. So, like you said before, if I were ordering, I'd most likely go with the 5-way.

Thanks,
Ray K.

[tom]

if you get one with a pickguard it can always be changed, but it is always a better deal financially to get what you really want.

[Ray K.]

Oh yeah. But that would be way too easy... ;)

I don't believe the the models that I'm interested in come with pickguards, they're all rear routed. In no particular order:

Drop Top (or Hollow DT)
Drop Top T
Cobra (or Hollow Cobra)
Cobra S (or Hollow Cobra S)
Hollow T

I'm leaning toward the Hollow models for less weight. The older I get, the less enthused I get about wearing a heavy guitar for very long. :)

Ray K.

[tom]

you won't find a cobra with a switcheroo so you can stop worrying about those;)

[Ray K.]

Hehe...thanks for your insight, Supreme Commander. :D

[dpeterson]

Tom just answered it clearly.

Flipping three mini toggles during a tune is too difficult for me, unless it's a slow one, so I use the Switcheroo (Confuseroo? :D ) to jump back and forth between neck and bridge mainly. If you're used to a five way, it might be a problem.
I have a Drop Top that I've been playing for twelve years, and at times I still get confused where I'm at while playing, so I use a different guitar if I need to make several position changes during a tune.

I'm sure others will post with their experiences. I'd like to know if I'm the only one fumbling with those mini toggles.;)

I usually have a setting i leave mine on (neck pickup not split). if there is a song i need a quack sound on or something different, i'd have it setup right before we go into the song, and i could cut back to the full bridge pickup for leads. Mid song you could never really pull it off, at least i couldnt, so i'd use it as a preset kind of thing. Only thing i'd like is to have the switch to select it on or off to be bigger, like tom has on some of the cobras, that big mini toggle.

Dave

[Ray K.]

Dave,

Thanks for chiming in. With your help and others here, I think I've just about made up my mind to steer clear of the Switcheroo setup.

Now, if my Grosh will sell, I have my eye on a TAG with a 5-way & Vintage Voicing. We'll see if it's meant to be...

Thanks,
Ray K.

[GaryMcT]

I agree with Dave K. I have a Drop Top with switcheroo and had a hard time changing settings mid song until I changed it all over to being two-way switches. It's *much* easier that way, although you use a lot of the flexibility. That's okay though for me since I'm only using true single coils. If I had a pickguard, I'd like put a 5-way on there. If I were to order another guitar, I'd like try to get a 5-way where the middle position is neck and bridge (I don't ever use middle by itself or all three at the same time), the bridge switch is single-coil only, and a blower switch that is the bridge pickup only in series mode.

[Ray K.]

Thanks Gary. Unless I find a bargain that I just cannot pass on, I don't plan to get one with the Switcheroo system. At least for my live use guitars anyway.

Ray K.