Switch help please

Rkphilpot

Hi all, electrical help please?!

The coil tap switch on my strat has perished. I need to replace it.

It's the Japanese green one in the pics below.
It says on it 
3A 125VAC
1A 250VAC

All the replacements I can find say 
3A 250VAC
5A 125VAC

What does this mean? Will it make a difference?

https://www.flickr.com/gp/198435672@N03/dBv3748dvA

Sporky

The VAC is the maximum voltage they can handle.

Guitar pickups typically put out about 1VAC tops (with apologies for such a generalisation) so you'll have plenty of headroom. 

Rkphilpot

Thank you 

Funkfingers

One word of caution. Some MIJ DP3T switches have their inner contacts operating the opposite way around to US/UK C&K versions. 

This can mess up the middle position of an on/on/on switch selecting stud/series/screw. (Lace Dually pickups are sometimes wired this way.)

Rkphilpot

Reviving this thread to ask the knowledgeable folk.
Can I swap the stomp switch on my pedal build for the latching switch pictured?

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBaWUD

ICBM

Rkphilpot said:

Can I swap the stomp switch on my pedal build for the latching switch pictured?

No - it's only a SPST switch, which is nowhere near enough - you need a 3PDT like the footswitch. (You may be able to get away with a DPDT if you don't mind losing true bypass or the LED switching.)

Unfortunately, finding a 3PDT toggle with a 1/2" bushing so it fits the hole in the casing is difficult and going to be expensive - but if you don't mind fitting a couple of washers to make the hole smaller, mini-toggle 3PDTs are common.

Rkphilpot

Ok, thank you I figured it wouldn't be simple. Really appreciate your help, thank you @ICBM ;

Sporky

Dimarzios do the EP1111, which is 4PDT (but on/on/on) and 15/32" so might be fairly easy to fit - I've used rubber grommets to seat them neatly in a 1/2" hole.

They have a particular switching pattern though, so you'll need to draw up the wiring you check it'll work. The middle position will be odd. 

Rkphilpot

Couple more questions added to this thread if you'd be so kind.

I bought a mono 'switched' jack socket but I don't need it be switched. If I plus a TS cable in it will the switch part matter? Or will I need to put a jumper from the hot terminal to the switch terminal?

Also with the switch how do I tell which are ground terminals? It's going to be for a killswitch so I just want to send signal to ground.

Pics here;
Thank you
https://www.flickr.com/gp/198435672@N03/422Rs79j5m

Sporky

You can ignore the switched connections on the jack.

Multimeter to tell how the switch operates, unless it has NC and NO on the terminals (normally closed and normally open respectively). 

Rkphilpot

Legend, thank you @Sporky ;