Kill Switch

Self built and self assembly ;)

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werdna
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Kill Switch

Post by werdna »

I am learning a song by Rage Against the Machine that requires toggling the pickup output on and off very quickly. The song is Know Your Enemy. The speed is about 118bpm, toggling on/off in 1/8 notes.

Initially I tried with a Les Paul, toggling the pickup switch with the volume of one pickup turned down. However the speed of the toggling was too quick. I couldn't move the switch back and forth quickly enough.

Plan B is to install a kill switch. This would be a spring loaded button which breaks the signal when pressed.

I don't want to drill a hole in the top of the guitar for the kill switch.

The only other option is to install the switch on my cable close to the point where it goes into the jack hole. The cable would need to be opened up. The kill switch would need to be installed on some kind of mounting on the cable. The mounting would be some kind of custom made block into and out of which would come the cable.The wires to the kill switch would be soldered onto the cable wires.

I could then reach down just below the jack hole to the cable and start hitting the kill switch rapidly.

Where could I buy a kill switch?

Anyone out there who can do this sort of work please?
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Re: Kill Switch

Post by mrmofo »

you could try wiring a master tone and using the spare hole for a kill switch. Buckethead uses a similar set up.
mounting something onto a cable will cause issues with your cable, input jack and stage set up.
or you could buy a micro switch and mount it onto the cable jack plate.
it would be all kinds of fiddly that way.

third option would be to make a kill switch mute pedal.
or use a ZVEX Seek Trem
There are still some that think the neck PU is moved to accommodate the extra frets which only proves they cannot detect the difference in length of each.

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Re: Kill Switch

Post by AiRdAd »

If you are using a Les Paul, would it work by drilling a hole in the pickguard, and putting the kill button on that? (You could buy an aftermarket pickguard cheaply.) Failing that, could you put the button in underneath (and attached to) the pickguard, attached on it's side, so that you can touch it, and it still sits behind the guard. Jimmy Page used to have switches under his es paul pickguard didn't he? You could take all of the wiring out through the bridge humbucker route, so that it isn't visible.
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Re: Kill Switch

Post by Molly »

There is a guitar cable on the market that has this switch. I was using it in Rockshop's demo room a while back. It disconnects the guitar before you remove the cable so you don't have to put the amp on stand-by. Maybe just buy one of them?

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Re: Kill Switch

Post by Lyle »

I wouldn't mess around with the cable. You can buy some that have a killswitch built in, not sure if they'll hold up to Tom Morello style stuff.

Maybe try upgrading your pickup switch, I've done some Tom Morello stuff with my LP but I worry about breaking the switch. It takes some practice to get the speed up but I found it easier than a kill switch (which I've also had in another guitar).

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Re: Kill Switch

Post by Olderama »

Just get the audience to cup their ears rapidly :)
:mental:

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Re: Kill Switch

Post by Scooter13 »

I learnt this song with a Les Paul some years ago. I think Tom Morello used a Les Paul too for it, but I could be wrong. I assume you know that you don't actually completely switch to the neck pickup. You dont even let it fall in to the middle position. You just gotta let the switch come out of the bridge position enough to kill the sound. It just take practice. Try slowing it down and do it to a metronome etc. But it does wear on your switch :P
You could alos get a tremelo pedal and set it to the right bpm.

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Re: Kill Switch

Post by Zaulkin »

Its definitely possible with a Les Paul switch. As scooter said, the trick is to only press it far enough to kill the sound. I don't think a tremolo pedal would work as it would sound too automatic.

Wouldn't worry about wearing out the switch. If it does wear out, just replace it like you would a pot or strings.

Making a diy cable box thing sounds a bit difficult and might not work that well... Just my 2c of course.

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Re: Kill Switch

Post by werdna »

It's great to have instant access to your guitar-obsessed minds.
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Re: Kill Switch

Post by Kris »

seems like a fair bit of hassle just to learn a song-unless you are in a covers band and will be playing it regularly.
how about a push-pull pot? bonus is it will be close to your crotch and resemble an obscene act.

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Re: Kill Switch

Post by godgrinder »

Borrow a noise gate pedal than have threshold and decay controls. Set to a really quick decay and adjust the threshold to what you need.
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Re: Kill Switch

Post by cholera »

You definitely don't want to mess around with a pickup selector switch so much, you'll totally kill it. Just unplug your speaker cable and plug it back in really quick. Much safer.

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Re: Kill Switch

Post by werdna »

I should quickly switch on and off my valve amp.
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Re: Kill Switch

Post by Conway »

Too hard. Learn another song.
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