B5 Switching with Add-bridge Push/Pull Switch

The small toggle between the volume and tone control is a master splitter switch.

Here is how it all works:

Let’s call position 1 the neck position. Positions 1-4 of the 5-Way switch operate traditionally and the master-split toggle switch can be used on any of these settings to get either series or split out of each pickup.

Position 5 is full-power bridge humbucker all the time. This feature allows for soloing with one flick to position 5, no matter which other tone setting are in use. We affectionately call this feature the “Blower Switch.” On the B5 set-up the “Blower Switch” is the 5th position of the 5-Way.

The push/pull of the tone control allows for the addition of the bridge pickup to positions 1 & 2 only. This gives the added pickup combinations of neck + bridge to position 1 and neck + middle + bridge pickups for position 2. The add-bridge switch only functions on positions 1 & 2 so there are no redundant switching positions.

To sum up:

• Position 1: Neck Pickup (series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 1 alt: (with push/pull in up position) Neck + Bridge Pickups (series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 2: Neck + Middle Pickups (series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 2 alt: (with push/pull switch in up position) Neck + Middle + Bridge Pickups (series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 3: Middle Pickup (series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 4: Middle + Bridge Pickups (series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 5: Bridge Pickup (series always)