Not discounting anyone's experience, but I personally believe that "option paralysis" is a user issue, not a product one. More options is always better than less options, imo. If you only like 2 out of 60 options, simply stick with what you like, and maybe one day, you'll find a use for some of the additional options and be glad you had them. It's not the product's fault that the user is overwhelmed because he/she doesn't know what they want. That's a user issue. It's like if I went to a buffet and complained to the owner that there were too many things to choose from. "Option paralysis" makes sense, but i'm pretty sure that it's simply a flawed state of mind that can easily be avoided with the right perspective.
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Under stage lights, it can be a bit of a nightmare to get position 2 and 4 on a standard 5 way switch, adding another bank of options to that as well as trying to remember which your favoured settings within those 10 options is just too much for me. Different strokes for different folks though and that's not to say in a couple of years time, I won't change my mind to a more complicated switching set up 🤣🤣
@@BudgetPedalChap That's a valid point. When live, I agree: the fewer steps between changes, the better. For something like a helix, big changes can be saved to footswitches, solving this issue. But for something like the freeway switch, I can definitely see how switching sounds live could be more complicated. I've been considering the freeway switch lately, and you definitely gave me something to think about.
@@Krabin_ I've always been tempted by the helix and Variax integration. Having not only patches but pickup switches at a button press seems incredibly convenient. It's been lovely chatting with you gent, thanks 👍
I think you're being too kind - I've seen reviews of great pedals, amps, guitars which say they're rubbish and it's always the fact that the player isn't good enough to use the equipment.
That's really good to know 👍 I'm glad that I'm hearing some good feedback on them too. Are there any of the switching options you think are better than the others that aren't on a standard strat?
@@BudgetPedalChap Your criticisms are valid but subjective. For people who don't use the sounds or have 23 guitars to fit every required tone, it's correct. However, as a working musician on the road and in the studio who has sold his entire collections except for the 6 he actually loves and uses (3 electrics, a Jazz box, an acoustic, and a classical), Since I play everything from Pop, Jazz, Prog, and Funk to Neoclas and chuggy Metal (not to mention the flamenco gigs that need me on nylon for 95% and on electric 5%), it's imperative. On a Strat, the two additional parallel options are widespread in Pop and Funk (and David Gilmour!), while the B + M and M + N in series are unique humbucker tones. The idea isn't to mimic a LP or TC, but to open new, unique _Strat_ sounds. While the modeling guitars offer more possibilities, none of the emulations sound convincing; it sounds unmistakenly like a Strat with a filter. I get a different guitar if I need tones that are absent from a SC.
@@RVered yeah totally 👍 we all have our own ways of doing things and I made the video to encourage those discussions in this community. It's great hearing everyone's take on it.
@@BudgetPedalChapI like middle position in the lower bank, normal, for a clean sound. If I want the clean beefier, I go directly to the upper bank same position, and the fullest is upper bank closest to the neck for full all pickups in series. Upper bank provides a bit of overdrive without a pedal.
Although I like versatility, I fear that using this in a real-world scenario (especially live) it would be far too easy to knock this in to the wrong position.
I understand where you’re coming from, but being realistic if you DO knock it out of position by accident, the tonal difference isn’t going to be earth shatteringly different. It’s not a song killer, more like an oops moment. All this worrying over difficulty getting to the correct position, remembering your favorites and accidentally knocking it outbid position has me scratching my head. It’s not like flipping to the wrong position changes your guitar tone into that of a bassoon. Like the OP said though, different folks. Cheers!
this is why they also have a 3 way 6 position switch as well. on a SSS setup you get your single coils (neck, middle, bridge) on one side, then on the other side you get your paired options (neck + middle, neck + bridge, middle + bridge). So you get that additional tele style middle position but in an even simpler switching style than a normal strat style 5 way blade. it's even more intuitive to use than a normal 5 way as well due to there obviously only being 3 positions then being pushed away or towards you. What makes the 3 way 6 position even more intuitive though is if youre in the neck position then push it away, you're now in neck + middle, same with the bridge position, pushing it away now you have the bridge + middle. This is way easier to find during a live performance than trying to find the 2nd or 4th position on a 5 way.
Yeah, I imagine you'd be able to get some interesting tones out of it for sure. I didn't get a chance to try it myself, but from previous experience with other guitars I know I wouldn't be using it to its fullest. Did you like it enough to install one on any of your guitars?
I did once wire up a strat to have a blend pot so you could blend in the bridge pickup with the neck or have all three pickups on at the same time but as any real strat aficionado knows, you only really need the neck pickup! So I didn't use it and when I sold that guitar I never bothered to repeat the same set up on another.
Ooh the ol' fez parka mod.i have a bit of an odd-ball that has that too. It's a decent mod tbf but yeah, it's not something I've repeated on any others, so it's not a game changer. Neck pickup is the one really, we all know this 😉👍
That was actually a stock feature on a Grosh Retro Classic I had in the early 2000s. I was divided about it. I liked being able to get that tele middle position to varying degrees, but otherwise I didn't use it much.
I think, that 4 way switch on tele won't be failing as much to be concerned, however 10 way switch for strats, well, there's a lot that could go bad. At the end of the day, it all depends on manufacurer, I guess. You put up a good point to consideration in this vlog. Cheers!
I fitted a freeway switch into my strat and do really like it, but have found a couple of positions I go to a lot (like neck and bridge in series for a neck humbucker tone, or neck and bridge in parallel for that spanky Tele tone)
I'm glad it's not just me. I have been trying to convince myself I need all of the switching options for years only to find a select few that I really loved.
I love my Freeway switch in my 80's strat! I have it for atleast a year and a half and its rock solid. I do change alot bewteen rows and positions at the same time and it never failed. PCB soldering is a little harder than soldering an old school switch so user error is maybe a cause for failure in the long run.
I have installed at two of my guitars. At an AM strat (SSS) and on a G&L ASAT Z-3. This has added a lot of ekstra tones. I would strongly recomment to have this installed. If you are unhappy ... you cal always swop back again . At my G&L ASAT Z-3 it was a major ad-on
I've had a Freeway in my Strandberg for a couple years now and have not had an issue. However, I do have a Variax JVT59 and haven't been impressed by the models. The integration with the Line6 Helix is amazing but the models sound flat without a ton of tweaking. In addition the build quality leaves a lot of room for improvement. The 3-way switch failed on mine and it took months to get a replacement as it's a proprietary switch that not only controls the pickups, but also switches the models.
I've heard there can be issues getting parts for the Variax and it's only going to get worse now that they've discontinued it. I'm hoping I never have to deal with it myself because I use the Variax almost daily 👍
Thanks for this video, agree a lot with option paralysis. I have found that I don't like the 5 way switches at all because of a bit of more struggle to switch to pos 2 from pos 5 or from pos 1 to 4, I'ts always a bit frustrating to me comparing to 3-way. I play mostly with HH so I wire stuff with two push-pull pots for single coils and out of phase options. I'm good with soldering electronics and new pots don't require drilling through the body so the options remain hidden unless you know where to look. I do find some settings more usable but like to have them all anyway.
Yeah, simple it's often the best option especially when playing live. The idea of the switching is interesting, but in practice it's more to go wrong. Thanks for the kind words 👍
I actually worked with Freeway to improve their switches. The very first batches were quite fragile but the newer ones are much sturdier. The argument that 'circuit board = bad, because I say so' is a bit silly because Schaller's Megaswitches uses circuitboards as well and those are rock solid. I have tried to break the Freeway, I did. I can't. The benefit is that you can omit the push pull for splits. You have to think of it as 'modes' on your guitar. Humbucker mode or 'strat' mode. I find it extremely useful with 3 singlecoils (tele or strat, but I prefer tele, 100% of the time over strats), to get the classic tones, but also add more, like neck+bridge in parallel, or neck+mid in series, or mid+bridge in series, or even all three on at the same time. It is very useful if you have just one guitar, or wish to get the Brian May style sounds out of a guitar without having to use a bazillion little switches.
Aye, I did preface this with the fact that I'd not tried one myself and that I weren't really making comment on the quality of the switches as my main argument. I did include Steve's experience though as he had. I think you may have missed the point with "PCB switch bad", what I said was the cheap switches you find in low end guitars are always those flimsy PCB mounted ones. I don't think it's just me that questions the quality of those switches and a common upgrade for cheaper guitars is to replace the cheap electronics, including the switch. No doubt that I'll probably move over to a more complicated switching system in the future, I seem to have fads of wanting all the switching options but for now I'm finding myself loving the simplicity. Thanks for the comment 👍
@@BudgetPedalChapI was aware of your disclaimer :) I replied in more general terms, not perse to (all) you said. The Freeway has a place but it is truly not for everyone. I switch a lot between pickups and settings, so for me, it makes sense, but I can just as easily just live on the bridge pickup and the neck pickup and totally skip the in-between settings.
"Option paralysis" or choice overload as a phenomenon is often misunderstood and overexaggerated, especially in the guitar world. There are certain conditions that must be met before the effect is noticeable: 1) people making the choice must not have a clear prior preference for an item type or category. When the choice-maker has a preference, the number of options has little impact on the final decision and satisfaction. For example, if you already prefer the neck or bridge humbucker, no matter how many additional options you get, you're not gonna get "paralyzed" or less satisfied by choosing your favorite. On the other hand, if you were a beginner and you haven't yet formed a preference, you may get "option paralysis". 2) there must not be a clearly dominant option in the choice set, meaning that all options must be perceived of equivalent quality. One option cannot stand out as being better from the rest. The presence of a superior option and many less desirable options will result in a more satisfied decision. For example, a humbucker tone is more common and typical in virtually all music styles than an out-of-phase tone. Thus, having the option of out-of-phase wiring doesn't take away any satisfaction when they're not used as often as the full humbucker. 3) people must be less familiar with the choice set. This means that if the person making a choice has expertise in the subject matter, they can more easily sort through the options and not be overwhelmed by the variety. This means that if you have wired the guitar yourself, you definitely know what each switching option does and what kind of sound it's going to give you. "Option paralysis" could occur if you were handed an unfamiliar guitar with unknown wiring mods, or a digital modeler with 100 presets that you know nothing about.
So which side of the fence do you sit when it comes to massive amounts of switching options? Do you enjoy having a lot of choice or would you prefer fewer choices for a more simple experience?
@@BudgetPedalChap I like as many switching options as I can have, with parallel/series switching and the Gilmour mod as most important, and out-of-phase as less important, as long as any additional switches don't get in the way of the picking hand.
They aren't new ! They've been around for a few years and are used on a few guitars and by a few pro guitarists, but I've always thought they are a bit pointless, Ibanez have had three pickup systems with a combo of 5 way and push pulls that do anything anyone really needs for about 30 years.
Parker Nitefly Hss Freeway 10 way switch Oop switch for HB Brilliant and easy I have a Variax to muck about on but there's an annoying digital Artifact in the tones...it's always there and drives me mad... So the Parker is my go to The Variax stays at home
I've heard a few people rave about the parkers. They were super popular back in the the early 2000s, but I don't see them around much anymore. I'd be curious to try one out 👍
I would say this would be a good option for a guitar that stays at home or in a studio. Playing out live In see this as pure overkill and the minute changes will be next to nothing playing live. If you play out whether solo or in a band, options tend to get in the way rather than help. If you have equipment where you have loads of options in guitars, pedals, and amps, more often than not you are going to do a "set it and forget it" tone/sound and play that for most of not all of your set. Something like this is fun for home or a studio if you record but overall not that practical playing out. On the practical side, you are better off with two different guitars rather than "jam everything into one guitar" for playing out.
@@BudgetPedalChap Playing live, either "Great!" or "Good Enough" is all you need. Details tend to get lost playing live. That said, how many of your viewers are actually live players?
@@gringogreen4719 exactly, as long as the notes you are playing are fine, your tone doesn't really matter all that much. That's a really good question, I might just have to put a poll up to find out 👍
@@BudgetPedalChap Yeah, strange opinions are out in force this week. I was told I have been playing guitar wrong for my 30 years of playing (even though they don't know what I play, or have ever heard me). And the PRS comments on tone wood have kicked up more dust (my opinion on this is, it's a hot topic, 20 years ago no one made gave this any thought and in 20 years I doubt anyone will care like they do today). For the poll, I would think that bedroom vs band vs live vs recording would be a good poll and let you know where your audience is. Bedroom players won't care so much about live stuff, etc... So hopefully this helps. 😉👍✨
You've left a few comments on this video, none of which have been particularly kind or in the spirits of the discussion. I have plenty that disagree with my stance here, and that's ok, but they are doing it in a respectful way. If you want to share your options, I'm all for that, but if you continue to conduct yourself in the way you have so far, you'll have to go I'm afraid.
I said that because you reviewed something you had no actual experience of! But the biggest waste of my time was u waffling on about a Varia,totally unrelated! Blocked,see ya@@BudgetPedalChap
@@BudgetPedalChap I too have strats and teles, but sometimes, when you want that sound for one particular number, its easier to use a switch than to change guitars. For a few measly £s I love having that option, but to each his own I guess.
Meh, they are cool and functional. If you are overwhelmed with that is your fault, go get an acoustic guitar and let the cool things to those who can handle it. 👍🏻
Not discounting anyone's experience, but I personally believe that "option paralysis" is a user issue, not a product one. More options is always better than less options, imo. If you only like 2 out of 60 options, simply stick with what you like, and maybe one day, you'll find a use for some of the additional options and be glad you had them. It's not the product's fault that the user is overwhelmed because he/she doesn't know what they want. That's a user issue. It's like if I went to a buffet and complained to the owner that there were too many things to choose from. "Option paralysis" makes sense, but i'm pretty sure that it's simply a flawed state of mind that can easily be avoided with the right perspective.
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Under stage lights, it can be a bit of a nightmare to get position 2 and 4 on a standard 5 way switch, adding another bank of options to that as well as trying to remember which your favoured settings within those 10 options is just too much for me. Different strokes for different folks though and that's not to say in a couple of years time, I won't change my mind to a more complicated switching set up 🤣🤣
@@BudgetPedalChap That's a valid point. When live, I agree: the fewer steps between changes, the better. For something like a helix, big changes can be saved to footswitches, solving this issue. But for something like the freeway switch, I can definitely see how switching sounds live could be more complicated. I've been considering the freeway switch lately, and you definitely gave me something to think about.
@@Krabin_ I've always been tempted by the helix and Variax integration. Having not only patches but pickup switches at a button press seems incredibly convenient. It's been lovely chatting with you gent, thanks 👍
I think you're being too kind - I've seen reviews of great pedals, amps, guitars which say they're rubbish and it's always the fact that the player isn't good enough to use the equipment.
I’ve never come across a 10-way switch, but my older friend has a probably rare Les Paul Custom with a six-notch knob.
@@michaelgrahamwongacutemadness yeah, I think these guys are responsible for one of those too 👍
I have a freeway switch on my Strat and feel that Strats should be made with one.👍
That's really good to know 👍 I'm glad that I'm hearing some good feedback on them too. Are there any of the switching options you think are better than the others that aren't on a standard strat?
Agree. I found some nice options on the upper bank that wouldn't have been available normally.
@@BudgetPedalChap Your criticisms are valid but subjective. For people who don't use the sounds or have 23 guitars to fit every required tone, it's correct. However, as a working musician on the road and in the studio who has sold his entire collections except for the 6 he actually loves and uses (3 electrics, a Jazz box, an acoustic, and a classical), Since I play everything from Pop, Jazz, Prog, and Funk to Neoclas and chuggy Metal (not to mention the flamenco gigs that need me on nylon for 95% and on electric 5%), it's imperative. On a Strat, the two additional parallel options are widespread in Pop and Funk (and David Gilmour!), while the B + M and M + N in series are unique humbucker tones. The idea isn't to mimic a LP or TC, but to open new, unique _Strat_ sounds. While the modeling guitars offer more possibilities, none of the emulations sound convincing; it sounds unmistakenly like a Strat with a filter. I get a different guitar if I need tones that are absent from a SC.
@@RVered yeah totally 👍 we all have our own ways of doing things and I made the video to encourage those discussions in this community. It's great hearing everyone's take on it.
@@BudgetPedalChapI like middle position in the lower bank, normal, for a clean sound. If I want the clean beefier, I go directly to the upper bank same position, and the fullest is upper bank closest to the neck for full all pickups in series. Upper bank provides a bit of overdrive without a pedal.
Although I like versatility, I fear that using this in a real-world scenario (especially live) it would be far too easy to knock this in to the wrong position.
I find it fiddly enough to find the 2 and 4 positions on a Strat. Adding another 5 positions is asking for trouble for me at least 🤣🤣
This is ridiculous
It’s very easy to use
@@KalvinB-y5s we all have different opinions and experiences 👍
I understand where you’re coming from, but being realistic if you DO knock it out of position by accident, the tonal difference isn’t going to be earth shatteringly different. It’s not a song killer, more like an oops moment. All this worrying over difficulty getting to the correct position, remembering your favorites and accidentally knocking it outbid position has me scratching my head. It’s not like flipping to the wrong position changes your guitar tone into that of a bassoon. Like the OP said though, different folks. Cheers!
this is why they also have a 3 way 6 position switch as well. on a SSS setup you get your single coils (neck, middle, bridge) on one side, then on the other side you get your paired options (neck + middle, neck + bridge, middle + bridge). So you get that additional tele style middle position but in an even simpler switching style than a normal strat style 5 way blade.
it's even more intuitive to use than a normal 5 way as well due to there obviously only being 3 positions then being pushed away or towards you. What makes the 3 way 6 position even more intuitive though is if youre in the neck position then push it away, you're now in neck + middle, same with the bridge position, pushing it away now you have the bridge + middle. This is way easier to find during a live performance than trying to find the 2nd or 4th position on a 5 way.
I love my 10 way switch
I'm totally cool with that, if it works for you then it's all good 👍 for me, it's a no though
I tried it on one of the new Chapmans and found it brilliant.
Yeah, I imagine you'd be able to get some interesting tones out of it for sure. I didn't get a chance to try it myself, but from previous experience with other guitars I know I wouldn't be using it to its fullest.
Did you like it enough to install one on any of your guitars?
@@BudgetPedalChap Hm, possibly. I think I would on a passive loaded guitar.
Thank ya for the shout out BPC 😀🙏
I think the Charvel wiring on the DK 22 SSS might be my favourite 😎👍
Cheers for inspiring this one. The DK is an instrument I absolutely have to try, they look very cool indeed
@@BudgetPedalChap I was gigging it briefly (still can't get on with the neck) but every pickup position got used 😀👍
@@stevecassidyguitar that's some going there, I am lucky if I move away from the neck pickup at all 🤣🤣
@@BudgetPedalChap 😁👌
I did once wire up a strat to have a blend pot so you could blend in the bridge pickup with the neck or have all three pickups on at the same time but as any real strat aficionado knows, you only really need the neck pickup! So I didn't use it and when I sold that guitar I never bothered to repeat the same set up on another.
Ooh the ol' fez parka mod.i have a bit of an odd-ball that has that too. It's a decent mod tbf but yeah, it's not something I've repeated on any others, so it's not a game changer. Neck pickup is the one really, we all know this 😉👍
That was actually a stock feature on a Grosh Retro Classic I had in the early 2000s. I was divided about it. I liked being able to get that tele middle position to varying degrees, but otherwise I didn't use it much.
I do like switching options, but sometimes it can get a bit confusing sometimes. I couldn't do a single pickup guitar, that's for sure
Yeah, I have tried single pickup guitars myself and always find myself wanting more. 3-5 is enough for me
I think, that 4 way switch on tele won't be failing as much to be concerned, however 10 way switch for strats, well, there's a lot that could go bad. At the end of the day, it all depends on manufacurer, I guess. You put up a good point to consideration in this vlog. Cheers!
@@burrito_chesterton cheers. I tend to only use two positions on my Strat anyway, so having 10 would be redundant 🤣🤣
I have a 10-way switch. Perfect for the studio and you get more inspiration!
Absolutely I can see a real application for it for sure. What's your favourite non standard pickup sound from it?
@@BudgetPedalChap I don't have a favourite pickup stand. It depends entirely on what equipment I'm playing over and what guitar.
I fitted a freeway switch into my strat and do really like it, but have found a couple of positions I go to a lot (like neck and bridge in series for a neck humbucker tone, or neck and bridge in parallel for that spanky Tele tone)
I'm glad it's not just me. I have been trying to convince myself I need all of the switching options for years only to find a select few that I really loved.
I love my Freeway switch in my 80's strat! I have it for atleast a year and a half and its rock solid. I do change alot bewteen rows and positions at the same time and it never failed. PCB soldering is a little harder than soldering an old school switch so user error is maybe a cause for failure in the long run.
I hear the earlier ones are less reliable, they've really sorted out the quality on them. I might have to try one out and see if I get on with it 👍
@@BudgetPedalChap yes, always good to try things for yourself if youre gonna talk about it on the interwebs
@@GoudVis56667 aye, I thought it was a nice talking point based on the live stream I watched.
I have installed at two of my guitars. At an AM strat (SSS) and on a G&L ASAT Z-3. This has added a lot of ekstra tones. I would strongly recomment to have this installed. If you are unhappy ... you cal always swop back again .
At my G&L ASAT Z-3 it was a major ad-on
@@KESorensen59 I may have to give one a go and put my money where my mouth is. What are your favourite settings on it?
I've had a Freeway in my Strandberg for a couple years now and have not had an issue. However, I do have a Variax JVT59 and haven't been impressed by the models. The integration with the Line6 Helix is amazing but the models sound flat without a ton of tweaking. In addition the build quality leaves a lot of room for improvement. The 3-way switch failed on mine and it took months to get a replacement as it's a proprietary switch that not only controls the pickups, but also switches the models.
I've heard there can be issues getting parts for the Variax and it's only going to get worse now that they've discontinued it. I'm hoping I never have to deal with it myself because I use the Variax almost daily 👍
Thanks for this video, agree a lot with option paralysis. I have found that I don't like the 5 way switches at all because of a bit of more struggle to switch to pos 2 from pos 5 or from pos 1 to 4, I'ts always a bit frustrating to me comparing to 3-way. I play mostly with HH so I wire stuff with two push-pull pots for single coils and out of phase options. I'm good with soldering electronics and new pots don't require drilling through the body so the options remain hidden unless you know where to look. I do find some settings more usable but like to have them all anyway.
Yeah, simple it's often the best option especially when playing live. The idea of the switching is interesting, but in practice it's more to go wrong. Thanks for the kind words 👍
I actually worked with Freeway to improve their switches. The very first batches were quite fragile but the newer ones are much sturdier.
The argument that 'circuit board = bad, because I say so' is a bit silly because Schaller's Megaswitches uses circuitboards as well and those are rock solid. I have tried to break the Freeway, I did. I can't.
The benefit is that you can omit the push pull for splits. You have to think of it as 'modes' on your guitar. Humbucker mode or 'strat' mode. I find it extremely useful with 3 singlecoils (tele or strat, but I prefer tele, 100% of the time over strats), to get the classic tones, but also add more, like neck+bridge in parallel, or neck+mid in series, or mid+bridge in series, or even all three on at the same time. It is very useful if you have just one guitar, or wish to get the Brian May style sounds out of a guitar without having to use a bazillion little switches.
Aye, I did preface this with the fact that I'd not tried one myself and that I weren't really making comment on the quality of the switches as my main argument. I did include Steve's experience though as he had. I think you may have missed the point with "PCB switch bad", what I said was the cheap switches you find in low end guitars are always those flimsy PCB mounted ones. I don't think it's just me that questions the quality of those switches and a common upgrade for cheaper guitars is to replace the cheap electronics, including the switch.
No doubt that I'll probably move over to a more complicated switching system in the future, I seem to have fads of wanting all the switching options but for now I'm finding myself loving the simplicity. Thanks for the comment 👍
@@BudgetPedalChapI was aware of your disclaimer :) I replied in more general terms, not perse to (all) you said. The Freeway has a place but it is truly not for everyone. I switch a lot between pickups and settings, so for me, it makes sense, but I can just as easily just live on the bridge pickup and the neck pickup and totally skip the in-between settings.
Every once in a while I get enamored by the idea of more options but at the end of the day I just stay with a standard 5-way and I’m happy with that
Yeah, I'm the same. I convince myself that I need more and then just gravitate back to a simple setup.
@@BudgetPedalChap 💯💯💯
"Option paralysis" or choice overload as a phenomenon is often misunderstood and overexaggerated, especially in the guitar world.
There are certain conditions that must be met before the effect is noticeable:
1) people making the choice must not have a clear prior preference for an item type or category. When the choice-maker has a preference, the number of options has little impact on the final decision and satisfaction. For example, if you already prefer the neck or bridge humbucker, no matter how many additional options you get, you're not gonna get "paralyzed" or less satisfied by choosing your favorite. On the other hand, if you were a beginner and you haven't yet formed a preference, you may get "option paralysis".
2) there must not be a clearly dominant option in the choice set, meaning that all options must be perceived of equivalent quality. One option cannot stand out as being better from the rest. The presence of a superior option and many less desirable options will result in a more satisfied decision. For example, a humbucker tone is more common and typical in virtually all music styles than an out-of-phase tone. Thus, having the option of out-of-phase wiring doesn't take away any satisfaction when they're not used as often as the full humbucker.
3) people must be less familiar with the choice set. This means that if the person making a choice has expertise in the subject matter, they can more easily sort through the options and not be overwhelmed by the variety. This means that if you have wired the guitar yourself, you definitely know what each switching option does and what kind of sound it's going to give you. "Option paralysis" could occur if you were handed an unfamiliar guitar with unknown wiring mods, or a digital modeler with 100 presets that you know nothing about.
So which side of the fence do you sit when it comes to massive amounts of switching options? Do you enjoy having a lot of choice or would you prefer fewer choices for a more simple experience?
@@BudgetPedalChap I like as many switching options as I can have, with parallel/series switching and the Gilmour mod as most important, and out-of-phase as less important, as long as any additional switches don't get in the way of the picking hand.
@@ErebosGR fair enough. We all have our own preferences eh?
They aren't new ! They've been around for a few years and are used on a few guitars and by a few pro guitarists, but I've always thought they are a bit pointless, Ibanez have had three pickup systems with a combo of 5 way and push pulls that do anything anyone really needs for about 30 years.
Yeah, it just seems the flavour of the month as a bunch of guitars at the show had them installed. Ibanez do some amazing stuff, I just admit 👍
Parker Nitefly
Hss
Freeway 10 way switch
Oop switch for HB
Brilliant and easy
I have a Variax to muck about on but there's an annoying digital Artifact in the tones...it's always there and drives me mad...
So the Parker is my go to
The Variax stays at home
I've heard a few people rave about the parkers. They were super popular back in the the early 2000s, but I don't see them around much anymore. I'd be curious to try one out 👍
I would say this would be a good option for a guitar that stays at home or in a studio. Playing out live In see this as pure overkill and the minute changes will be next to nothing playing live.
If you play out whether solo or in a band, options tend to get in the way rather than help. If you have equipment where you have loads of options in guitars, pedals, and amps, more often than not you are going to do a "set it and forget it" tone/sound and play that for most of not all of your set.
Something like this is fun for home or a studio if you record but overall not that practical playing out. On the practical side, you are better off with two different guitars rather than "jam everything into one guitar" for playing out.
Absolutely, it would be great for a studio instrument. I might still consider one for that use myself, but like you say, for live: simplicity is key 👍
@@BudgetPedalChap
Playing live, either "Great!" or "Good Enough" is all you need. Details tend to get lost playing live. That said, how many of your viewers are actually live players?
@@gringogreen4719 exactly, as long as the notes you are playing are fine, your tone doesn't really matter all that much. That's a really good question, I might just have to put a poll up to find out 👍
@@BudgetPedalChap
Yeah, strange opinions are out in force this week. I was told I have been playing guitar wrong for my 30 years of playing (even though they don't know what I play, or have ever heard me). And the PRS comments on tone wood have kicked up more dust (my opinion on this is, it's a hot topic, 20 years ago no one made gave this any thought and in 20 years I doubt anyone will care like they do today).
For the poll, I would think that bedroom vs band vs live vs recording would be a good poll and let you know where your audience is. Bedroom players won't care so much about live stuff, etc...
So hopefully this helps. 😉👍✨
I never get those 7 minutes back...........
You've left a few comments on this video, none of which have been particularly kind or in the spirits of the discussion. I have plenty that disagree with my stance here, and that's ok, but they are doing it in a respectful way. If you want to share your options, I'm all for that, but if you continue to conduct yourself in the way you have so far, you'll have to go I'm afraid.
I said that because you reviewed something you had no actual experience of! But the biggest waste of my time was u waffling on about a Varia,totally unrelated! Blocked,see ya@@BudgetPedalChap
Nobody made you watch the video.
Waste of time & money in my opinion.
There are many other ways to get variable sounds from pick-ups
The volume and tone knob are often overlooked and can give you loads of versatility. I agree completely 👍
You'll never get a tele neck and bridge type sound on a strat using volume and tone controls, but you can with the Freeway.
@@elpeekay it maybe isn't a necessity to get that specific sound when I'm playing a Strat. I've got telecasters to do that job for me 👍
@@BudgetPedalChap I too have strats and teles, but sometimes, when you want that sound for one particular number, its easier to use a switch than to change guitars. For a few measly £s I love having that option, but to each his own I guess.
@@elpeekay absolutely, we are all different eh? I'm not about to tell people they're wrong for not liking what I like
Meh, they are cool and functional. If you are overwhelmed with that is your fault, go get an acoustic guitar and let the cool things to those who can handle it. 👍🏻
We are kind here, even if we disagree. Please be courteous when commenting 👍
Lame
Care to elaborate? Please remember to be kind and respectful, we are a nice community here 👍