Riddle me this.

[JGale]

What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow?

What is the correct position numbering scheme for a "Strat" five-way switch?

1 - Bridge, 5 - Neck

or opposite?

 

[Jeff R]

I habitually call the neck position 1 and the bridge position 5 when I'm talking with clients and I end up having to correct or clarify myself, so I assume I'm wrong.

[kizanski]

I would instinctively think 1 for neck to 5 at the bridge.
We read left to right in this country, after all.

[mathman]

Is this a fender strat switch or Ibanez strat switch?

[JGale]

50 minutes ago, mathman said:

Is this a fender strat switch or Ibanez strat switch?

European Strat switch.

[JGale]

Yeah but, who labels the sampling points along a vibrating string starting from the middle?

[alantig]

It's neck 1 -> bridge 5 because that's how the positions work when you look down at the switch (unless you're left-handed), and we number things left to right here on Team America.

[Feynman]

I always assumed the bridge is 1 (count frets from nut, count pickup positions from bridge). 

I guessed you were all wrong about this 1=Neck thing.

 

A quick visit to Fender.com proves me right.

 

[ZR]

Interesting, I've always called bridge position #1. 

[Dave Scepter]

Bridge =#1

[stedge]

This is why single pickup guitars are best

[JGale]

Can I correctly assume then, from the above discussion, that Bridge = 1 is the Metric equivalent?

[crunchee]

My MIM mutt '69/'72 Hybrid Strat has a three-way switch, so I don't have to worry about five there.  I can still do the in-between positions old-school style, though.  My MIM Gilmour Black Strat semi-clone has the standard five-way switch plus the mini-switch for having the neck PU always on if desired.  So i either have not enough choices or too many to choose from. 

[Jakeboy]

Bridge is 1 neck is 5. For decades I simply assumed it was the other way. I was wrong. Bridge is 1 and start from there.

[HSB0531]

On 4/24/2023 at 12:42 PM, Jeff R said:

I habitually call the neck position 1 and the bridge position 5 when I'm talking with clients and I end up having to correct or clarify myself, so I assume I'm wrong.

Looking at the switch from the top side, the closest position to the neck would be 1.  Below the pickguard, the wire connection is on the opposite end.

 

[cmatthes]

I’ve only ever heard it coded like this:

1= Bridge 

2= Bridge/Middle

3= Middle

4 = Middle/Neck

5= Neck

This is from reading old Fender manuals, gear lit and interviews from the last 40 years.

[G Man]

I stick with tele's, much easier to navigate, problem solved.

[alantig]

13 hours ago, cmatthes said:

I’ve only ever heard it coded like this:

1= Bridge 

2= Bridge/Middle

3= Middle

4 = Middle/Neck

5= Neck

This is from reading old Fender manuals, gear lit and interviews from the last 40 years.

 

Bah - what would they know about it?

[gorch]

Even on a 5-way rotary switch it starts with bridge on position 1 and goes up to 11 from there.

[alantig]

9 hours ago, gorch said:

Even on a 5-way rotary switch it starts with bridge on position 1 and goes up to 11 from there.

The PRS rotary was bridge on 10 (as it should be), neck on 6.  1-5 didn't come into play.

Well, I guess that depends on how you put the knob on, though, doesn't it?  I guess it could just as easily be 2-7.   Or 8-2 if you really wanted to screw w/someone's head.

[cmatthes]

On 4/30/2023 at 12:09 PM, G Man said:

I stick with tele's, much easier to navigate, problem solved.

Yeah, but 3-way or 4-way switch?

[G Man]

15 hours ago, cmatthes said:

Yeah, but 3-way or 4-way switch?

Alright, to keep it properly simple, let's call it an esquire, no switches to worry about.

[kizanski]

38 minutes ago, G Man said:

Alright, to keep it properly simple, let's call it an esquire, no switches to worry about.

Yeah, except...

 

Let's go with the Les Paul Junior.

 

ETA:  Yes, I miss them both.

 

[scottcald]

I'm on the bridge is #1 camp.