How I Installed a Guitar Killswitch

A killswitch is a push-button switch that momentarily kills the guitar signal. This workflow tries to set up a killswitch similar to the one in Gibson Buckethead Les Paul.

Table of contents

1. Pre-Requisites
2. Circuit Diagram
3. Installation
   1. Soldering the Connections Part 1
   2. Drilling a Hole for the Killswitch
   3. Inserting the Killswitch
   4. Soldering the Connections Part 2
4. Additional Notes
5. Images

Pre-Requistes

Below is the list of items required for this specific installation:

• Sanwa OBSF-24 Pushbutton (Red/Dark Red color)
• Power drill
• 24mm Forstner drill bit
• Soldering iron kit
• Electrical wire
• Masking tape

Circuit Diagram

Refer to this detailed video for instructions on killswitches and the circuit diagram to be followed for optimal setup.

Installation

The installation can be broken down into the below parts:

Soldering the Connections Part 1

Solder the electric wires to the two pins of the Sanwa OBSF-24 Pushbutton for now. This is to make soldering the switch to the guitar electronics easier.

Drilling a Hole for the Killswitch

• First, mark the area in the control cavity, where the killswitch will be housed. Then mark the opposite end, on the body of the guitar where the killswitch will be placed.
• Put some masking tape on the body of the guitar, where the aforementioned marking is made. This is to reduce the chances of any splinters.
• Use the 24mm Forstner drill bit to slowly drill a hole, ensuring the drill is perpendicular to the control cavity surface at all times.

Inserting the Killswitch

The Sanwa OBSF-24 Pushbutton should fit in closely inside the hole drilled through the guitar body

Soldering the Connections Part 2

Solder the connections as described in the circuit diagram section above.

Additional Notes

1. Not using a masking tape while drilling the hole can increase the chances of damaging the guitar body.
2. Using the masking tape does not eliminate the chances of causing splinters on the guitar body, it only reduces the probability of such an event or reduces the extent of damage. Exercise caution as once you have drilled a hole through the guitar body, the process is irreversible.
3. Trying to use the Sanwa OBSF-24 Pushbutton didn’t prove successful as the button could not be tightened using the pushbutton screw provided.

Images

Before the killswitch installation

Jackson JS22DKA Snow White. Source

After the killswitch installation

My Jackson JS22DKA Snow White with the killswitch.

Although I applied masking tape on the guitar body, there were some splinters when the hole was drilled

Close up of the killswitch installation surface.