Edgukator

I've got a bit of a strange question. I recently bought a new guitar (Gibson Les Paul Studio) and even though I tested it out in the store, one thing I didn't think about was the toggle switch.

My previous guitar was an epiphone, and the toggle switch was at the bottom of the guitar with the volume knobs - the Gibson has the toggle switch at the top of the guitar just at the neck.

Now, I tend to play my guitar in treble with the bass volume knob off - two reasons - so I can use the toggle as a vibrato and because we're trying to keep me in a certain space in the mix when we play.

Here's the problem. Because I tend to strum close to the neck, I've started to accidentally cut my own guitar when we play.

Aside from strum closer to the bridge, how else could I solve this problem? Yeah, I know, I should really just learn to play rhythm differently, but failing that would there be a way like replacing the toggle with a different toggle that I could try - without taking a power saw to a guitar I'm already kind of fond of (not to mention financially attached to)?

rnrloser_IX

Its actually not that strange. Its a known fact that the toggle switch location is really convenient because its close, but its more a pain in the arse because you tend to hit it. One good old trick is to tape the switch down to the treble position. I've seen lots of punk guitarist do that. Another option is to loosen the nut on the switch and rotate it a bit if there is enough wire to do so. That way, you hit the switch in a direction it doesn't move. My friend had a Gibson Paul and the morons forgot to put the cap on the toggle switch so it was just the shorter, metal stem. It made changing pickups a bit of a grab, but it was never in the way.

The last idea I have involves swapping the wires on the switch. Chances are, you hit the switch mostly on the upstroke. If you change which pickup goes to which side of the switch, so bridge would be up and neck would be down, you probably wouldn't move the switch as much because its in its uppermost position. That could work, it would be a bit awkward for other people playing your guitar but it could work if you only hit the switch accidentally on the upstroke. Personally, I would just tape it down or try removing the little black cap on the post. It just unscrews so its not a risky procedure. Good luck.

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-IX