software

Anybody know anything about it? Details, components, way to duplicate it on a push/pull etc.?

lt;...crickets chirping...gt;

I don't know the specs or technical details, but it seems to me that it's just a switch with a cap on it. Hit the switch to bring the cap into the circuit, flip it to make it brighter. I guess it's kind of like a simplified Esquire tone system. My friend's Gretsch Duo-Jet has a similar system with a pair of different caps for different amounts of high end roll off.

On further research, it appears there may be resistors involved too. They sell them at but I'm hoping to be able to make my own without having to pay $45 shipping (SHEEEESH!)...

Is it an OFF switch? Sorry, I couldn't resist.


Originally Posted by JacksonMIAIs it an OFF switch? Sorry, I couldn't resist.Well, I've heard that silence is golden, so at the current rate of gold, this switch must be a shade under 1/10th of an ounce...

I believe it has some inductors in it. PRS does a pretty good job of keeping it secret. You can get a push/pull pot with a sweet switch circuit or hook up the IC to a push/pull yourself.
I did a lot of research and didn't come across any useful info on reverse engineering. You might be able to get an answer on Birds amp; Moons. There are some folks there who are kind of scary in their PRS knowledge.


Originally Posted by Benjy_26I don't know the specs or technical details, but it seems to me that it's just a switch with a cap on it. Hit the switch to bring the cap into the circuit, flip it to make it brighter. I guess it's kind of like a simplified Esquire tone system. My friend's Gretsch Duo-Jet has a similar system with a pair of different caps for different amounts of high end roll off.

Actually it rolls off highs. Paul describes it as a partially open wah. IIRC, it was created to simulate the tone Santana got when running through a 50' cable.

Birds amp; Moons gave me this, from Eric Pritchard, the guy who designed it:

The origins of the sweet switch was years ago, probably about 20 years ago. Paul called me saying that Carlos Santana had this problem with excessive treble when he was playing wireless. I suggested that it was the lack of a long jack cord. Since a jack cord is coaxial cable, there is a lumped parameter model for it - basically a series of inductors with shunt capacitors. And that is also a delay line that is often used in computers, at least of that day. So after fooling around with various delay lines, building a few and buying a few, the sweet switch was born. It was a purchased delay line and mounted upon a switch that put in or out of the circuit. When in, it then makes the jack cord look longer and lowers the pickup resonant frequency - hence sweeter and its name.

In case someone would like to recreate it, I believe that it was a 150 nanosecond delay with a nominal impedance of 75 ohms. But then it was a long time ago. Perhaps John Ingram of PRS would know the details or would know someone who does.

So how does one go about getting a 150 nanosecond delay at 75 ohms?

Pritchard also says this:

First, it is 75 ohms in the same sense that video cable is often 75 ohms - if it is terminated in 75 ohms it does not produce a reflection. However, that is not the real issue with the sweet switch. If you want a different character of the sweet switch, then use a different delay line. The ones with more capacitance and consequently lower resonant frequency of the guitar pickup have longer delays or lower ohms or both.

However, you can also use a series RC in parallel with the pickup to good advantage. The usual tone control capacitance is too big to gently affect the tone.

That last part is most interesting -- is he ever right about regular tone control setups not being gentle!

Anyone know a good starting point for resistor and cap values for experimenting with this Gentle/Sweet vibe? (Thinking of also using a pot to try it out as a Dial-A-Sweet...)

If you get a schematic, I'd be interested to try this as well... maybe on my strat. Good luck!

I e-mailed Mr. Pritchard and got a couple of responses. He says that though the Sweet Switch is an IC ( /-150 nanosecond delay), you can closely approximate the effect with plain ol' resistors and caps. He suggests 10k to 50k on the resistor and 470 pf to 1,000 pf (.001 mf) for the cap.

They are to be in series as well, though he didn't say in which order. Experimented a little last night with 10k R .001 mf C. Some noticeable difference but not quite the vibe I'm looking for. Will continue experiments on Thursday night...


Originally Posted by alecleeActually it rolls off highs. Paul describes it as a partially open wah. IIRC, it was created to simulate the tone Santana got when running through a 50' cable.

... when using a wireless

*Edit*, Months later, lol: To clarify, I meant to give him the quot;cable tonequot; while using his wireless

RESURRECTION!!!
Hey Zhangliqun, any updates? Found a missing pile of DPDT on-off-on switches that are begging for a use!


Originally Posted by joelapIf you get a schematic, I'd be interested to try this as well... maybe on my strat. Good luck!

There is a sweet switch schematic on the prs website, but its not much use, like most of their darned schematics.
from : localhost/with all the info from Mr. Pritchard, i read it's something they used as a stop-gap measure for Carlos due to the characteristics/induction/impedance/capacitance or whatever of the pickups they used for his guitar, and they improved the puppies after this to do away with the need for it when using long cables on stage.

more crickets?