About the SPDT and DPDT SWITCHES

SPDT Switch

Pictured above are two Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) switch diagrams.
ALL SPDT switches have their common terminal in the middle and they ALL
function as shown in the above diagram.
In position 'A', the center terminal connects to the top terminal. In position 'B',
the center terminal connects to the bottom terminal.

There are 2 special cases of SPDT switches that have the functions as shown
in diagrams A & B plus they have a third position whereby the common
terminal connects to both outer terminals (diagram C) OR the common
terminal connects to neither terminal (D).
These are called the "SPDT center on switch" (C) and the "SPDT center off
switch" (D).
These switches are called center on or off because this third switch position is
located in between 'A' and 'B'. For example, if this were a toggle switch, this
middle or 'center' position would occur when the switch lever was straight up.
Even though these switches have 3 positions, they are still considered double
throw because another 'throw' implies a connection to yet another terminal
and as we can see, diagrams C & D have the same number of terminals as A
& B.

The best example of an "SPDT center on switch" is the pickup switch used on
guitars with 2 pickups (the Gibson Les Paul, the Gibson SG, etc).
Pictured above is the pickup switching diagram for a 2 pickup guitar.
On the right is a single pole double throw switch (SPDT) center on switch.
The middle connection is the 'common' terminal and this is where you connect
the output wire. (This is the wire that goes to the volume control or may go
directly to the output jack).
Basically, when the switch lever is in one position, the neck pickup is active
and in the other position, the bridge position is active.
In the 'middle' switch position, both pickups will be 'on'.
This SPDT center on switching arrangement is extremely common on 2
pickup guitars.

The Double Pole Double Throw Switch

A simple way to think of this switch is imagining 2 SPDT switches
side by side with the 'handles' attached to each other. Perhaps the most
popular use for this switch is 'phase or polarity reversal'. So, how does
the DPDT switch accomplish this? First, you have to wire the 2 'top' and
2 'bottom' terminals in a 'criss-cross' fashion. The top 2 terminals
become the input and the middle two terminals become the ouput. Now,
referring to the bottom left diagram, the switch is in the 'up' position, W
& Y are connected, as are X & Z. The polarity is maintained because the
input and output are directly connected. No problem seeing that, right?
 Now let's see what happens when the switch is in the 'down' position
(right diagram). The + input goes from the 'W' terminal, down to the
lower right and then up to the 'Z' terminal. The negative input goes from
the 'X' terminal and out through the 'Y' terminal. See what has
happened? With one flip of a switch, polarity has been reversed. What
applications does this have? For one thing, electric guitar players use
this type of switch to put one pickup out of phase with the other,
producing a thin, 'squawcky', 'inside-out' kind of sound. In the 'old days'
before 3 prong plugs, power switches on some electrical devices used
this switching arrangement to switch polarity in case the plug was in the
outlet the "wrong way".

more about the DPDT Switch

ALL DPDT switches have their center terminals as the common terminals and
they ALL work like diagrams A and B.
In position 'A', the common terminals connect to the top terminals and in
position 'B', they connect to the bottom terminals.
There are 2 special cases of DPDT switches, pictured in diagrams 'C' and 'D'.
Diagram C shows the middle position of the more common type of "DPDT
center-on switch". Here the common terminals connect to the top and bottom
terminals simultaneously. This is the typical DPDT center on switch that you
would find at Radio Shack and most electronic parts suppliers.

Diagram D shows the middle position of a highly specialized type of DPDT

center-on switch. Here the common terminals connect as shown in the
diagram.
Some refer to this as a "DPDT on/on/on switch" but as you can see, the
switch in Diagram C could be referred to in the same way. The biggest use of
this switch is for wiring humbuckers in series / coil-cut / parallel. This is the
only way you can get all 3 options in one switch.