Chrisstrong_86 Posted August 10, 2005 Report Share Posted August 10, 2005 Whats everyones favourite way of wiring a strat s/s/s, from a fairly simple start it appears to become a rather controversial topic. So let me know!!! Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 i like to wire up a three way switch..bridge/bridge and neck/neck. one master volume and one master tone. then i take the second tone control and make it a volume control for the middle pup so that it can be rolled in or out at any time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcousticSmash Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 5 way switch. the tone pots get wired to the bridge and neck pickups instead of the neck and middle pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 5 way switch. the tone pots get wired to the bridge and neck pickups instead of the neck and middle pickups. Ditto - that gives you a tone control in every position but 3, and I seldom play the middle pickup alone. And it still sounds like a Strat, just a bit more useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisstrong_86 Posted August 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 I like the tbx tone control, i know it can be used as master tone or originally bridge/ middle but i think it would be good as both tone pots. chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackburncustomguitars Posted August 12, 2005 Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 Hi, I totally agree. 5-way and tone to bridge and neck. Wonderful versatility and sound. Peace, Dave5 way switch. the tone pots get wired to the bridge and neck pickups instead of the neck and middle pickups. ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackburncustomguitars Posted August 12, 2005 Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 Hi, I totally agree. 5-way and tone to bridge and neck. Wonderful versatility and sound. Peace, Dave5 way switch. the tone pots get wired to the bridge and neck pickups instead of the neck and middle pickups. ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 I did not grow up with a Strat, and although I know most players love the 5-way switch and stock appearance, I like to explore more versatility. My SSS design has a DPDT toggle for on/off of each pup, and a 4PDT toggle for series/parallel connection of whatever you chose with the on/offs. A phase switch for the bridge pup (can be a push-pull) completes the set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 Well, if I ever custom-wired a strat, it'd be the same 5 way switch, but the Bridge/Mid position would be changed to Bridge/Neck, and it would have a Master Volume and a Master tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 Have you been to the GuitarNuts site? The Strat Lover's mod sounds interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 I prefer two 5 ways, with a push/pull on each of the three knobs, and a kill switch. That gives me more than 200 different combinations of switch positioning, PLUS a kill switch. Personally, i love the rhythm tone with the 1st five way in position 1, the second in position 3, the volume push/pull raised, the first tone pushed down, and the second tone pulled up. Then, for the lead tone, 1st five way in position 4, second in position 1, volume pushpull down, tone up, 2nd tone down. Takes a bit to get from one to the other, but i just switch each section one at a time, every few notes. Sometimes i run out of time if the solo isnt very long, and then i have to back track, but there is generally enough time in the song, after the solo, to make it back, usually. Luckily my band only plays ten minute songs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 Hey Perry, I think you dropped this ---> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 I'm fairly new to playing a strat...I have an '89 MIJ strat here that's become my main gigging guitar --because it's so darned solid. I tuned it last month, it's still in tune But the electronics are starting to crap out --the switch is giving me problems. And it seems to me the whole idea of having three pickups available is completely wasted with the standard wiring. It took me a long time to believe that even with a 5-way switch, I couldn't get more than one pickup at the time. So I'm looking at replacing the switch and doing an extreme re-wiring job. I like the idea of using the tone controls as volume knobs --since I never monkey with tone controls anyway. And I'm not into the Knopfler out of phase sounds either. And I'd like to ditch the switch altogether-- I keep knocking it with my hand all the time! Means I always end up playing that bridge pickup anyway... So seems to me, the simplest will be to wire each pickup directly to its volume control and bypass the switch altogether... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 Personally, I can get every sound I need from a stock-wired Strat. I understand that not everyone shares my tastes, and I'm not threatened by that. Have you thought about doing something like this? It looks like it's a lot easier than wiring around the 5 way switch. But I'm electronically challenged anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 Have you thought about doing something like this? It looks like it's a lot easier than wiring around the 5 way switch. But I'm electronically challenged anyway. ← Yep, I've been looking into that one too. That way I won't have to poke holes in my strat guard. As long as I'm at it, I'm thinking of changing one of the pickups -- I picked up a bridge pickup from a Mosrite Mark II (think it was the II) that might be fun to combine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted August 14, 2005 Report Share Posted August 14, 2005 (edited) this is my favrite setup. Posistion four, the bridge and neck in series and out of phase sounds really good with a P-90 in the bridge. It lets you dial in the mid pup sepretely via it's own volume control. It's cool that it changes caps for diffrent posistions. You could even play with adding more or changing the value to get more diverse sounds out of it. Thats about as versitile as I want to get. It's important to me to be able to switch between rythem and lead quickly. Edited August 14, 2005 by Godin SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Nice topic.... i like to wire up a three way switch..bridge/bridge and neck/neck. one master volume and one master tone. then i take the second tone control and make it a volume control for the middle pup so that it can be rolled in or out at any time. ← Same with me...it's kind of neat... I also added 3 phase switches (for each pickup). This allows for a kind of program effect to the 3 selections. It's also great for the mid volume thing. Normal phase gives a typical knophler notched effect to single pickups or all three on...the other phase gives a kind of reverse effect, a sort of mid boost. All infinitly variable with the mid PUp vol control...and instantly switchable between the two with the phase switch! The other thing is that the tone is a master for the neck and bridge but NOT the mid so you can get some interesting effects of a dark toned pickup or combo with this brighter mid colouring...dialed in to taste. Sounds complicated but really you're just using the 3 way. That's a gibson style (SG) out of the way on the lower horn...works for me...here's a pic but ignore the sustainer mods behind the output jack and it's not that cluttered... ← psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalefish Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 As much as I like fancy circuits, I actually find that I like the stock circuit on a Strat the best... About the only mod I'd do would be to have the ol' "bridge on/off with whatever's selected" addition.. And, of course, have a tone control for the bridge pickup.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisstrong_86 Posted September 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2005 (edited) Has anyone here actualy tried this setup? and are these "alpha" pots mentioned any good? ( i also notice they sells the pcb 5-way switches as "high quality" where as i was always led to belive they were cheap and unreliable) Chris Edited September 13, 2005 by Chrisstrong_86 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ansil Posted September 13, 2005 Report Share Posted September 13, 2005 just thought i would ask but have you ever tried wiring up two 5 ways in parrallel and tapping a little hole in the actuall levers and putting a small piece of metal there so they can move seperately or together. food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledzendrix1128 Posted September 14, 2005 Report Share Posted September 14, 2005 Im just abotu to wire my strat with 2 humbuckers... Im thinkin about doing 2 volumes and one master tone (if thats possible LOL... havent researched it much)... so i can get the ability to do the Jimmy Page cut off/cut on by turning the volume off on one and high on the other... yeah... im obssesed... and im used to playin an LP... so that would be cool too with 2 volume controls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemleggat Posted September 14, 2005 Report Share Posted September 14, 2005 I dont know what my favourite is, i haven't tried every possible combo! I current have my neck and middle on one tone and the bridge pickup on the other tone with a 5 way. I fancy the 3 way switch with the ability to dial in the middle thou. sound cool BTW That little killin me emoticon gets me everytime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackburncustomguitars Posted September 14, 2005 Report Share Posted September 14, 2005 I agree.5 way switch. the tone pots get wired to the bridge and neck pickups instead of the neck and middle pickups. ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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