"Stracciatella" Wiring

[StellarFoxy]

I found this on the strat-talk forum (posted in 2011), and while there are videos of it working, I'm wondering if it isn't only half of the signal going to the amp? If anyone has any input, please let me know, I'm looking at adding individual volume controls to a guitar (along with other controls) for blending each pickup individually and want to know if this is a viable option.

 

Thank you all in advance!

 

stracciatella.pdf

[curtisa]

There's a fundamental misunderstanding going on with the use of the diodes to avoid the three volume pots loading each other, and it's also somewhat at odds of the claim that the sound leaving the guitar is "as pure of a signal as possible". The diodes will clip each alternate cycle of the pickup's output signal.

There's still cross-loading of the three volume pots and pickup outputs with each other. This simply cannot be avoided in a purely passive wiring scheme as shown. The note provided in the Part 1 text that "there is a minor overall volume reduction" further indicates that the cross-loading of the three pickups/volumes is inherent in this design. Ironically, if he were pursuing a goal of the purest tonal output, he would have been better off with the no-load pots he's advocating avoiding in his scheme.

The "Varitone" circuit as drawn is connected to the middle pickup only. Maybe this was intentional, but every time you wind up the other volume pots on the adjacent pickups you're also going to apply the Varitone effect to the other pickups in varying degrees as well.

Some people may not like the loss of being able to quickly change between different pickups, but that's a personal preference.

It's an interesting wiring proposal, but I can't help think the author didn't have much of an understanding about what he was proposing, or the limitations and trade-offs of the scheme. FWIW, I'm sure the videos show it "working", but it won't be operating the way it's claimed to.