RaistMagus
Joined: Mar 30, 2011
Posts: 388
Copenhagen
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Posted on Nov 06 2012 04:11 AM
I measured my strat's pots, Vol is 260k, Mid Tone is 250k and Neck Tone is 230k. I've always been thinking that the neck position is 'broken' (=lifeless) on my guitar. I've also been thinking that I need very different amp EQ settings to go from bridge to neck p/up.
Would the 230k-instead-of-250k neck tone pot explain the above? Or is it just a slight variance? I guess the 260k Vol pot's variance doesn't affect the guitar's tone/character, right?
The bridge p/up from the 57/62 set is unuseably thin, as soon as it's selected ALL bass goes away (sounds like a 'special' effect).
I am going to either a)wire the bridge p/up to a tone control to tame it or b) use a bridge/neck blender pot and master tone. I guess (b) will connect the bridge p/up to a tone pot and achieve what (a) aims as well.
Any thoughts?
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SanchoPansen
Joined: Jan 04, 2011
Posts: 1588
Berlin L-Berg
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Posted on Nov 06 2012 05:51 AM
RaistMagus wrote:
The bridge p/up from the 57/62 set is unuseably thin, as soon as it's selected ALL bass goes away (sounds like a 'special' effect).
I have the same issue on my Mosrite Mk V and our other guitar player on his Strat. I wonder what causes this 'special effect'...
— The Hicadoolas
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4053
Nashville, TN.
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Posted on Nov 06 2012 09:56 AM
As a builder we wire most of our Strat style guitars with a Tone control for Neck pickup and Tone control for Bridge pickup, leaving the middle with no Tone control. This helps you to dial back the bridge tone a bit and leave it and usually leave the Neck tone all the way up. With no tone control on the middle pickup the in between positions, positions 2 and 4, the out of phase sounds retain a nice presence.
You could also remove the tone control from the neck (a popular Tele trick) very easily. This would "open up" the pickup some.
The Blend control, Master Volume, Master Tone is nice as well but you will still most likely be riding the master tone a lot, not a big deal if you don't mind that.
The higher the value of the pot for volume the more highs and some lows will pass to output. We measure the values of each pot we get in and use this information to custom voice guitars if necessary, however, if you go up to 500K pots on a Strat things will start to get shrill with stock pickups.
As much as I hate to suggest replacing your pickups this could help greatly to get a set from Lollar or Fralin that is calibrated, ie, hotter bridge pickup for less highs, more lows without touching a control. We use Lollar Blackface pickups for Neck and Lollar Special pickups for Middle and Bridge. Very balanced output and yet still clear and articulate.
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RaistMagus
Joined: Mar 30, 2011
Posts: 388
Copenhagen
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Posted on Nov 06 2012 11:56 AM
Thanks for the info CrazyAces! Removing the tone from the mid p/up to get better sounds at positions 2 and 4 is a great idea!
What if I installed a 500k tone pot? Would the 500k pot set at half (250k) sound like a 250k full on?
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https://www.dirtyfuse.com
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4053
Nashville, TN.
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Posted on Nov 06 2012 12:05 PM
Changing the value of the tone pots probably won't help with the "dead" sound of your neck pickup.
Changing the Volume pot's value would affect it more but would also affect the entire guitar's sound/output. We have installed 300K pots for volume on Strats and Teles with good effect on some guitars. 500k, in my opinion though, is harsh sounding and a bit of overkill for single coils wound in the range of a standard, Fender style, pickup.
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normj
Joined: Apr 26, 2010
Posts: 882
central Indiana
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Posted on Nov 06 2012 04:57 PM
RaistMagus wrote: The bridge p/up from the 57/62 set is unuseably thin, as soon as it's selected ALL bass goes away (sounds like a 'special' effect).
Pickups in the bridge position tend to have a brittle sound due to their position related to the strings. That is why in "sets" the bridge pickup is compensated. The Fender 57/62s are all wound identical. They are completely interchangable. The bridge pickup is not compensated.
Also, since there is no reverse wound pickup to use in the middle. the 5 way switch does not yeild the results we come to expect with modern Strats. Postions 2 and 4 are hum cancelling positions. The middle pickup is reverse wound with respect to the neck and bridge pickups. Two single coils played together one of which is reverse wound, is hum cancelling. So using a 5 way switch with 57/62s would be like sticking a 5 way switch on an original 62 Strat. Or more appropriately, like what we used to do, sticking a match in there to wedge the switch between positions so we could play with more than one pickup at the same time. A 5 way switch with 57/62s will not yeild hum cancelling, instead you just eliminate the need for a match.
Later,
Norm
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normj
Joined: Apr 26, 2010
Posts: 882
central Indiana
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Posted on Nov 06 2012 05:02 PM
Raistmus wrote: I've always been thinking that the neck position is 'broken' (=lifeless) on my guitar.
I do agree with CrazyAces that swapping tone pot values will not be much help with a dead pickup.
Just to see if you have a faulty pickup, more one of the other two into the neck position. See if that other pickup has the same dead tone. The 57/62s are supposed to be wounded identical and therefore, you can use any of the 57/62s in any position. Try a different pickup to see what happens to the tone.
Later,
Norm
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JeffH
Joined: Apr 17, 2010
Posts: 97
PA
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Posted on Nov 10 2012 08:36 AM
Have you tried raising/lowering your pickups? Don't go too close with the neck pu or you'll get some weird overtones due to the magnetic pull. But experiment and see if that helps. Also try putting the bridge pickup closer to the strings.
You pot measurements seem to be within tolerance of approx. 10% so I don't think that's having too much effect. You might also try some kind of "treble-bleed" mod on your volume pot - if you are playing at less than full up on that pot, it could sap some high-end from the neck pickup and make it sound dull. This involves putting a capacitor with or without a resistor across two lugs on the volume pot. I use it on all my Strats and Teles. Lindy Fralin's site has info on it.
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Nov 16 2012 11:25 AM
I have a '83 MIJ JV Strat which has always been a little dull sounding pickup wise. They are Fender USA with burgundy coloured windings, which so i've read are slightly dull compered with the bright copper variant.
Symptoms. All pickups are slightly dull, lack of dynamic character, neck and middle sound almost alike, reduced quack in 2 & 4 positions.
I decided to replace all the Alpha pots with new which has improved clarity a little i think. I made the mistake of ordering one log-A volume and two Lin-B tone (all are 250k) and now i have no tone control at all - Nothing!
Alpha pots are so cheap i can soon order the correct tone pots, no problem. I'd be interested to why i have no tone control.
Standard Stratocaster wiring configuration - triple checked as good.
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RaistMagus
Joined: Mar 30, 2011
Posts: 388
Copenhagen
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Posted on Nov 28 2012 04:10 AM
CrazyAces wrote:
As a builder we wire most of our Strat style guitars with a Tone control for Neck pickup and Tone control for Bridge pickup, leaving the middle with no Tone control. This helps you to dial back the bridge tone a bit and leave it and usually leave the Neck tone all the way up. With no tone control on the middle pickup the in between positions, positions 2 and 4, the out of phase sounds retain a nice presence.
You could also remove the tone control from the neck (a popular Tele trick) very easily. This would "open up" the pickup some.
The Blend control, Master Volume, Master Tone is nice as well but you will still most likely be riding the master tone a lot, not a big deal if you don't mind that.
The higher the value of the pot for volume the more highs and some lows will pass to output. We measure the values of each pot we get in and use this information to custom voice guitars if necessary, however, if you go up to 500K pots on a Strat things will start to get shrill with stock pickups.
As much as I hate to suggest replacing your pickups this could help greatly to get a set from Lollar or Fralin that is calibrated, ie, hotter bridge pickup for less highs, more lows without touching a control. We use Lollar Blackface pickups for Neck and Lollar Special pickups for Middle and Bridge. Very balanced output and yet still clear and articulate.
I wired the tone pot from to the bridge and I get a much more usefull bridge sound in band environment. The mid is more ;open' now, good for a change. But when playing without the band, I kinda miss the extreme and trebley old bridge sound.
I am hearing an improvement at postitions 2 and 4 but it may be my imagination. Since there's always a tone pot wired (bridge or neck) I guess the highs find a way to ground at position 2 and 4 as they did before. Mid alone should retain all the highs but 2 and 4 should sound like before. Am I right?
Next time I mess with my strat I'm going for the ultimate parallel wiring: master volume, no-load pot for neck/bridge blending, master tone no-load to give me the alternative of no-tone for all positions.
— https://zakandthekrakens.bandcamp.com/
https://www.dirtyfuse.com
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vibramutant1965
Joined: Dec 02, 2012
Posts: 51
FL
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Posted on Dec 13 2012 05:39 PM
Fellows, please checkout this Stratocaster wiring diagram. I am sorry I dont have a link. Search Guitar Player magazine august 1984 , Novak wiring diagram. This gives 7 pickup combos with a 3 position switch. I also like the to use a mallory 150 cap with the old .1 mfd value. Im not a great player, but I prefer this schematic over anything else I have tried.
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