Strat Mod?

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Strat Mod?

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NYStan Joined: Jan 10, 2012 Posts: 68	Posted on Feb 11 2014 08:24 AM I'm planning on doing a mod on 1 of my strats and if it sounds good I'll do it to all of them. I want to get the neck and bridge pickups together but not sure which way to do it. Should I rewire it so the middle switch on the 5 way switch becomes neck/bridge or should I hook up a blender pot with the second tone knob? Should I go with the rewiring or with the blender pot? — http://www.reverbnation.com/nucleusaccumbensstimulation Top
CrazyAces Joined: Jul 31, 2012 Posts: 4052 Nashville, TN.	Posted on Feb 11 2014 09:58 AM I like the blender pot and if you do it this way try to get a no load 250k pot. This way when the blend is off it's completely off. I can always hear just a little bit of bleed with a regular pot. For me it's nice to be able to just dial in a little of the neck or bridge depending on what position you are in. I also like this set-up because then I can have just a master tone control. Works for me but I know others favor different ways of doing it as well. If you do a search this has been discussed a bunch and maybe you will find a method that is best for you. — http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic Top
ReverendBow Joined: Feb 10, 2014 Posts: 41 The Beach with no water	Posted on Feb 11 2014 12:25 PM I did the "David Gilmour" mod to the last Strat I rescued from a Pawn Shop, not working, and brought back to life. It is Black on Black with White Pickups and a Maple Neck. I added a recessed mini-switch to run the Neck Pickup at anytime. — Bow B.M.E (Bastard Musical Engineering) Top
JohnnyMosrite Joined: Jun 14, 2006 Posts: 858 New York City area	Posted on Feb 11 2014 04:36 PM NySTan, If you can live without the center pickup on by itself, do what I did: Put in a 3 way selector switch and wire lower tone control for both pickups. Make the center tone pot a push pull switch/pot combination. Wire it to the center pickup to turn on and off and for a tone control. The lower tone control should handle to bridge and neck pickups. Like I said, you lose the center pickup by itself - but you get all three pickups on with your push/pull switch and pickup selector in the middle position. Works for me; but then again, I'm not all that crazy about Stratocasters. J Mo' Top
NYStan Joined: Jan 10, 2012 Posts: 68	Posted on Feb 11 2014 09:47 PM ReverendBow, just looked up the Gilmour Mod and found this video and wondered if it's the same as what you've done? If not do you have any info on that Mod? Now it's a toss up between the blender and the Gilmour Mod as I do use the middle pick up sometimes and don't want to lose it. — http://www.reverbnation.com/nucleusaccumbensstimulation Top
Noel Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.	Posted on Feb 11 2014 09:57 PM Here's the description of the Callaham blender pot. (You have to scroll down the page to find it.) Blender Pot allows you to blend the neck and bridge pickups together. With the blender the guitar will have a volume, a master tone, then the blender. With the blender turned on 10, the guitar is normal strat switch set-up. With the blender on 0, the neck and bridge pickups are connected in switch positions 5 and 1. All three pickups are together in positions 2 and 4. Position 3 is still just the middle pickup. So you get 2 extra sounds. This is a true no load pot. A wiring diagram is included. (cryogenically treated) $8.50 — This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. Last edited: Feb 11, 2014 22:16:28 Top
ReverendBow Joined: Feb 10, 2014 Posts: 41 The Beach with no water	Posted on Feb 12 2014 12:30 AM NYStan wrote: ReverendBow, just looked up the Gilmour Mod and found this video and wondered if it's the same as what you've done? If not do you have any info on that Mod? Now it's a toss up between the blender and the Gilmour Mod as I do use the middle pick up sometimes and don't want to lose it. Stan, It is a bit like that, but the SPDT switch is on the Neck Pickup. I got my guidance from this website: http://www.stratcat.biz/black_strat_project.shtml Here are the Cliff Notes: Note: I didn't do the "Treble Bleed Circuit" shown on the Volume Pot I can't get a photo of my strat to upload, or I'd show you mine and the pickguard wiring — Bow B.M.E (Bastard Musical Engineering) Last edited: Feb 12, 2014 00:32:13 Top
NYStan Joined: Jan 10, 2012 Posts: 68	Posted on Feb 12 2014 05:03 PM ReverendBow, that's a very interesting site. I just don't want to be drilling holes in my guitar to hook up a switch. Maybe down the line I can see myself buying the whole set up pick ups and all for my black strat. I love playing old Pink Floyd David Gilmour stuff. I bookmarked that page for future reference. Noel, thanks for the link will be purchasing the blending pot will see how it sounds. — http://www.reverbnation.com/nucleusaccumbensstimulation Top
CrazyAces Joined: Jul 31, 2012 Posts: 4052 Nashville, TN.	Posted on Feb 12 2014 05:13 PM NYStan, just so you are aware, The "Blending Pot" that Callaham is selling is not a special 250K, audio taper pot. It is a regular 250K pot with the exception that it is a "no-load" 250K pot. Musicians Friend, Mojo Musical Supply and other sell them. They are generally marketed as a no load tone pot for Fenders. There are such things as blend pots but that is not what Callaham is selling, it's a regular 250K no load and the cryogenic treatment is not needed, just some voodoo that some feel helps the tone. NOT that there's anything wrong with Callahams product, just that it can be found elsewhere. — http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic Top
NYStan Joined: Jan 10, 2012 Posts: 68	Posted on Feb 12 2014 10:06 PM CrazyAces, thanks for the heads up! — http://www.reverbnation.com/nucleusaccumbensstimulation Top
CrazyAces Joined: Jul 31, 2012 Posts: 4052 Nashville, TN.	Posted on Feb 12 2014 10:46 PM I have an easy schematic in the shop that I'll try to scan and post tomorrow if you need it. Cheers, Jeff — http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic Top
Noel Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.	Posted on Feb 12 2014 11:21 PM CrazyAces wrote: I have an easy schematic in the shop that I'll try to scan and post tomorrow if you need it. Cheers, Jeff I do! I'm curious how it compares to what Callaham includes with their "non-blender" blender pot (if I can find it). — This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. Top
CrazyAces Joined: Jul 31, 2012 Posts: 4052 Nashville, TN.	Posted on Feb 13 2014 10:57 AM Noel et al, Here's the schematic we use, as well as a link to Lindy's site for another. If you do a little searching around you'll find confirmation that it's just a no-load 250K, audio taper pot. You are wiring a standard type pot to function as a blend but it is not to be confused with a "pan" pot which is something different. http://www.fralinpickups.com/images/blendschem2.jpg — http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic Top
CrazyAces Joined: Jul 31, 2012 Posts: 4052 Nashville, TN.	Posted on Feb 13 2014 10:59 AM Oh, and there's another way to wire this, same outcome, based off a standard switch wiring configuration, ie: the pickup leads are on their "normal' side of the switch. Have fun, and remember.......soldering irons are hot! LOL — http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic Top
Stormtiger Joined: Dec 12, 2006 Posts: 2675 Ventura, CA	Posted on Feb 13 2014 10:59 AM http://www.fralinpickups.com/images/blendschem2.jpg Here's a link to the wiring diagram for the Fralin Blender Pot mod. You can get everything except all 3 pickups, no loss there, and you still have the middle pickup available. Top
CrazyAces Joined: Jul 31, 2012 Posts: 4052 Nashville, TN.	Posted on Feb 13 2014 11:04 AM You should be able to get all three when you are in positions 2 and 4. It is possible with the schematic I posted which I don't believe is different than Lindy's — http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic Top
Stormtiger Joined: Dec 12, 2006 Posts: 2675 Ventura, CA	Posted on Feb 13 2014 12:41 PM I think you are correct, a demo video says you can get all three, I just never tried it as I never cared for all three. In '73 I owned an old Strat with mini toggles that allowed all 3 pickups but never used them all at once. I'll have to try that just to verify. I do like that middle pickup and would not want to lose it. Top
NYStan Joined: Jan 10, 2012 Posts: 68	Posted on Feb 13 2014 07:24 PM Just wanted to thank you all for all the help and info. What a great site this is! Will take pics and will post them for anyone looking to do the same. Thanks again to all! — http://www.reverbnation.com/nucleusaccumbensstimulation Top
ReverendBow Joined: Feb 10, 2014 Posts: 41 The Beach with no water	Posted on Feb 13 2014 09:39 PM NYSTan, just one more thought... It you don't was to drill the pickguard (I wouldn't have either, but I only had $125 into that strat), you can do the same thing with a push-pull pot to turn the 3rd pickup on, instead of the mini-toggle. Replace a tone pot with a Push-Pull pot and pull it up to turn the Neck Pickup on. — Bow B.M.E (Bastard Musical Engineering) Last edited: Feb 13, 2014 21:39:52 Top
RaistMagus Joined: Mar 30, 2011 Posts: 388 Copenhagen	Posted on Feb 14 2014 03:52 AM One more thing! If you use a no-load pot for the tone control then you have the option of using the pickups with the tone pot bypassed. There is a significant difference between a bypassed tone pot and a tone pot at 10, you get two useful sounds on all pickups. (Only the bridge p/up is normally wired with a tone pot bypass). — https://zakandthekrakens.bandcamp.com/ https://www.dirtyfuse.com Top

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