strat wiring options

[jtn191]

Hey guys I've been reading lots about options for modifying strat wiring...

It all started when I took out my volume and tone pots, imitating one of my favorite guitar players http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenami/7458095134/

I don't like it that much...super trebly. So I've been weighing my options:
-Go back to Fender's standard wiring. WTF is that 2nd tone knob for anyway?
-G&L PTB wiring. Been leaning towards this, it requires a 500KA pot and a 1M C pot. mostly to play with bass cut. On youtube there's a demo comparing a G&L to Fender's John Mayer signature and the G&L sounds less strat-y. maybe it's just the unique pickups...
-The "Seven sound strat"
-All those phase, neck+bridge in series and parallel options

What's your favorite strat wiring? And why?

[jkokura]

On my larivee, which was originally a super strat type of high gain thing, I went with stacked single coils for the neck and middle, and a humbucker in the bridge - which was what it was originally - built by Tom Anderson. They're vintage levels though. Anyway, I talked to Tom a lot about wiring, and he recommended I get a Super Switch, which has 4 poles, which would allow me some pretty cool wiring options. So I have the 'add bridge' option, which gives me the ability to go with all three pickups, or the neck/bridge option. I actually find myself using those two settings a lot, which surprised and excited me. A second mod I have done is the series/parallel switch for the bridge 'bucker. Interesting that I like both sounds. So all told, I have 14 sound options with two extra toggle switches. I'm using 500K pots, which is what tom recommended, and it's single volume, single tone.

If I were you, I'd look into the super switch, and try the 'add bridge' switch in place of one of the tone knobs.

Jacob

[oldhousescott]

Check out the Fat-O-Caster switch by Deaf-Eddie. A few varieties to choose from. I think I went with the Jersey Mod FWIW. It does add a lot of flexibility.

[midwayfair]

This is what I use in my Don Quixotecaster:

On/off for each pickup
Volume (250K) with Kinman treble bleed (120K + .01uF cap)
Tone cap switch (.01uF down and adds a .047uF in parallel)
Tone (250K)

I have another harness wired up, that I've never bothered to use, with a series/parallel switch instead of the tone cap switch, but it has dead spots and I really don't like that about it.

But you know what? I only use two positions when actually playing the guitar: neck/middle and bridge/middle (I've recorded with other pickup positions, though). Fortunately, they're really easy to get to.

I'd say whatever you do with your wiring, make sure that your favorite settings require little to no thought to get to. Touchy tone knob settings are the worst. You might want to make yourself a harness that does all the pickup combinations, play the guitar for several days, and decide if there are any weird combinations you're actually going to use. Then you can get a super switch and wire them in to one or two of the settings to replace stock settings that you never use (we've all got one or two of those ... bridge alone and middle alone are the most common to replace).

The second tone knob in Fender's standard wiring changes the loading on different pickup combinations. I agree that it's not super useful. I much prefer the single tele tone control. But since you want less treble, not more, you might as well wire your bridge and middle to same tone control when you go back.

[DutchMF]

I like the EVH option, have it installed in my strat (now serves as only a backup): 1 Humbucker (thanx Jacob K, sounds amazing!), 1 Volume pot, NO Bulls*#t!! This guitar only sees action when my main Framus has a malfunction, and in one song where I only play wahwah'd solo's, thats the only thing it does better the Framus...... Framus has 5 options: 1-Bridge HB, 2-Bridge HB+Middle SC, 3-Middle SC, 4-Neck HB+Middle HC, 5-Neck HB. This, plus the option of splitting both HB's give it a nice selection of sounds, way more than I need!
Paul

[GermanCdn]

I've done just about every wiring combination possible, so here's my $0.02 on the most common.

1)  The three mini switches with all the phase options/pickup options, etc.  Way to much work for what it's worth, the reality is there's probably only 7 or eight settings you'd use, and having to switch three switches to change is a huge pain.  Built one pickguard like this, used it twice, swapped it out.

2) Standard five way with secondary push pull or toggle.  Gives you 7 useable sounds, five way acts as it normally would, a good alternative.  It's Fender's Superstrat wiring, had it on a few.

3) Les o caster wiring - Bridge, Bridge Middle, Bridge Neck, Neck Middle, Neck.  Uses the Superswitch, cool setup especially if you're using HB in the neck and bridge.  Have it on my PRS Custom 22 P90, love it except that I'm a fan of the middle pickup, and it doesn't give me that.  Won't change it though, as I love the guitar and don't want to mess with it.

4) Personal fave - Bridge, Middle, Bridge Neck, Middle Neck, Neck.  Again uses the Superswitch, gives me all the sounds I like (don't really need the cluck of bridge middle), and only have to use one toggle.

[jtn191]

Here's what I ended up doing (I'm pretty happy with it!)

simple mod: swap middle and bridge pickups. This gives you
1 neck
2 neck+bridge
3 bridge
4 middle+bridge
5 middle

And then I modded the tone controls to get the G&L PTB scheme. cool extra bit of versatility with no changes in stock appearance