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Post by JohnH on Feb 2, 2013 0:40:19 GMT -5
The Strat SSM stands for ‘Simple Series Mod’. I have built it into my American Special HSS and its working so well that I thought I would write it up. I found that I was not needing the tone controls at all in normal playing, and could get enough tone control from other means such as the amp and the way I picked. So this mod is for those who find the same, and would like to re-purpose the two tone controls to get much more powerful tone variations from them. This can all be done with no new parts, but no-load pots instead of standard pots have a slightly higher range, and treble bleed is also nice to have, but optional. In position 1 of the standard 5-way, the rear tone pot acts as a spin-a-split control to give single coil options from the bridge humbucker, and also works in position 2. Positions 4 and 5 have the neck pickup added in series with a variable amount of one of the bridge coils, giving a fat hum cancelling sound blending down to a pure neck single coil. Position 3 is as the stock middle pickup. So with this, you can preset a fat or a thinner sound at each end of the 5-way, and change smoothly between them. The standard 5 options are all still there. The tone controls are now much more interesting than normal, and there are distinct in between tones to be found as you sweep from single coil to series. Controlling the shrillness of a single coil is now achieved not just by squashing it, but by the transition to more low end weight and lower peak resonant frequency as it moves to series mode. I think the best single coil sound at the bridge is where the pot is not quite cutting out all the other coil. The series to single transitions are done just by shunting one coil. This was one of several ways I thought about doing this, and I’ll post more on this later. I like this with the Treble Bleed circuit, to keep a clear tone when rolling down volume. But with no standard tone control, there is a case for omitting it to allow a bit more mellowness at lower volume. I’m enjoying playing this one, and since it is so cheap and simple, I'm hoping others may be interested too. Cheers John
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Post by newey on Feb 2, 2013 1:19:33 GMT -5
And since the resistor and capacitor are the only new parts, omitting them means that this mod can be done with only the stock components alone, no new parts at all. That's worth a +1 right there!
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Post by JohnH on Feb 2, 2013 20:17:30 GMT -5
Thanks newey. I did use no-load pots, which are a special, but on testing, I cant hear any difference as they go past maximum to infinity, although in theory there is a bit of extra treble available. So this can indeed be a no cost mod. I did some work on how best to do the blending , and its now written up here: Series blendingOne interesting result from the analysis, is that the tone change as you first move from single coil to series, is very similar to that of turning down a normal tone control with a single coil. But in this case, it is achieved by filling in the lows and mids, rather than trimming the treble. Hence a similar tone change, but building up in volume instead of down. This is further support for trying this arrangement instead of normal tone controls. (EDITed by sumgai to update the link, due to the article being moved.)
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Post by sumgai on Feb 3, 2013 3:07:30 GMT -5
John,
I've moved your article over to the Design Modules sub-Forum, it's a better fit as an idea on how to design a particular module for use in one's "ideal" guitar wiring schema.
While it is a "how-to" article, we feel that the References Forum is better used for those items that are not specific to guitar wiring circuits. I think you'll find that a great many of the Topics on that page fit within that criterion.
Plus, I've edited your post above to change the link's destination, because ProBoards doesn't do that automatically.
Oh, and nice job, very nice! ;D
sumgai
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Post by JohnH on Mar 29, 2013 15:29:49 GMT -5
I’ve discovered a nice little ‘Easter Egg’ addition to this scheme by adding one DPDT switch. What it does is swap the electrical position of the Middle and one of the Bridge Hb coils, and in doing so it fills in nearly all the blanks in the list of desirable sounds from an HSS set up. In standard position (as shown above), the selections are standard Strat, with position 1 blend-able from Bridge Hb to Bridge single, and position 5 from neck x one bridge coil in series, to neck only. Positions 2 and 4 add the Middle in parallel as usual. Operating the extra switch makes NxM available in position 5, and a thicker humbucking bridge sound MxBnorth. Plus, Bridge humbucking coils in parallel can be had at position 2 and position 4 can do a Tele-like N+Bsouth in parallel. Overall, out of 6 possible parings of two coils in an HSS guitar, all 4 of the humcancelling ones are available in both series and parallel, plus all four single coils, and a range of series/parallel options at 2 and 4. I might need to build this one. Since it only needs a DPDT, there’s lots of options for switch types, push/pull, push/push, push button, toggle, or even a Fender S1. I’m thinking of a toggle switch, mounted below the pg on a bracket so only the lever is visible. J
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Post by stratcat33511 on Mar 31, 2013 8:57:28 GMT -5
This is great I love these mods I Love this site
THanks a Million
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Post by Ro_S on Nov 26, 2018 15:13:43 GMT -5
John H -
I really like mod scheme of yours, too.
But what bridge humbucker pickup did you use and what was its DC resistance?
ta
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Post by JohnH on Nov 26, 2018 15:33:48 GMT -5
John H - I really like mod scheme of yours, too. But what bridge humbucker pickup did you use and what was its DC resistance? ta The pickups were as standard on a Fender HSS American Special. The hb is called 'Atomic', but its not really as hot as it sounds. Its 8.4k dcr, alnico, uncovered. The singles are Texas Specials, both 6.2k.
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