Request for a strat wiring diagram, and opinions!

[gunther]

Hi all,

I'm a big fan of this site, have read heaps!

Now i wish to change the wiring on my stratocaster. It is currently wired with normal 5 way switching, master vol/tone, and a neck on switch

Basically i have little use for the 2/3/4 positions on it, and the extra 2 positions dont sound too interesting either.

What i wish to do is replace the 5 way switch with a 3 way which selects neck/both/bridge. From there, the signal goes to the master vol/tone......now heres the tricky bit:
Then it goes to a switch which puts the middle pickup in series with whatever else is selected.

I think this wiring will work really well live, putting the middle pickup in series should be like having an onboard boost of sorts.

I can work out most of the wiring, i just need help with the 'middle pickup in series' switch. I wish to use an on/on dpdt switch to do this, if possible.

Thanks alot if you can help me out or provide opinions

Edit: one extra question - If it implement this wiring scheme, and my master volume is turned all the way down, and my middle pickup switch is on....will the middle pickup be on by itself?

Thanks!!!

[ChrisK]

Do you specifically want the middle pickup in series with the output of the volume pot for a reason, or do you just want the middle pickup series driving what the three-way switch has selected?


A SPDT switch can be used to put the middle in series with what the three-way switch has selected.


If a DPDT ON-ON-ON switch is used (a three position toggle switch), it can select between;

a. what the three-way switch has selected in series with the middle,
b. what the three-way switch has selected, or
c. what the three-way switch has selected in parallel with the middle.

OR

a. what the three-way switch has selected in series with the middle,
b. what the three-way switch has selected, or
c. the middle only.

depending on how it's wired.

[gunther]

I definately dont want to use an on/on/on switch. Its too complicated for live use.

Is there any difference with putting the middle pickup before or after the volume pot???

I just thought it would be handy to put the middle pickup after the volume pot IF i could use it on its own when the master volume is turned down. Also to use the switch as a killswitch (when i've turned the volume down from the 3-way output).

[UnklMickey]

hi Gunther,

i think i see what you are going for here.

putting the middle-series after the volume, will do 2 interesting things.

1 - with the volume at zero, toggling the switch will give you the stutter effect, going from middle only to silent.

2 - adjusting the volume will reduce the amount of contribution from what is selected on the 3-way.
a blender of sorts.

since you will be using a 3 way to select the other 2 pickups, the 'hole' that would have occurred in position 3 of the 5-way will not be a problem.

the one thing that will not be possible, is to use the middle at reduced volume.
as long as that is acceptable, you will probably be happy with this.

[gunther]

Yep i totally understand this! I'm pretty sure this is what i want....but i'll never know until i wire it up.

A diagram would be much appreciated. Thanks

[gunther]

never mind peoples, i got the diagram off another forum.

All that is different to a tele diagram is this switch:
i71.photobucket.com/albums/i127/LJKing/midpupseriesswitch.gif

Didnt realise it would be so easy!

Clips coming

[dgeekoo]

This is a mod that I made on a Strato with a reverse-wound reverse polarity middle pick-up.
I made the first "tone-pot" a "dial-in-pot", and the 2nd tone a "master-tone" pot.
With the dial-pot at minimum ("0" position) it is a standard strato.
With the dial-pot at max ("10") we have mid&neck in serie in position 5, mid only in positions 4-3-2, bridge&mid in serie in position 1.
With the dial-pot in itermediate positions we dial progressively the bridge/neck pups in paralel for 2/4 positions, or serie in 1/5 positions.

Schematic is here:
forums.rgc.ro/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=19971