"Wacky Strat" diagram

[newey]

Here's a bit of silliness I came up with, kind of wacky. It uses a DPDT switch (could be P/P) to get the 2 missing Strat tones, and adds some "cap tuning" of the M and N pickups. This would be either for a Master V and T set-up, or the tone controls would need to be wired across two of the three pickups, you can't use the second pole of the 5-way to switch tone pots since I've used it.

I don't know if I, or anyone else, will ever build this. And, if it duplicates someone else's work, I apologize for being unaware of it. And, as always, let me know if I have violated the pooch here.

[ashcatlt]

You got me wondering if I'm seeing things or missing something or...something...

It looks to me as though the B is always connected to output when the DPDT is flipped up. Also, I'm not sure those caps are really going to work the way you intend. In position 2, for example, the M is getting to the output by its connection to the bridge even without the cap. That cap is basically shorted and shouldn't really do anything. Position 3 and 5 are probably fine (except they're both B+), but then at 4, the M and N will connect together and then split through the parallel combination (capacitance sum) of those two caps on the way to the output.

Also those caps are of course in series with the pickups when they are in circuit (and not shorted), so will have a highpass (bass cut) function. That's fine if it's actually what you want, but "cap tuning" is often the other way, where we try to tame the highs a bit with caps to ground.

I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions for fixes at the moment, but I do think you should take another look.

[newey]

Aug 17, 2023 20:58:39 GMT -5 ashcatlt said:

It looks to me as though the B is always connected to output when the DPDT is flipped up.

Yes, that I knew when I started but forgot when I finished!

Bass cut with the caps was the intent. Anyway, back to the drawing board.