Basic Strat

[newey]

Inspired by Ozboomer's series of "simplemods", I have been pondering very simplistic designs for a SSS Strat type guitar. The Idea is to give a nice range of sounds without complexity and using minimal and cheap components.

Thus, the "Basic Strat". It uses 3 DPDT switches, which could of course be push/pull pots on each of the 3 Strat pots.

The default setting is "Bridge On"; separate switches add or subtract the mid and neck pups. The third switch puts the Bridge pup OOP.

The Bridge pup gets its own volume, and a separate tone control. The bridge pup is "always on" but can be eliminated from the mix by zeroing its volume control.

The mid and neck pups share a Volume control, without a tone. If a neck/mid tone is desired, one could be added via a concentric pot. I chose to go without a second tone for simplicity's sake. By having the tone only on the bridge pup alone (where it can adjust things for lead passages), interaction with the dual volume controls is avoided.

The pickup on/off switches do not, of course, need to be DPDT types, the diagram shows DPDTs for the p/p pot option.

This scheme will therefore give all parallel combos of the 3 SC pickups, including N+B and N+M+B, and also give N-B and M-B as well. That's 9 combos from 3 simple switches. No expensive 5-ways needed.

If P/Ps are used, the guitar will look like it just had the 3 pots, with no visible switches. Or, for those who don't care for P/Ps, 3 toggle switches can be mounted where the 5-way would normally be.

Of course, there are compromises, like the need to use the volume to turn the bridge off.



Of course, as with all my diagrams, the first questions is, is it right?

[ashcatlt]

The switching looks okay. I think the volume pots want reconsiderations. With one all the way up, the other will act like a tone pot as it's turned down until it gets to 0 where it silences the entire guitar. This is true of both V's and regardless of the switching. I think you'll want them wired "backwards" like an LP.

[newey]

Thanks, Ash! I knew they had to be one way to avoid that but I couldn't remember which way was which. Hopefully V2.0 is better in that regard:

[ashcatlt]

Think of the pot like an SPDT switch with the wiper as the common. When you flip it toward ground are you shorting the pickup or the jack?

That new one looks okay to me.

[sbgodofmetal]

you could install another blade switch either 3, 4 or 5way and wire caps to the poles and run it to your tone for additional sounds and even a passive overdrive circuit to boot. oh and can you post a picture diagram of the bridge phase circuit i'm doing something very similar and would love to add that lil' tit bit as well

[sbgodofmetal]

what i'm doing is using a tele 3way and making the tone a master both vol, and m.tone are p/p's to add the neck and/or bridge and either a varitone switch or a tone blend(haven't decided which yet) for extra sounds, externally you wouldn't know it from a standard strat until you play or hear it i love doing discreet modding like this and walking in a music shop to try amps and watch peoples expressions when they hear it and ask ''how the hell are you getting that sound''

[sbgodofmetal]

here it is

[sbgodofmetal]

out of need of stablity and avaibility of parts i'll be using the varitone for this one though i'm still working on a way to use them both in the same guitar

[sbgodofmetal]

and yes i know the varitone in my diagram is wired wrong i've already been informed of the correct way to wire it and have made those adjustments on paper but have not been able to post the updated drawings yet

[sbgodofmetal]

you can also move your pickups to 3 p/p pots with the bridge wired for the down position and use your 5way as a blade version of the varitone, wired correctly you should have the standard 5 sounds +series and parallel(if done right) and the addition of a varitone 'blade' increases that amount of sounds by changing their tones and the guitar appears externally normal or 'stock' if you prefer, but the sounds it makes will drastically change ;D

[sbgodofmetal]

hears what i'll be putting that diagram in

[sbgodofmetal]

i'll be converting it from an hss to a sss via a single coil adapter plate