swapping strat humbuckers for seymour duncans

[neuroblade]

Hello, this is my first post to the forum. I have an American series Fender Strat HH with the stock Black Cobra and Sidewinder humbuckers. My axe has the S-1 switch as well. I just recently purchased Seymour Duncan's JB (bridge) and Jazz (neck) humbuckers. I can not get anyone locally to swap my pickups for me. I am proficient in soldering, and electrical work. I am uncertain though of wire color combinations, and what color goes where. Could you please help me? Thank you greatly in advance.

I have contacted Fender and Seymour Duncan, but still come up short. Apparently since this guitar was released in 2003 all the color codes available are not specific for the S-1 switching???

[erikh]

Why won't a local place do it? Do they not know how? It's really easy.

First off, the color codes. If you want just the straightforward humbucking sound, no splitting or anything, solder the red and white wires together on each pickup and cover the joint with tape. That leaves black, green and bare. The black is the hot, the green and bare go to ground.

Second, remove/replace one pickup at a time. Start with the neck. Desolder the wire going to the switch and desolder the ground wire. Put the black wire of the Jazz to the switch, green and bare to ground. Do the same thing with the JB in the bridge.

I haven't seen the S1 switching system or know if it splits the coils or not. I'll see what I can dig up though.

EDIT: Just found the wiring schematic on the Fender site. Wow, I haven't done anything like that before but shouldn't be hard, just a matter of getting things mapped out.

www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/ASTRAT_HH/SD0117100APg2.pdf

[neuroblade]

ErikH,

I live in Naples Florida, and it's pretty podunk here. I took my guitar to a tech at Guitar Center in Fort Myers, FL, and he tried about 15 different wiring combinations. He could not get the pickups to work in phase, so he bailed on the project. The S-1 switch really seems to throw a fly in the vaseline. I have all the wiring configurations and schematics, but it seems people are afraid of what they haven't done, including me maybe.

Here are the pickup configurations for the S-1 switch.

www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/ASTRAT_HH/SD0117100APg4.pdf

[wolf]

I've got an idea. If Guitar Center didn't destroy your wiring too much and if the original Fender pickup wire locations can still be determined, why not cut them? (leaving enough wire so the colors can still be determined) Then install the Seymour Duncan pickups based on the Fender color codes at this site:
guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/category/wiringresources.11pickupcolorcodes/
To help you out, I have prepared this Fender to Seymour Duncan "translation" chart but by all means check and recheck it before doing anything.


FENDER    DUNCAN

GREEN       BLACK

WHITE       WHITE

BLACK        RED

RED            GREEN

[/font]

[neuroblade]

wolf,

This seems pretty basic. Don't you think an authorized Fender repair center would be aware of this? I even provided them with that same color code chart from guitarelectronics.com. Both Fender and Seymour Duncan will provide no support in this matter. I love my Strat, but Fender as a company has become useless! Especially their technical support...

[wolf]

neuroblade
Is Guitar Center an authorized Fender dealer?
I've only had one experience with Guitar Center and I will never do business with them again. Ever. But that's for another time.

Anyway do you think you could do this yourself or as I said did Guitar Center mess up your wiring so much you can't tell what went where anymore?

[neuroblade]

Wolf,

I think guitar center is an authorized Fender dealer? Personally I can't stand that place either.

The tech there put my wires back to the stock set up. I definitely feel confident about tackling this job. I would feel better about this if someone new the specifics, as opposed to trial and error.

[wolf]

neuroblade
Well if you want to tackle this yourself, if you replace the new pickup wires precisely following the Fender to Seymour Duncan color scheme, there should be no trial and error involved. AND you don't have to worry about that stupid S-1 switch or any other crap that Fender put in there.

[ptrpilot]

Neuroblade
Just curious, why are you switching the PUs? I'm considering purchasing the same guitar for the 2 HBs. Hope it all works out. Thanks

[neuroblade]

ptrpilot,

The stock pickups sound great, don't get me wrong, especially through a quality amp. But, The Seymour Duncans JB and Jazz sound amazing. You will not be disappointed with this guitar.

[ptrpilot]

Neuroblade,
Thanks. I'll give the guitar a try. BTW, did you find the S-1 switching useful or more of a gimic?

[neuroblade]

ptrpilot,

Actually the S-1 switch is pretty cool. Check out the link below for pickup possibilites. Mine is chrome silver with a black pickguard.

www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/ASTRAT_HH/SD0117100APg4.pdf

[neuroblade]

Wolf,

I think I will attempt this next week. I appreciate your input and help.

[wolf]

neuroblade

Thank you, and I am glad to help out.

It's good to know that you will try it yourself - an indication of a true "guitarnut".
And I didn't mean to "knock" Fender or your guitar by some of the less than complimentary things I said about Fender.

One precaution I would take is being absolutely familiar with the way the guitar is currently wired. Yes, you mentioned there's a pdf schematic here:
www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdfs/ASTRAT_HH/SD0117100APg2.pdf
but still it would help tremendously if you know the wiring thoroughly.