Custom Strat Wiring

[justinhamel]

I'm having a custom strat built, and I need to provide a wiring diagram. I made this diagram today. Please help me to check my work. I usually always make a mistake.

[JohnH]

hi Justinhamel, welcome to GN2 and thanks for posting your diagram.

It looks basically OK to me, but can't be sure since the active EMG control is not familiar.

If it works as I'd expect, then I suspect you may not need the treble bleed circuit on the volume pot, since you'll have an active low-impedance output which won't be affected by cable capacitance.

[newey]

I always hate to disagree with JohnH, 'cause usually he's right and I'm wrong, but I'm not seeing how this scheme does what you want. We'll call "Position 5" the neck position in your numbering scheme (which is the same as Fender usually numbers it), since you designated the neck only position as #5 in your scheme. Also understand that "-" and "+" are basically meaningless with phase switches involved, so I'm using that terminology just to have a reference.

The series connection made by the P/P switch goes to the neck lug of the 5-way switch. It takes the bridge pickup's "-" connection to the neck "+", making the series connection there. When you have the switch set to position 1, you will get Bridge x neck, i.e., in series, as your chart describes it. The "series chain" goes from the grounded neck pickup, through the neck coil to neck "+" which is connected to bridge "-" which then connects to output via bridge positive- but only at positions 1 and 2 of the 5-way; briidge "+" which completes the series chain is disconnected at 3,4 and 5 positions.

At position 2, you will actually get (B x N) + M, in other words, the B and N are already connected in series, and the pair is then in parallel with the middle pup.

However, as I see it, position 3 will not be middle and neck in series. Your series connection is made through the bridge coil at position 1. Position 1 is not connected to the output when the switch is set to position 3. Position 3 will be middle alone. For the same reason, 4 will be N + M and 5 will be neck only.

I'm also not following the tone control. For a master tone, there is no need to use the second pole of the 5-way switch, it's just extra connections. As shown, the control is disconnected except in position 1 of the 5-way switch.

Now again, maybe I'm wrong, and maybe someone can explain what I am missing here, but I see some issues with the diagram as stated.

[justinhamel]

Here's version 1.1. Just reorganized some things. I'll check out the diagram again with the feedback you've given so far. Keep it coming.

[justinhamel]

After reading your replies, I sat down with markers and 5 copies, and I highlighted all the options provided when the dpdt pot is pulled. I also eliminated the extra wire to the tone pot

I just need to finish figuring out all the options. Right now, the 3 mini toggles are upside down. If these were slide switches instead of mini toggle switches, then the way it's shown is correct.

Here's what I think I've figured out:


Custom Strat Wiring (version 1.3)

If the tone pot (DPDT push-pull) is pushed down, then the 5-way switch acts normally. The tone pot only works when the bridge pickup as active. Each pickup is in phase unless one of the 3 mini toggles is switched.

If the tone pot (DPDT push-pull) is pulled up, then the 5-way switch provides some interesting options. The following also assumes each mini toggle is "off."

POSITION 5: NECK (NO TONE)
POSITION 4: NECK (NO TONE)
POSITION 3: (MIDDLE) x (NECK [OUT OF PHASE]) (NO TONE)
POSITION 2: (MIDDLE + BRIDGE) x (NECK [OUT OF PHASE]) (YES TONE)
POSITION 1: (BRIDGE) x (NECK [OUT OF PHASE]) (YES TONE)

In either case, the EMG SPC (Strat Presence Control) pot further shapes your tone by fattening it up by boosting the mids. In addition, switching the phase toggles will provide even more interesting options not listed here.

[newey]

Mar 8, 2021 1:38:16 GMT -5 justinhamel said:

If the tone pot (DPDT push-pull) is pushed down, then the 5-way switch acts normally. The tone pot only works when the bridge pickup as active. Each pickup is in phase unless one of the 3 mini toggles is switched.

OK, I still stand by what I said earlier about the series connection (since no one else has as yet weighed in to correct me if I'm wrong) As to the above, the switches you will be using for the phase switches will need to be On-On type toggle switches- there is no "off" position. SO, when you say that you will have:

POSITION 5: NECK (NO TONE)
POSITION 4: NECK (NO TONE)
POSITION 3: (MIDDLE) x (NECK [OUT OF PHASE]) (NO TONE)
POSITION 2: (MIDDLE + BRIDGE) x (NECK [OUT OF PHASE]) (YES TONE)
POSITION 1: (BRIDGE) x (NECK [OUT OF PHASE]) (YES TONE)

There will be no "OOP" based on the 5-way switch unless one or the other of the pickups is switched to OOP by its phase switch. And, as I said before, I'm not seeing M X N at position 3, and position 4 will be N + M, not neck only.

This statement:

Each pickup is in phase unless one of the 3 mini toggles is switched.

tells me that you don't have a firm grasp of phasing. A pickup cannot be OOP with itself- phase only has meaning with respect to the phasing of another pickup. So, if you are switched to the "neck only" setting on the 5-way, flipping the neck pickup's phase switch will do nothing (barring a situation where you are using feedback from the amp to achieve a certain sound). If you have the N + M selected, then flipping either neck or middle phase switch will put the two out of phase with one another, IOW, N + M OOP will sound exactly the same as M + N OOP.

If you have 3 pickups, only 2 phase switches are needed to access all the possible OOP combos of two pickups- which, again, barring playing with feedback a la Brian May, are the only OOP settings that mean anything. That's not to say that you can't or shouldn't have 3 phase switches, but the third phase switch doesn't add any new OOP tones, although switching to OOP may be easier with the 3 switches, and again, the feedback scenario.

Yes, you will have the tone control only on the bridge if wired as per your latest iteration.

[justinhamel]

I see what you're saying about the phase switches. Really only need 2. I'm going to keep all 3 for now. Here are all the options as I see them. Also, I included a graphic of what the 5-way is doing in every position. With the push-pull up, the neck is always active, regardless of what the 5-way is doing.

Position 5



Position 4

If I'm reading this correctly, both ends of the middle pickup go to tip. So just the neck pickup is active.



Position 3



Position 2



Position 1

[newey]

OK, I think I sort of follow this now, although with some wires faded into the background, it's hard to trace out. In any event, you've convinced me on the M X N at position 3. It's a pretty convoluted way to add some series options, but hey, it's your guitar!

At position 4, you are correct, neck only, but you are not grounding the middle pup to itself there. One end of the middle pickup is connected to the output via its phase switch, th other end connects to the bridge phase switch, which then connects to the bridge lug of the 5-way, which is disconnected from the output at Position 4. So you'll get neck only but with the middle coil hanging from hot. That's not a deal killer, but could potentially generate some noise at that position- or not, depending on the environment where your playing. Probably no way around that with this scheme, given how you'rw doing the series connections here.

At position 2, you will have all three pickups, but it's (B X N) + M, not (M + B) x N. There may be not much audible difference between the 2 depending on the pickups used, but the combined impedance will be different. You are making a parallel connection of the middle pickup to the B X N series pair, not making a series connection of the neck to the parallel pair of B + M. But that's just me being picky about terminology, not a problem with your diagram.

One thing to which you probably ought to give some thought is which pickup should be the RWRP one so as to maximize hum-cancelling. Ordinarily, it's the middle, of course, but if you do so with this scheme, then the series B X N will not be hum-cancelling. Assuming all pickups are in phase with each other, if you make the neck RWRP, then the series B X N combo will be hum-cancelling, but when in normal Strat mode, B + M would not be hum-cancelling. I'd say make that judgment based on which setting you will likely use more frequently.