3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

[jhill]

Hi group. I've been browsing the threads here, and there seem to be a lot of knowledgeable people, but it doesn’t look like my particular question has come up. Hopefully some of you folks can give me some advice on this one...

I'm seriously thinking about doing a project guitar (probably warmoth parts) built around 3 Phat Cats wired to a five way switch like a strat. I want to do a guitar with P-90 tones, and I like the look if the Cats vs. traditional P-90's. I also figure if I have the body routed for 3 HB's, it will leave options open in the future if I want to switch to something else. Here are my questions:

1. Does a 3 P-90 guitar like a good idea? Has anyone here done this?

2. Do you think the "in-between" sounds (selector positions 2 & 4) will have some of the funky quackiness of a strat?

3. Since the Phat Cat's are only offered in Bridge-Neck matched pairs, does anyone have a recommendation for what I should do to get hum-canceling in the bridge-middle, middle-neck positions?

4. Any other suggestions (recommended potentiometers, wiring, etc.)?

Thanks!
John

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

Hi group. I've been browsing the threads here, and there seem to be a lot of knowledgeable people, but it doesn’t look like my particular question has come up. Hopefully some of you folks can give me some advice on this one...

I'm seriously thinking about doing a project guitar (probably warmoth parts) built around 3 Phat Cats wired to a five way switch like a strat. I want to do a guitar with P-90 tones, and I like the look if the Cats vs. traditional P-90's. I also figure if I have the body routed for 3 HB's, it will leave options open in the future if I want to switch to something else. Here are my questions:

1. Does a 3 P-90 guitar like a good idea? Has anyone here done this?

2. Do you think the "in-between" sounds (selector positions 2 & 4) will have some of the funky quackiness of a strat?

3. Since the Phat Cat's are only offered in Bridge-Neck matched pairs, does anyone have a recommendation for what I should do to get hum-canceling in the bridge-middle, middle-neck positions?

4. Any other suggestions (recommended potentiometers, wiring, etc.)?

Thanks!
John

500k pots, and I must say the only thing better that 2 p-90's would be 3!!! Put the RW/RP in the middle if you can...maybe you could put a bridge model in the neck and bridge and a neck model (which is RW/RP) in the middle...this way positions 2 and 4 are noiseless. Where at in Atlanta are you! Im in Suwanne...about 35-45 minutes north of Atlanta! It sounds like a killer idea!

 

[Armotron]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

That sounds like an awesome idea!

 

[theodie]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

Two words, DO IT!!!!!

 

[Artie]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

I can never remember who's guitar this is, but I love it! :32:

One other thing you might consider, on my 3-pup Genny, I switched the neck and middle positions on the 5-way so that I have this:

1. middle
2. neck / middle
3. neck
4. neck / bridge
5. bridge

Thats not as weird as it looks. Basically, with the switch straight up, you have the neck. Going backwards acts as a 3-way with the neck and bridge - going forward acts as a 3-way with the neck and middle. All you're really doing is trading the middle-bridge position, (which I seldom use), for the neck-bridge position, which is common on 2-pup guitars. I love it. :laugh2:

 

[rinse_master]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

Usually people use a neck in the mid if there is no mid model.

You could get 2 neck pu's, one rw/rp & one normal, & a normal bridge one?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

I think it would be a very cool sounding guitar, especially when the middle and bridge pickups are combined. The only issue I would have is that the middle pickup would get in the way of my picking...it always does on a three pickup Les Paul Custom. Three humbucking size pickups feels crowded to me. Lew

 

[jhill]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

Excellent! That's exactly what I was looking for. Artie, did you use a neck model for the middle position, and if so, were you able to find one that was reverse and one that was normal wound like rinse master suggests?

And Fire-guy, I live downtown ATL, but I actually work up in Suwanee. Small world, eh?

 

[Curly]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

I have a regular Albert Lee on order, but I took a long look at one like this:

 

[Artie]

Re: 3 Phat Cats wired like a strat....good idea?

Excellent! That's exactly what I was looking for. Artie, did you use a neck model for the middle position, and if so, were you able to find one that was reverse and one that was normal wound like rinse master suggests?

And Fire-guy, I live downtown ATL, but I actually work up in Suwanee. Small world, eh?

Just to be clear . . . thats not my guitar. :yell:

It was posted by someone here on the forum many moons ago. I loved the pics so much, I saved them. If I recall, it was something like McFarland maybe, or close to that.