ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

[midnite_man]

Scott-
You wrote in a thread by Jeff_H the following in regards to a mod he just did to a Strat:
"My favorite Strat mod is to make use the first pot as a single volume pot for the entire guitar, then make the middle pot a tone control for the entire guitar, finally running the bottom pot as a blend control for the bridge and neck pups."
Is there a diagram for this somewhere, or can you post one or send one mt way? I'm interested in doing this to my Strat while I'm swapping out the pups and doing a tone-bleed mod to it. I wanna do everything while I'm in there, all at once.
Thanks,
Bob

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Scott-
You wrote in a thread by Jeff_H the following in regards to a mod he just did to a Strat:
"My favorite Strat mod is to make use the first pot as a single volume pot for the entire guitar, then make the middle pot a tone control for the entire guitar, finally running the bottom pot as a blend control for the bridge and neck pups."
Is there a diagram for this somewhere, or can you post one or send one mt way? I'm interested in doing this to my Strat while I'm swapping out the pups and doing a tone-bleed mod to it. I wanna do everything while I'm in there, all at once.
Thanks,
Bob

Bob..This sounds more like Lew's mod...Try and hook up with Lew and see if he can help you...I Know Lew can...

John

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

I bought the blender pot from Torres and they provided the schematic for me at the time. I'll have to go look for it. DId you check guitarelectronics.com? Lew probably has it.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

By the way, this set up is what Torres calls their Bluescaster wiring rig. Instead of paying twice as much for a prewired version, I just bought the individual parts and wired it up myself.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Bob..This sounds more like Lew's mod...Try and hook up with Lew and see if he can help you...I Know Lew can...

John

If this is what you are talking about, I first saw it from Lindy Fralin, and Tommy Rodriguez, but have no idea who first came up with it. It's on his site
www.fralinpickups.com ... If that's the same one your are speaking of (i.e. not using a dual ganged blender balance control, only using the stock control). I post it, but I'm a little learly of posting other people's web material ... You can download the diagram of his site. He has hi volume compensation kit also, you might like Lews better though ... there are more than a few options there ... personal taste.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

By the way, this set up is what Torres calls their Bluescaster wiring rig. Instead of paying twice as much for a prewired version, I just bought the individual parts and wired it up myself.

Scott, is that the same one, or is the Torres' different? (See fralin's site)

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Yep, that's it.


TOrres also has aBluescaster deluxe which has a push/pull tone they call a Super Mid or something. Push it's a midrange boost/cut, pulled it's a standard tone control. I had one in the strat I sold to Stratman, but I never used it that much. But the blender is pretty cool.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

and I'm pretty sure the blender is a linear taper pot.

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

FWIW I'd strongly suggest a "no load" pot for the blender. Lindy's diagram should work fine.

Chip

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Okay, I'll ask, what's a no load pot? (you bongers out there, no comment)

I just bought the one from Torres when I was buying some other odds and ends.

 

[midnite_man]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Cool, guys. I'll check out the links you posted and talk to Lew about it as well. I thought that all I was going to have to do was some rewiring and use the bottom tone-pot as the blender, or something like that.
I'm wondering if I'd use this arrangement that much with those Antiquity pickups?

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

I just think it's kinda cool to blend the neck and the bridge together in a strat.

Plus all three in Quack Mode is a really cool tone.

The ability to blend in just a tad or the entire signal is the key to its usefulness to me. Kinda works like a tone control for me. If that bridge pup is too bright or thin, I just blend in a bit of neck.

 

[midnite_man]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

I just think it's kinda cool to blend the neck and the bridge together in a strat.

Plus all three in Quack Mode is a really cool tone.

The ability to blend in just a tad or the entire signal is the key to its usefulness to me. Kinda works like a tone control for me. If that bridge pup is too bright or thin, I just blend in a bit of neck.

THAT'S the part of the mod that's appealing to me, being able to blend that neck pup with the bridge. I'm always finding single coil bridge pups to be too thin for my taste. I'll hook up with Lew and get his thoughts on this as well.
I will make the top volume pot into a master volume controller, and the middle pot into the master tone control no matter what. I never understood why Fender wired their Strats up like that, but at least it does allow an extra hole for possible mods after the fact.
Thanks, Scott!

 

[Scott_F]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

You are certainly welcome, but it certainly isn't my idea! I do think it's the ultimate strat mod though. Even for beater, POS strats like mine!

 

[midnite_man]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

I PM'd Lew on this, plus checked out the schematic at Lindy Fralin's site. Looks like I'm on track to do this when I accumulate all the necessary parts and instructions.

 

[Jonny R]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Okay, I'll ask, what's a no load pot? (you bongers out there, no comment)

I just bought the one from Torres when I was buying some other odds and ends.

From my non-experiential knowledge I believe a no-load pot is one in which when it is on full volume (or tone) the pot has no load at all in the circuit - as in it is pretty much 'true bypass'.

I think other pots continue to make their presence felt, albeit it in a small way.

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Jonny R is correct. In a no load pot, the connection between the wiper and the other terminal is completely cut when the pot is turned to "10" (or to "0", depending on how the no load pot is made - the commercially available one's are "no load" at "10"). Normally, there is only 250k (or 500k) resistance between the two outside terminals, so there is some bleed through. A no load pot severs the connection entirely.

You can get a Fender no load pot from several places, including GuitarElectronics.com. You can also "roll your own" - John's Pot Tutorial. Please note that this is NOT drug education

Chip

 

[Kent S.]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

FWIW I'd strongly suggest a "no load" pot for the blender. Lindy's diagram should work fine.

Chip

Nice touch there, always nice to know that something that's supposedly out of the circuit is truely OUT ... :cool3:

 

[Kent S.]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Okay, I'll ask, what's a no load pot? (you bongers out there, no comment)

I just bought the one from Torres when I was buying some other odds and ends.

Scott, a no-load was Fender's deal (at first marketing), it's basically a pot that the track is cut at the *10* end, when used as a tone control (for example) it simply functions as a switch ... from 0~9.5 it's a normal pot, then at 10 the wiper breaks connection with the track; hence it doesn't load your signal. In the case of what we are talking about here, it simply means that when all the way up, the bridge and neck pups have no connection thru the blender at all ... so it functions like an on/off switch for the blender (or in the case of the tone control ...it takes it totally out of the circuit). BTW, for humbucker users it makes a nice coil tap switch at the end, for those that wish a full on tap, at full treble position.
Speaking of tone controls, I thought I'd stick this here rather than to start a new thread, (most don't really go for this type of stuff ... being that the TBX control has gotten some so-so press [I understand why given the stock wiring], most consider it to subtle) so I'll chuck this here. Bear in mind the cap values should be adjusted to your instrument ... these are only a starting place.

Sorry if this comes out less than stellar, or hard to see ... I had to shrink it to get it to fit.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: ATTN: Scott_F - Strat Mod

Second try to get this thing to post ... Okay can't get it to work ...what gives?