Curious Fender Lone Star Wiring

[zepsongs]

I'm finally getting around to removing the cutoff switch on my 96 American Lone Star the previous owner had installed and I noticed that when comparing it to the Fender wiring diagram that he has the black going to ground on the volume pot and the green going to the switch. According to the diagram it should be green to ground and black to the switch.

What is the significance of this?

I figure it has something to do with series/parallel wiring but in terms of sound or tone, what's the difference? I was considering swapping the PG for a JB but now I'm wondering if this isn't why I wasn't entirely happy with the way the guitar sounded. I'm curious to hear how the guitar sounds wired the way Fender had intended. So before I swap the wires and put it back together again I would like to know will it make a difference and exactly how? If not I may just go ahead with the JB.

 

[DMyers77]

Re: Curious Fender Lone Star Wiring

This just reverses the polarity of the pickup. This only matters when combining with other pickups, and should have no effect on the sound of the pickup by itself.

In the #2 position, does it sound thin and wimpy? If it does, then reverse the black and green wires on the Duncan. If not, leave it alone.

On my '97 Lonestar, I found that the bridge pickup sounded much better when I removed the tone pot from the circuit. Stock it should have a tone control (.05 cap) wired to the single coils, and a tone control (.022 cap) wired to the HB. I got rid of the .05 cap, and let both controls share the .022 cap. Then I re-wired it so tone 1 controls the neck, tone 2 controls the middle, and the bridge has no tone. This made a huge difference!

If you want to keep the tone control on the bridge, then install a no-load pot. This will give the same effect.

 

[zepsongs]

Re: Curious Fender Lone Star Wiring

Thank you. I have never seen a Lone Star with a TBX pot, I've had a Clapton Strat that had one though. Regardless you've answered my question that it only effects the tone is pos-2 if it does anything at all.

 

[DMyers77]

Re: Curious Fender Lone Star Wiring

I bought mine used, so maybe the TBX was added by the previous owner. Either way, the guitar sounded much better after I ditched it.

I would try the Pearly Gates+ without a tone pot before swapping it out. It's easy and free.

Do your Texas Specials have the modified vintage stagger (lower G pole)? Mine do, but I'd never seen them with this feature until I got this guitar.