Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

[Sage]

So here's my latest harebrained idea. I have a normal Strat with a volume and two tone knobs, and a 5-way super switch. I want to set it up thusly:

For positions 2-5, I want to use the first tone knob as a master tone control with a .1uf capacitor.

However, for position 1, I want to instead use the second tone knob, and have it set up with "greasebucket" wiring, as found on the Highway One Strat (Parts list here), which uses a .1uf capacitor and a .022uf capacitor.

Ideally I would like to use the same .1uf capacitor in all 5 positions, and just add the .022uf capacitor in on position 1, but if they need to be distinct, that's fine too.

I have a full quadrant of the super switch to devote to this. Does anybody know how I would wire this up?

 

[Artie]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

Ah, cool. You have a superswitch. Gimme a sec.

Ok . . . you can't really do this. Let me explain. The .1uf cap is wired into a weird position on the tone control. You can't use it "by itself" as a separate tone control. It just wouldn't work. You could, however, do this: Wire up 2-5 as a normal tone control using pot #1 and the .022uf cap. (That will sound good.) Then, on position #1, use the greasebucket mod.

 

[Sage]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

Okay... then is there a way to do this using two .1uf caps and one .022uf cap? That is, use one .1uf cap and the first tone knob for positions 2-5, and then the remaining .1uf and .022uf caps with the second tone knob for position 1?

 

[Artie]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

Ok, I hope I have what you're asking. But first, you need to understand that you don't want a .1uf cap on a normal tone control. It will kill all the sound. So, I believe this is what you want:

That will give you the GreaseBucket tone control at the #1 bridge position, and a more-or-less normal tone control in the other positions. Even though the 4.7k resistor will still be in the circuit, its affect is negligible. Not sure why they even include it.

However, you can do this so that you have more control over the #2 - #5 tone control by omitting the jumper, and just adding a dedicated cap for tone control 1. (Caps are cheap.) Just do this:

Now, if you really want to use a .1uf cap for the first tone control, you can. Make the cap, (in red), any value you want.

However, you can even do this simpler. There's no need for both tone pots. Just wire it like this:

Same functionality as my first diagram, but now you've freed up the second tone pot hole for something more interesting.
(Like a cap select switch.)

Hope this helps. Make sense?

Artie

 

[Sage]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

I'm not sure I get exactly what's happening in that last diagram, but the second one is definitely what I'm looking for.

I've been using a .1uf capacitor for some time and I love the sound of it, but that may be because I only roll the tone knob down when I'm in position 1 (hence the dedicated tone control and caps for position 1). I don't mind the sound when I roll down the tone on position 1, but it loses a little of the oomph, which is why I wanted to try the greasebucket mod. Extremely odd that the resistor has no effect, though. I wonder why it's there...

Thanks, once again, for your help on this. Say, what are you making those diagrams with? Can I get a clean copy of the super switch and pots, and a push-pull added? I'll show you what all I've got wired up -- it's pretty interesting.

 

[Artie]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

Thanks, once again, for your help on this. Say, what are you making those diagrams with? Can I get a clean copy of the super switch and pots, and a push-pull added? I'll show you what all I've got wired up -- it's pretty interesting.

I use a program called NeoPaint from NeoSoftware. Most of those guitar symbols are "stamps" that you just click into place so that you don't have to draw them everytime. I made most of my own, but if you get the program, I'd be happy to send you my "stamp collection".

Here's your blank canvas:

 

[Sage]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

Awesome, thanks! I'm on a Mac, so I can't run NeoPaint, but I'll gin something up here for you in a few.

Meanwhile, this thread suggests the the point of the resistor is to allow you to roll the tone knob all the way down while maintaining a minimum resistance. Or something, I may not be reading it right.

If that's true, then the question is, what's the point of having two caps on a single tone control? What impressed me about the Highway One's tone control was the fact that it sounded great when rolled all the way down. Could this same effect be achieved with a single cap and a resistor?

 

[Artie]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

One of the caps gets removed from the circuit as you turn the knob. So its possible that its moving the roll-off point as its changing the tone. It looked to me as though the roll-off point went lower down the spectrum as you turned it down. So, the tone control would be subtle at the top of its range, and become more aggresive as you rolled it back.

At least, I think thats what its doing.

 

[Sage]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

Okay, here's the diagram I've put together... This should do the trick:

Let me know what you think. Thanks for the canvas!

 

[Artie]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

That looks fine. Just remember that on that type of switch, the contacts connect opposite of the position of the handle. So, in your diagram, you want the left side of your diagram to point towards the rear of the guitar.

Other than that, looks cool. Your push-pull allows all three pups when the 5-way is in the middle.

Edit: And, you'll have the greasebucket tone control when the neck pup is on.

 

[Sage]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

That looks fine. Just remember that on that type of switch, the contacts connect opposite of the position of the handle. So, in your diagram, you want the left side of your diagram to point towards the rear of the guitar.

Yes, I have that part wired up already. Most of this is done, but I have to add in the greasebucket part.

Other than that, looks cool. Your push-pull allows all three pups when the 5-way is in the middle.

Yup! Makes for a very pretty clean tone.

Edit: And, you'll have the greasebucket tone control when the neck pup is on.

Yeah, I realized that right after I uploaded it. I did that quadrant backwards -- the greasebucket is supposed to be on the bridge pickup. It should be fixed now.

Thanks!

 

[Artie]

Re: Custom tone wiring for Strat - can anyone help?

Yeah, I realized that right after I uploaded it. I did that quadrant backwards -- the greasebucket is supposed to be on the bridge pickup. It should be fixed now.

Thanks!

No prob. I'll have to try that greasebucket thang when I get a chance.