Help choosing/ordering Strat components

[alex1fly]

I'm hoping to get this Partsocaster wired up soon, and since I was last an active pup swapper, things have changed a bit - there's more suppliers, more options, and more opinions than ever. I've also never wired anything up from scratch. If you've seen my other recent threads, I'm a professed hack at this stuff. My mods work - sometimes.

Hoping to try a new approach with this one - a "follow the instructions" approach using high quality components, probably everyday stuff for many of you I'd like to do HSS with two overwound single coils, some kind of lower output PAF in the bridge, 5-way switch, and 1 master volume/1 master tone.

1) Do I want 250k or 500k pots? Would using a no-load tone keep my singles from getting brittle and my HB from getting muddy?
2) What suppliers do you all trust for parts?
3) How about wire? Does cloth wrapped matter, is it more about the gauge of wire, or something else?

Thanks, Alex

Edited for brevity.

 

[Mr. B]

You've left too many questions for my brain to process, so I will just tell you a few things I do with HHS strats. First, traditional singles are always going to have way less output than most humbuckers, so I stick with low to medium output humbuckers (Duncan 59, Seth Lover, Pearly Gates CustomCustom, or Dimarzio Fred, Paf Pro) You have to pick a fairly bright humbucker if you are going to run it with 250k pots. You can always use singles that up their output a bit too and still remain stratty, (Dimarzio area 61 comes to mind) but there is a point that they start to sound more like humbuckers than single coils.
I use 300K pots for tone and volume in my main strats. I haven't bought any 300k pots in years, so I don't know any current suppliers (try Ebay)
I also do NOT leave the traditional tone knob connected to the neck pickup. I move that tone pot's connection to the bridge pickup. Not only does that make more sense, the neck pickups sound better without a tone pot attached to them. CTS pots are sort of the go-to for being reliable and cheap.
I like working with cloth wrapped wire because it is just easier to use.

 

[jeremy]

1- depends on the pups you use. if you are going ssl5 neck and middle with a wlh bridge id use 500k controls. if you are going ssl1 neck and middle with a 59n, id go 250k volume and tone for the singles and 1meg tone for the bridge. i dont like no load pots but thats just preference

2- the duncan pots are great, but there are plenty of good stuff out there. get all the parts from the same place. there are tons of places to get parts depending on what the full list of stuff you need is.

3- get the wire from where ever you get the other stuff. cloth is nice but any wire will work. stranded is easier to use than solid for most things.

 

[Mincer]

I wrote a few blogs about my HSS Strat, maybe there is something there to give you ideas:
here &
here

 

[alex1fly]

Got it - thanks! Seems like Switchcraft and CTS are relatively well respected.

 

[Mincer]

Yes, they are. Bournes pots are great, too..they make the SD pots, which I love for their easy turn-ability.

 

[Adieu]

Wire doesn't matter.

You can salvage it from anywhere or use cheap spools.

Anyone who thinks bigger wire gauges coming off a pickup can somehow matter clearly doesn't understand that a pickup IS a coil of wire.... super thin, gauge 40-something wire (if you're really new to this: bigger gauge number = smaller wire)

 

[Clint 55]

What singles are you thinking of going with? 8 or 9k is about the limit before they get middy and change the vibe. Duncan only makes 2 the twang banger and surfer bridge.

Also I hate cts lol. It's the only brand I avoid.

 

[Adieu]

You don't want overwound singles with a low output bucker.

Texas Specials at most. Probably just something vintage wound. 5-6k

 

[Mincer]

I used a wiring scheme that had all 5 positions hum-cancelling:
Classic Stack (rw/rp)
Five Two
59/Custom Hybrid

With the positions:
bridge
split bridge w/ middle
split bridge w/split neck
middle w/split neck
neck

500k volume, 250k tone for neck & middle, 500k tone for HB

I think I used a Megaswitch, too. The single balance really well, and the whole thing is dead quiet.

 

[alex1fly]

What singles are you thinking of going with? 8 or 9k is about the limit before they get middy and change the vibe. Duncan only makes 2 the twang banger and surfer bridge.

Also I hate cts lol. It's the only brand I avoid.

At the risk of judgment, I'll share that I'm installing a set of these: https://dragonfireguitars.com/Crusad...Caps-10096.htm
They're in my parts drawer and I've already spent my yearly allocated music gear dollars on 3 new guitars and a DAW upgrade (ouch), so trying to use parts on hand.

Here's my parts order from Warmoth - did I miss anything? Sorry about the CTS pots Clint, haha

CTS250	250K Pot, By CTS	2	$10.00
CTS500	500K Pot, By CTS	1	$5.00
MJ1	Mono Jack, By Switchcraft	1	$3.00
Z36	Copper Shielding Tape, 2" x 24"	1	$6.00
WK1	Wiring Kit , (1.25 ft ea of Black, Red & White Wire, 3 ft of Coaxial Wire)	1	$5.95
CAP1	Capacitor, Ceramic Disc, .047uf, 50 Volt	2	$1.00
CAP2	Capacitor, Ceramic Disc, .022uf, 50 Volt	2	$1.00
CRL5	5-Way Blade Switch	1	$14.00