Help with new Super Blend Strat wiring mod

[ernzo]

Hi there!

One for the experts..
I've got a Highway One SSS Stratocaster, and lately I've been wondering if it would be possible to implement a "Blender Pot" style wiring into it..
but still preserving its strong points, namely the Greasebucket tone circuit and the Neck/Bridge Tone ctrls.

I've been checking all the Blender style diagrams I could find (Emerson CTS, Fezz Parka, Kinman..),
and all seem to have a Master Tone control, which I'm not particularly interested in..

So after studying many Standard Strat, and Blend style wirings, and trying to figure out how all this madness works in itself..
I've come up with a couple of ideas for a circuit that hopefully will integrate all of it.

But first let me remind you what the guitar currently features:
5-way switch (standard combinations)
Master Volume,
Neck Tone,
Bridge Tone,
RWRP Middle Pickup
Greasebucket tone circuits


And here's the designs:

The IDEA is to implement the Blender pot, preserve the Greasebucket tone circuit,
But make the Tone control have effect solely on the Bridge pickup.

Then have it on both the Neck/Bridge pickups when the Toggle switch is activated.

I also found the "50's Wiring" interesting, so I tried to make a version of it too..

It's actually the first time I try to deal with guitar electronics or draw a schematic,
so bear with me if any or all of it is pure nonsense..

In any case hope you enjoy the idea!


Questions:
Will this design work at all?
is there anything wrong you can see?

Will the Tone control work?
If so, will it have effect Only on the Bridge pickup, or in Both?

IOW will the toggle switch effectively include/exclude the Neck pickup on the Tone control?

Is the Ground wire on the Blend pot necessary?
or it could bleed/suck tone, or introduce noise/hum?

If everything is wrong, how would you implement this idea?
Or it's just not possible to isolate the pickups for tone control in a Blender circuit,
having to conform with the Master Tone?


-What is the theoretical benefit/change of connecting the Tone to the Second Lug of the Volume pot instead of the first?

Will the "50's Wiring" be compatible with the Greasebucket circuit, and the Blender mod?
(all at the same time)

Is the "50's Wiring" compatible with the Kinman Treble Bleed?
or will it be too Overkill?


Thank you in advance!

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Help with new Super Blend Strat wiring mod

Good job, looks cool and like it will work. It's fine to mix 50s and treble bleed, that's what I do. I listened to a demo of the grease bucket and it sounds good and useful!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Help with new Super Blend Strat wiring mod

Wow! That's a cool setup! If you use one of them, come back and report how you like it!

 

[ernzo]

Re: Help with new Super Blend Strat wiring mod

Good news,

I've been experimenting with the whole thing, and it's turning out to be better than expected.

I have temporarily installed a linear Pot on the selector switch, connecting Neck and Bridge pickups,
but left everything else as is..


And, not only the pickup Blending works Perfectly, but the Tone controls don't seem to interfere with each other,
and there seems to be no loss in tone/volume whatsoever..

Each Tone pot has the same effect that it had originally, and it's solely dependant on the actual pickup selection of the Switch..
but now it also has effect on the Blended pickup too, IOW..

1 Neck (+Bridge Blend) - Tone pot 1 effects Both pickups
2 Neck + Middle (+Bridge Blend) - Tone pot 1 effects All pickups
3 Middle - no Tone control
4 Middle + Bridge (+Neck Blend) - Tone pot 2 effects All pickups
5 Bridge (+Neck Blend) - Tone pot 2 effects Both pickups


Which is Great because we can just install the blend pot and keep both Tone controls and everything else stock.

And yes.. the intermediate positions with all three pickups might be a little over powered/unnecessary,
but the 1st position gets some Serious Twang!


Btw, I've also been studying a few more mods, namely the "Quieting the Beast" and the "Falbo Treble Bleed",
and been putting together a few more Diagrams.. with all the variations it's around 20, so stay tuned for more results and schematics once I sort it out myself.

I guess I'm gonna settle for a "Quieting the Beast" complete rewiring of the ground, and just add the Extra Blend pot..
Then it's either gonna be Kinman Bleed, or Falbo Bleed which also looks interesting.