Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

[Alvin Lee Fan]

I've heard you mention that you can perform the 50s wiring scheme on a Strat. I'm not too good at reading schematics. I've been looking at schematics of the 50s wiring for a Gibson and I can't figure out how to relate that to Fender wiring.

Help!!!:yell:

Thx

 

[Davey]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

you'll have to wait a bit as he's away for the weekend.. bump it up tomorrow afternon

 

[Alvin Lee Fan]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Thx Davey!

 

[Artie]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

The beauty and simplicity of the 50's mod is, no matter what kind of guitar it is, you just remove the tone control from where ever it is now, and wire it directly across the output jack.

Thats the 50's mod.



Click on the image for the full-size version.

Also, keep in mind, since a Strat has two tone controls, you need to remove them both. Which will leave you a hole to play with. :wink:

Artie

 

[Alvin Lee Fan]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

You're saying I'd have to drop one tone control and go to one master tone?

 

[Artie]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

You're saying I'd have to drop one tone control and go to one master tone?

Not necessarily. Give me one sec . . .

I'm about to update that pic with a way that lets you keep both tones.

I think . . .

Edit: I decided to leave that pic in place, in case someone wants the Strat with 50's mod with one tone control.

Here's how to do it and keep the original tone control configuration, but with the 50's mod:



Note here, that I made one of the wires "red" so you could easily see where it does, and doesn't, connect. This should work. At least on paper.

One other quick note: This follows the original Strat configuration of having no tone control for the bridge when the bridge is selected by itself.

 

[Alvin Lee Fan]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

ArtieToo, you da man!!! Actually, I just picked up a Jimmie Vaughn Strat and it's wired so the tone controls work on the neck and bridge pickups, the middle is wide open. Comes that way from Fender. I really like that setup. I think I can figure out how to adapt your two control schematic to the JV setup.

Thanks a million!

 

[Artie]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Your welcome.

On that last diagram, take the black line from the top tone control, and move it up to the empty lug.

That will give you tone control in every position except the middle, by itself.

 

[Citizen Insane]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

What is the purpose of the 50's mod?
:question:

 

[Artie]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

What is the purpose of the 50's mod?
:question:

A "normal" tone control is connected before the volume control. The amount of high frequencies that are shunted to ground is constant. Or, independent of the volume setting. Since our ears tend to become less sensitive to high frequencies as the level goes down, the 50's mod places the tone control after the volume control.

As you roll down the volume, you also lower the amount of highs shunted to ground. Thus, you effectively "add" a little treble, as you lower the volume.

Its sort of like raising the tone control as you lower the volume.

 

[Alvin Lee Fan]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Yeah, it's a great mod. I've got my Les Pauls wired this way and now I want to do it for my Fenders. I prefer it over a treble bypass circuit, those always sound too brittle to me as you turn down the volume. I love the way the 50s wiring works and sounds.

Thanks again, ArtieToo!

 

[Alvin Lee Fan]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Bump for a possible Lew sighting

 

[vegetablejoe]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Good morning Gents,

to hop on the bandwagon, I'd like to see if I can incorporate your 50's wiring mod to the blender pot of Guitar-Mod.

this one... http://www.guitar-mod.com/blender.gif

If i read you correctly, I should move the wire from the tone pot going to the vol pot to the later's middle lug. Is this correct? Sorry if this is simple or absurd for you, but I have no electrical and electronics background whatsoever and I'm just trying to follow diagrams as best as I can.

Thanks in advance.

jaime G.

p.s. I think I've totally confused myself now, after reading all the above posts over and over :?:

 

[Curly]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

joe,
see if this explanation helps:
pots

scroll down to the diagrams

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Nice work Artie!

There's another, maybe easier way I figured out a while back for doing the 50's mod on a Strat with two tone controls. Easier because you don't have to change the tone controls at all...just a couple of wires on the switch.

You need to be looking at the wiring diagram for a normal Strat to picture it. Maybe Artie can help out with a new diagram after I explain how to do it.

If you look at the 5 way switch you'll see that it's really two switches: one on each side. One side selects pickups. One side selects tone controls.

The outputs of those two sides are connected by a wire running along the "top" of the switch. That wire is shown as being black in the diagram for a stock Strat that's shown on the Duncan wiring diagrams page, but in a vintage Strat it's usually white. Then that bridged output goes to the input of the volume control...which means the tone controls are also connected to the input of the tone control.

To accomplish the 50's mod, you need the tone controls connected to the output of the volume control...the middle terminal (or wiper) and the same terminal that connects to the output jack.

1. Remove the wire on the switch that connects the two outputs together.

2. Move the wire on the output of the tone controls side of the switch to the middle terminal of the volume pot.

3. Solder one end of a new wire to the output of the pickups side of the switch and solder the other end of the new wire to the input of the volume pot.

You're done!

Lew

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Good morning Gents,

to hop on the bandwagon, I'd like to see if I can incorporate your 50's wiring mod to the blender pot of Guitar-Mod.

this one... http://www.guitar-mod.com/blender.gif

If i read you correctly, I should move the wire from the tone pot going to the vol pot to the later's middle lug. Is this correct? Sorry if this is simple or absurd for you, but I have no electrical and electronics background whatsoever and I'm just trying to follow diagrams as best as I can.

Thanks in advance.

jaime G.

Let's set the record straight, that's Lindy Fralins blender shown there, and the *midsculpt* is mine, adapted from a concept that Steve Ahola used in regard to a passive midrange control that he adapted from Torres Engineering ... nothing spectular, but I get sick and tired of that guy,my opinion is all he can do is pick other's brains, and leech ideas.
I've heard a few stories related to less than stellar ethics in regard to him, but stories are only stories; however I would tend to believe them after my experiences dealing with him. I also shared more than a few explanations of how things worked, and schematics, and resources ... In retrospect, very sorry I helped him in any way at all. He had stated that things were for personal use and not commercial; he would send me schematics of his to proof or trouble shoot, or ideas (which I doubt now were his) for me to engineer ... meanwhile I stumbled upon his new site (at the time it was knew), and there I found the very things that I had helped him on. No credit given as to what actually transpired. My advice would be take your business elsewhere for anyone interested in doing business with him. 'Nuff said, rant over ... the truth no matter who it hurts is still the truth! Okay ...Now the Rant is over. (And I still don't feel any better about it BTW).

 

[Artie]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Good morning Gents,

to hop on the bandwagon, I'd like to see if I can incorporate your 50's wiring mod to the blender pot of Guitar-Mod.
Thanks in advance.

jaime G.

Jaime; On that diagram, just take the green, that comes from the tone, disconnect it from the green of the volume, and connect it to the blue of the volume. Thats the 50's mod.

Nice work Artie!

There's another, maybe easier way I figured out a while back for doing the 50's mod on a Strat with two tone controls . . .

You're done!

Lew

Dang Lew . . . that was SO easy. (Wish I'd thought of that.)

I think this is one of those things where I thought about it too long, and missed the obvious. :smack:

I'll redraw, or add that diagram, then archive it.

Let's set the record straight, that's Lindy Fralins blender shown there, and the *midsculpt* is mine . . .

Kent; Those of us who count, know.

But I know how frustrating that can be. See ya buddy. (Toroids going out tonight.)

Artie

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Jaime; On that diagram, just take the green, that comes from the tone, disconnect it from the green of the volume, and connect it to the blue of the volume. Thats the 50's mod.



Dang Lew . . . that was SO easy. (Wish I'd thought of that.)

I think this is one of those things where I thought about it too long, and missed the obvious. :smack:

I'll redraw, or add that diagram, then archive it.

I liked your also Artie, and I would have complimented Lew's, but I was a bit mentally distracted ...

Kent; Those of us who count, know.

But I know how frustrating that can be. See ya buddy. (Toroids going out tonight.)

Artie

I know, I know, ... It's like that old Bud beer ad, with the Bud lizards ... *just let it go Louie, ... just let it go ... * :angryfire

That's again for the chokes ... very cool! :yourock:

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

And yes Jamie, the blender pot doesn't interfere with the '50's wiring at all, as that has more to do with the switching aspects of the instrument (well that's exactly what it deals with actually). It'll work just fine.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Hey Lew!! 50's wiring on a Strat?

Dang Lew . . . that was SO easy. (Wish I'd thought of that.)

I think this is one of those things where I thought about it too long, and missed the obvious. :smack:

Yes, but yours gave me an idea ... :scratchch