Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

[Bobisadrummer]

Hey guys, I've had this pickguard loaded with SCN's and a S1 switch I've been waiting to put in an Aztec Gold Squier Custom Vibe, only problem is, I can't play Strats with the volume knob where they normally are. So I'm trying to remove one of the tone pots and rewire the other to a master tone pot. Here's the diagram from Fender. https://p4.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/010-1400_02A_SISD.pdf

I think I have an idea of what to do, but I'm not sure. I think I'm supposed to remove the two white wires (one is covered by the blue) that are running from the tone pots to the super switch. From there, do I just wire one of the tone pots up like normal, with a wire going from the output lug on the tone pot to the input lug on the volume? According to the diagram I linked from Fender, the tone pot that doesn't have the cap on it, is a no load pot, is that right?

And here's a picture of the wiring.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

Are you proposing to move the S-1 volume to the middle pot position, which is a tone you are going to remove? Are you sure you have enough slack to do that? It looks like the orange wire, for one, will be pulled to it's extreme and may not reach. Can't tell about the white/red and white/green wires.

 

[Bobisadrummer]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

Are you proposing to move the S-1 volume to the middle pot position, which is a tone you are going to remove? Are you sure you have enough slack to do that? It looks like the orange wire, for one, will be pulled to it's extreme and may not reach. Can't tell about the white/red and white/green wires.

Yes, I'm looking to move the s1 volume to the middle tone pot. I'm not sure which tone pot I'll keep. I can always put a new wire if some are too short. My only two issues are 1) Which wires to remove from the super switch and 2) Which tone pot is the no load? Is there any way to test for it?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

1) What you did with the blue in the photo is right, just jumper all those lugs together and it will become a master tone, but you also need to put the cap on that same pot - the no load with the flat back.
2) The dished back pot in the middle is the neck tone and is a normal pot. The flat back pot is the no load for the bridge and middle pickups. You can test for it. When it's on 10 it should show no resistance. The dished back when it's on 10 will still show some resistance. Testing it while it soldered in a circuit may not work well. Need to get the probes onto the lug legs nearer pot and away from the solder points.

 

[Bobisadrummer]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

1) What you did with the blue in the photo is right, just jumper all those lugs together and it will become a master tone, but you also need to put the cap on that same pot - the no load with the flat back.
2) The dished back pot in the middle is the neck tone and is a normal pot. The flat back pot is the no load for the bridge and middle pickups. You can test for it. When it's on 10 it should show no resistance. The dished back when it's on 10 will still show some resistance. Testing it while it soldered in a circuit may not work well. Need to get the probes onto the lug legs nearer pot and away from the solder points.

Here's Fender's diagram for this particular super switch's wiring.

Here's the same diagram with the wires we're dealing with.

In the diagram I drew on. The stuff marked in red, I desolder and remove that wire which is going to the dished tone pot that currently has the cap on it right? Do I break the solder connection between those two tabs as well?

On the stuff with marked with blue, do I remove the wire and keep those 4, marked in blue, soldered, or break all of their connections, or do I add the 5th tab(5th tab is marked in green)?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

Here's Fender's diagram for this particular super switch's wiring.

Here's the same diagram with the wires we're dealing with.

In the diagram I drew on. The stuff marked in red, I desolder and remove that wire which is going to the dished tone pot that currently has the cap on it right? Do I break the solder connection between those two tabs as well?

Yeah, I would remove the wire going to the normal dished back pot and remove the jumper across those two switch lugs.

On the stuff with marked with blue, do I remove the wire and keep those 4, marked in blue, soldered, or break all of their connections, or do I add the 5th tab(5th tab is marked in green)?

To convert the no-load to a master tone, you would need to connect all 5 tabs together and keep the common wire going to the no-load pot.

Side note, one thing I didn't see in the Fender drawing or in your photos is how positive connects to the jack? The middle lug of the volume has nothing on it, so I assume one of the wires off the S-1 or the switch go to the jack?

 

[Bobisadrummer]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

Yeah, I would remove the wire going to the normal dished back pot and remove the jumper across those two switch lugs.



To convert the no-load to a master tone, you would need to connect all 5 tabs together and keep the common wire going to the no-load pot.

Side note, one thing I didn't see in the Fender drawing or in your photos is how positive connects to the jack? The middle lug of the volume has nothing on it, so I assume one of the wires off the S-1 or the switch go to the jack?

Alright cool, which lug would the common wire connect to on the no load tone pot, 1, 2 or 3? I'm thinking the common wire from super switch goes to lug 2 and the cap goes from lug 3 to the back of the pot.

From my understanding, lug 1 is the input, lug 2 is output, and lug 3 is ground for a volume pot. Normally when I've wired up my Telecasters, there's a wire going from lug 3 on the tone pot to lug 1 on the volume pot and there's a capacitor going from lug 2 on the tone pot to the back of the tone pot (for modern wiring at least) How do I wire the tone pot to the volume pot if I already have a wire connecting the tone pot to the super switch, or do I not wire the tone to the volume at all?


The empty middle lug on the volume pot is the output lug correct? That's where I run a wire to the input jack.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

I don't think you need to change what lugs are connected - it's working now, no? You just need to move that cap that is on the neck tone over to the no-load.

 

[Bobisadrummer]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

I haven't wired it up to the input jack and strung it up so I'm not sure if the tone pot wiring is working right.

Also, what would happen if I tried to wire the tone pot to the volume pot like they are on a tele, like in this diagram?

Would that work? If it does, do I remove all the jumpers on the superswitch, which would mean I'm not using the tabs covered in a blue and the group next to it where I've removed the two tabs that had a jumper?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Master Tone w/ Super Switch+S1 wiring help

It would work, but it seemed like more work to make that change so I didn't mention it.