My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

[JJK]

I've had a Little '59 in the bridge of my 1970's ReIssue Strat for a while now, but I'm starting to realize it is simply too bright. There is so much treble, that my old amp would actually screech.

The problem is it's not wired to a tone pot! How much do you think it would cost to get my local guitar shop to wire it to a tone pot? Should I leave the middle pickup and just have the tone pots on the neck and bridge? That's what I was thinking. Oh, and I pretty much just play Pink Floyd, and other classic rock.

Thanks!

 

[Mike D]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

If I'm not mistaken, the Little '59 is designed for Strats with their standard 250K pots. Since there's no pot on it at all, I'm not suprised that it's way too bright! Yes, definately get it looked up to a 250K. My stats are wired the way you mentioned you were thinking of wiring it (Tone for Neck only; Seperate tone for Bridge only). I like that setup a lot.

 

[blast dude]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

i like it in the neck

 

[gripweed]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

Try making one of the pots a master tone control, and I bet that solves the problem.

 

[JJK]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

So would my best bet be to have it wired to a tone pot? That's what I'm thinking...

 

[ErikH]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

I'd put a tone pot on the bridge for sure. Mine has the TBX tone control on it. In the center dedent position, it's as if a normal tone control is up full (it's a ganged 500K-1M pot and works differently), roll it up full and it gets brighter but not overkill. It's really smooth with the TBX in the mid notch.

 

[Eric]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

All newish Fenders have (i think) the 'middle' tone pot wired to control both middle and bridge pickups - a pretty essential mod in order to keep bright bridge pickups in check.

If you can get this done it would be perfect - just find the wiring schematic for a new US Strat and get someone you trust (like a tech) to wire your guitar like that. Its about 10 minutes work for someone that knows the way round the inside of a strat - so ought to be pretty cheap!

 

[ErikH]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

All newish Fenders have (i think) the 'middle' tone pot wired to control both middle and bridge pickups - a pretty essential mod in order to keep bright bridge pickups in check.

If you can get this done it would be perfect - just find the wiring schematic for a new US Strat and get someone you trust (like a tech) to wire your guitar like that. Its about 10 minutes work for someone that knows the way round the inside of a strat - so ought to be pretty cheap!

The perfect solution right there. And yes, newer US Strats (from the mid-80's to present) have the lower (not the middle) tone control hooked to the bridge and middle pickups. All it entails is adding 1 wire to the switch.

 

[Eric]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

The perfect solution right there. And yes, newer US Strats (from the mid-80's to present) have the lower (not the middle) tone control hooked to the bridge and middle pickups. All it entails is adding 1 wire to the switch.

ooops! sorry for the confusion! i meant 'middle' tone control as in the one that controls the middle pickup in other strats. To clarify, as ErikH said, its the 'lower' tone control (eg not the neck one) that should be hooked up to control middle and bridge

 

[ErikH]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

ooops! sorry for the confusion! i meant 'middle' tone control as in the one that controls the middle pickup in other strats. To clarify, as ErikH said, its the 'lower' tone control (eg not the neck one) that should be hooked up to control middle and bridge

LOL....that can be confusing, can it? :dance: :laugh2:

 

[2taall]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

So would wiring up the bridge to the middle pickup's tone control have an effect on the tone of either PU just by simply being attached to a pot already sharing a pickup?

My situation is that the bridge has a tone control, but the neck pickup doesn't. Actually a single coil of the neck humbucker is attached to the neck tone control in switch positions 2,3,4, but the full humbucker isn't in position 5.

If this mod is as simple as I think it is, and it will not effect the tone of the pickups sharing the same pot, I will be very happy to do this mod.

thanks.

 

[JJK]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

Well I brought my guitar to my local shop and the guy re-wired it so the bridge tone pot controls the middle and bridge pickups. The middle tone pot controls the neck pickup. Only cost $15 too.

 

[gOgIver]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

I'd put a tone pot on the bridge for sure. Mine has the TBX tone control on it. In the center dedent position, it's as if a normal tone control is up full (it's a ganged 500K-1M pot and works differently), roll it up full and it gets brighter but not overkill. It's really smooth with the TBX in the mid notch.

You sure about that? Always though they were 250K -- detent-- 1M. Have to check on that.

EDIT: Okay, found this:

The TBX is a passive, split-shaft, detented 250k/1 Meg tone control which extends the treble and bass frequencies when it is turned past "5." GENUINE FENDER PART.

TBX passive, split-shaft, detented 250k/1 Meg tone control

 

[ErikH]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

You sure about that? Always though they were 250K -- detent-- 1M. Have to check on that.

EDIT: Okay, found this:

TBX passive, split-shaft, detented 250k/1 Meg tone control

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiringresources.1basicwiringfaqs/#q3

Says it's 500k-1M and I believe somewhere on the Fender site it says the same thing. I'll know for sure next week when I take my stock pickguard off but I'm almost positive it's 500k-1M.

 

[gOgIver]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiringresources.1basicwiringfaqs/#q3

Says it's 500k-1M and I believe somewhere on the Fender site it says the same thing. I'll know for sure next week when I take my stock pickguard off but I'm almost positive it's 500k-1M.

Cool, would like to know for sure.

Edit: Hmm, checked the Fender site and found specs for the the stand alone TBX and the one listed with the Clapton/Guy kits. The stand alone doesn't list 250K or 500K but the Clapton/Guy kit lists a 250K but it's as another part from thier TBX. Maybe Clapton/Guy have a mod on thier TBX to make it 250K-1Meg? I dunno. HELP!

0992052000 Potentiometers
(1) TBX Tone Control Potentiometer
Each TBX Tone Control comes with a .022mf capacitor, 1-Meg resistor, mounting hardware and installation instructions.


0057577000 Mid Boost Preamp Kit
The kit includes all of the parts needed to upgrade your guitar with the Mid Boost Preamp used on the Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy Strats
1 ea 0028617000 PCB ASSY Clapton Pre amp
1 ea 0021682000 Control 50 K Audio
1 ea 0028531000 Control 250 K Special Taper
3 ea 0016352000 Nut Hex 3/8-32x3/32 TK NI
3 ea 0022384000 Washer Lck Intrl 3/8 x .500 x .040 Ni
1 ea 0039432000 Jack Output OPN Stereo Urge
1 ea 0992052000 TBX Tone Control
1 ea 0057578000 Schematic Wiring Diag Mid Boost Circuit
1 ea 9903320000 Bag Zip Poly 10x13 2m

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0994990000

 

[gOgIver]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

Bump for ErikH. Were you able to check this out?

 

[ErikH]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

Well, looks like a site out there needs to adjust their info. From my readings, it's 250k/1Meg. I stand corrected.

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: My Little '59 is wayyy too bright...

I have a MIM strat (rosewood board) '96 with a lil 59 at bridge. I find it throaty and nice. Adjusting the height and slant i dialed in great sound. I split it using a push pull. Which makes it sound thin. (useful sometimes). I also have no tone control over it. Do you find it overly bright when playing with a band, at good volume,,, or merely at home.

At home, playing alone, sitting next to the amp (which is on a table, or stand) can often give a pickup a bad rap. Either way, hope the tone control helped. How high is the pup from the strings?