Robbie Robertson wiring (again! sorry)

[ToneRanger1981]

I've read through a few threads and checked the wiring diagram database here but cannot see anything for Robbie Robertsons strat (the bronze one). After watching the video from the Fender Custom Shop about the new limited edition copies of Robbie's original 1954 strat I have been itching to try it on my own strat.

I know that there are 3 pickups. Neck a 50s , a middle a 50s and a 69' in the bridge position. I believe it was Seymour himself who did the original work by removing the middle pickup and replacing it with a left handed single coil and positioning it next to the bridge pickup creating the look of a humbucker.

The wiring is what i'm looking for. It seems that with a 3 way switch you can have either both bridge and middle in position 1, all pickups in position 2 and then just the neck pickup alone in position 3. There is also a rumor (although it was unmentioned) as to a pull push switch on the bottom tone knob. Anyone have any ideas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9bDnF8btls

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Robbie Robertson wiring (again! sorry)

To do what they are saying on a normal 3-way blade, one side of the blade would have the middle and neck wired like a Tele where position 1 is the middle pickup by itself, position 3 is the neck by itself, and the middle position has both on. The other side of the blade would manage the bridge pickup, so it would have the bridge pickup connected across both positions 1 and 2 and not connected to position 3 at all.

When he flipped over the pickguard to expose the wiring, it was clear there is no push/pull switch anywhere in that wiring. However, I did notice there are separate caps for the tone knobs.

What's different between the description of the original and the reissue is that they say the original flipped the middle pickup around, which would have reversed the stagger. The reissue has a flipped pickup in the middle but it appears to be a left-hand pickup so that the stagger remains 'correct' for a right-hand guitar.

I'm surprised he says the middle position with all 3 pickups is a chimy-er sound. I would have expected mud. At 8:26 he plays for a moment on the middle and it sounds pretty dark and mid-heavy, but it's not clear if he had the tones rolled off, which would have done the same thing.

 

[ToneRanger1981]

Re: Robbie Robertson wiring (again! sorry)

I've finished his autobiography. Amazing read although I dont how much is actually true. He makes some pretty wild claims. Like the Forest Gump of rock. always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Casually giving Joni Mitchell and Dylan advice on songwriting, meeting Buddy Holly, hooking up with girls with Bo Diddley etc.etc and in the mean time writing all the songs for The Band. Its a great read, it really is but pinch of salt. We'd all like to write our own reviews after all.