S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

[Nostalgic Distortion]

S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

So I keep getting different answers to this question for some reason? Hopefully someone here can offer some clarification!!!

I'm wanting to build myself a secondary guard for my Stratocaster with true S.C's in it. Right now I've got a sorta Fat Strat guard in it made up of a TB-11 bridge & some Fralin Split Blades in the single slots which sounds flipping great! The Fralin's are very S.C.-ish & probably the closest thing to actual singles I've ever used as far as hum-canceling/noiseless S.C. seized pickups go but sometimes I find myself missing that true S.C. tone that only real Strat puppies can give you.

Here's the deal, the stock guard for my Stratocaster came with a Atomic Humbucker in the bridge & some Texas Special's in the 2 single slots. I was given a Texas Special bridge the other night which will allow me to build a guard with a full set of them if I so choose. The thing is I'd kinda prefer a bit more heat from the bridge than the Texas Special can give me if at all possible & I've got a SSL-3 bridge just kicking around...

I believe it can be done? That's about the only thing that I could get everyone I've asked to agree on? What I need to know is exactly how to place these pickups so the SSL-3 will be in the bridge with hum-cancellation & no phase issues in switch positions 2 & 4 like a typical modern Stratocaster guard?

The suggestions that I've been given so far range from "just wire it up" which I presume is flat out wrong to "swap the middle & neck pup's around in the guard & on the switch, then reverse the hot & ground leads on the SSL-3 to take care of the phase issue which will occur in switch position 2." I've also been told that just swapping the Texas Special's around in the neck & middle slots would be sufficient?

If anyone out there has used a Duncan bridge pup while keeping their Fenders in the neck and middle & can help me out with this or just has some kind of an intelligent answer for me it would be greatly appreciated!!! Unfortunately with this particular Stratocaster I've got to remove the neck to take off the guard or get at any of the wiring. Plus I literally just got it back after sending it out for a fret level & setup so I'm really hoping I can accomplish this without having to take it apart a half dozen times!!!

BTW, great job to The Music Tech's in Manchester NH!!! I highly recommend their work to anyone in the New England area. These guys can polish any turd into a beautiful, shining, diamond!!! My 2010 American Special Stratocaster is now playing better than it ever did before & my frets were in rough shape when I sent it out!!!!


THANKS!!!!

 

[jeremy]

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

take the ssl3 and put it top to top with the fenders. you want the one that attracts in the middle (opposite polarity) and the one that repels in the neck (same polarity as the bridge pup) as far as wiring... i think you need to swap hot and ground on the ssl3 and wire the fenders normally

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

All you need to do is flip the hot and ground on the SSL-3. If you want hum cancelling in the middle/bridge position, swap the neck and middle pickups as well.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

Alright, so the SSL-3 is attracting to the middle RWRP Texas Special. Going by what I understand from Jeremy said, this means it's already in the right place once the leads of the SSL-3 are switched...

Now, I do want it to be in phase & hum-canceling in position 2 & going off what PFDarkside stated I need to swap the Texas Special's around in the neck and middle slots as well as swapping the leads. However if I do this the attracting pickups will be in the neck and bridge with the repelling pup in the middle.

Wouldn't this would be counter beneficial as to the advice given from Jeremy???

 

[jeremy]

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

the rw/rp ts should attract both the neck and bridge pups. the neck ts and ssl3 should repel each other. if that is the case then put the neck in the neck, middle in the middle and ssl3 in the bridge. flip the wires on the ssl3 and you should have humcancelling in the notch positions and a fine sounding setup

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

the rw/rp ts should attract both the neck and bridge pups. the neck ts and ssl3 should repel each other. if that is the case then put the neck in the neck, middle in the middle and ssl3 in the bridge. flip the wires on the ssl3 and you should have humcancelling in the notch positions and a fine sounding setup

Thanks Jeremy! I knew I could count on your advice!!!

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

Re: S/S/S Guard With a Duncan SS-3 Bridge & Texas Special's in Neck & Middle Slots

As Jeremy said, that should do it!

I really should have posted the same procedure, I jumped to the final conclusion that isn't necessarily right... sorry!