STK-S4N Questions

[xfourstringx]

STK-S4 pickups are interesting. Humbuckers but some single coil characteristics. I'm installing one as the sole pickup in a small lute or guitar. One volume, one tone.
1. 250k or 500k pots?
2. .022 or .047 capacitor?
3. It has 4 wires (no green wire). Any wiring heads up? Black is the hot wire and white/red taped together and bare=ground?
Thanks in advance for feedback.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: STK-S4N Questions

250k, I'd go with. 022uf caps but that is personal preference. Treat the STK-S4n the same way you would treat a normal single coil, because that is what it is intended to be.

As for the wires, the black wire is the hot and the white and bare are ground, just the same as a normal single coil. The red wire is usually taped off. It is supposed to be for splitting the pickup (it doesn't change the tone, just adds hum) so two of them sound better in parallel. I don't ever split them, because I don't see the point of it, but if you do I can explain it to you.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: STK-S4N Questions

Starting 2:54 , the clean part of the clip below is a 500k/no tone S4n in a mahogany Strat. The clips immediately before it are Lace Sensors & Traditional singles (in order) installed in traditional 250k Strats. Settings are the same.

This isn't the most suitable clip for a comprehensive comparison - but I feel it's representative. I also think the S4n/500k combo sounds best of all the pickups.

https://clyp.it/pv3yy0nc

 

[Mincer]

Re: STK-S4N Questions

I use 250k for my Classic Stacks, but I've tried them with success with 500k, too. I'd experiment a bit- there is no real wrong answer here. BTW, they are my favorite Strat pickups.

 

[jeremy]

Re: STK-S4N Questions

i use 250k and .02 caps with my stks4 and am very happy with that setup

 

[Artie]

Re: STK-S4N Questions

^ Me too. (.022uf to be exact.) I've found lower value caps to be more usable all around. Be it singles or humbuckers. I like .002's and .001's as well.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: STK-S4N Questions

^ Me too. (.022uf to be exact.) I've found lower value caps to be more usable all around. Be it singles or humbuckers. I like .002's and .001's as well.

I've read about using those really low cap values, but you don't get much tonal change with those, do you?. Maybe just knock off a little treble?.
Al

 

[jeremy]

Re: STK-S4N Questions

the smaller the cap, the less high frequencies you roll off. for example a .022 cap will roll of frequencies above 900hz where a .0022 cap will roll off frequencies above 2.7k. im making those numbers up but i think you get the idea

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: STK-S4N Questions

Talk about timing, just read this article this morning, pretty comprehensive explantion of what he calls a "warmth control" tone wiring:

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/27869-mod-garage-swap-that-tone-knob-for-a-warmth-control

Answers the questions and gives recommendations for values.
Al