Strat straight swap query

[Arnie Meadows]

I’m installing 3 Red Devil SD humbuckers in my Professional 1 Strat, is it a straight swap in as much as the connections on the 5 way switch for the Neck, Middle and Bridge are as for the existing single coil pickups and with no need to change any pots please?

 

[LRS]

I see four conductor wires on the pictures (normal single coils are two conductor), so be sure to wire them correctly. I’d expect a proper wiring diagram coming with the pickups from SD. Other than that, your regular single coil pots value 250 kOhm. Typical humbucker values go between 350 - 500 kOhm. But you could install the Red Devils with the original pots initially, and if they’re too dark sounding for your taste, swap the pots for 500 kOhm afterwards.

 

[Mincer]

They were designed to drop right in without swapping any other parts, so you don't need to swap anything else. Most likely, the pickups you take out of the guitar have 2 wires, while what you put in will have 4. But red & white are soldered together and taped off, while black goes to the switch, and green goes to the ground. If you have trouble, just come back and post some pics and we will walk you through it.

 

[Arnie Meadows]

Thanks all, just to complicate things it’s a left handed guitar so if I need to change the pots will they need to be left handed pots ( if there is such a thing) or do Fender use right handed pots in their left handed guitars and how can I check please?