Strat wirng

[Wattage]

I don't particularly like the 1 vol - 2 tone layout of a Strat, it was especially annoying on my lefty Strat, I would be constantly turning the bottom tone knob down inadvertantly when playing. So as I end up doing with all the Strats I've owned I wire it 1 & 1 on the vol/tone (Wiring on the schematics section on the main site). Well I've come to realize that it opens up the guitar a bit and it seems as if it has a slight increase in output as well. Has anyone else ever tried this wiring and noticed something similar? Why would that be is the extra tone pot loading it down that much?

I also flipped the bridge pup so that it now has a "reverse" stagger, the sound is a little chunkier for it.

Figured I'd pass on my observations FWIW.

 

[beandip]

Re: Strat wirng

Yeah, when you remove a pot from the circut, you remove the load that the pot put on the pickups.

 

[Curly]

Re: Strat wirng

yeah, as someone pointed out, the notch positions with standard wiring have the two pots in parallel, so it splits the value

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Strat wirng

YUP, I wire all my strats Master Volume and tone. The 3rd knob and pot
are just there to fill the hole. :laugh2:

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Strat wirng

I've heard of people removing the second tone pot/knob altogether and moving the volume and remaining tone down, leaving the first hole empty. A useful mod if you don't like the volume knob so close to the strings and you don't mind the hole in the pickguard.

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Strat wirng

I've heard of people removing the second tone pot/knob altogether and moving the volume and remaining tone down, leaving the first hole empty. A useful mod if you don't like the volume knob so close to the strings and you don't mind the hole in the pickguard.

The only problem with this mod is that you cannot do any violining with your little pinkie of your right hand (that's what I do and have done for many years) - so I tend to keep the volume & tones where they are. One one of my strats I have a blender control for the second tone. Of course whatever people want to do their own guitars is fine.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Strat wirng

The only problem with this mod is that you cannot do any violining with your little pinkie of your right hand (that's what I do and have done for many years) - so I tend to keep the volume & tones where they are. One one of my strats I have a blender control for the second tone. Of course whatever people want to do their own guitars is fine.

I know what you mean, and I keep my volume knob where Leo intended it too. Violining is one of the advantages of having that knob where it is (Rory Gallagher! :notworthy), but there are people who find the proximity of the volume knob to the strings a pain in the proverbial.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat wirng

I wire my Strats with one volume, one tone and a blender pot so I can add the neck to the bridge or bridge to the neck or even get all three pickups on at the same time.

Curly's right about the two tone knobs: when you have a 250K tone pot on the neck and t250K one pot on the middle amd then combine the two pickups in the #2 switch setting you also combine the two 250K tone pots which gives a combined resistance of 122K...that allows more highs to bleed off even when both pots are on 10.

I much prefer the tone of my Strat without the second tone control. They're chunkier and brighter but not harsher.

I love that crushed glass tone of the neck and middle or middle and bridge pickups combined and I feel that tone is stronger without the second tone knob.

Lew

 

[Wattage]

Re: Strat wirng

Glad I wasn't losing my marbles. I first did this years back because I was tired of splitting my finger open on the volume knob in its traditional position. I noticed it then but attributed it more to new pups I had recently installed, I've done it a few other times but they weren't used as much as the guitar I did it to this time. So I probably didn't appreciate it as much though it was noticeable. This guitar it made a huge improvement, like Lew said "chunkier and brighter" but no harshness at all. I am assuming that the bigger difference has to do with the pups in the guitar, they're a bit lower output than I would normally use (Fender Custom 69's - mid 5k's) and it really allowed them to shine.

I would guess they a bit like the Surfer Ant II's from SD they are from Fender's Custom Shop, really sweet pickups. The neck and the middle are just perfection for me and now I think I have the bridge dialed in so I am thrilled with them.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Strat wirng

I play Clapton Strats. They only have one tone, the 2nd tone pot is a 25db mid boost. I don't know if it makes much difference. My other Strat is stock!!

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Strat wirng

yeah, as someone pointed out, the notch positions with standard wiring have the two pots in parallel, so it splits the value

One thing to bear in mind though, yeah the pots get put in parallel, but the so do the pups, so the source impedance drops to offset it. Even so it's not an across the board exact match ... hence the second pot's effect on the pups.