Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

[CTN]

Finally got the pickguard and electronics for my still-to-come handwound Rose pickups SSS set for my strat.

I'm wiring it up right now but I need some advice...I'm thinking of having one of the tone controls for the neck pickup and the other tone control for bridge and middle.

Now...I haven't played an SSS guitar in aeons, and the last time this strat had single coils in it was yeeeeeeeeeeeears ago when I didn't have a good amp, good technique, good chops, or a good ear. I've developed or acquired all those things in recent years, so now I want to make the post of this SSS setup.

I don't really remember what middle pickups are supposed to sound like compared to neck and bridge, but if it's anything like the 3 humbuckers i've got in my strat now, it should be kinda thin/plinky sounding, which is why I was thinking of hooking it up to the same tone control as the bridge pickup.

Reason I want a tone control on the bridge is so I can dial down the brightness of the bridge pickup and get a smoother, warmer sound.

Does this make sense? I guess I'm looking to get as much versatility/smoothness/warmth outta single coils (especially the bridge pup) as possible.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

the difference between tone controls looking after neck and middle, or neck and middle/bridge is one small jumper. Its easy to go one way or the other.
I like having the tones wired for mid/bridge cos it takes away hint of top end from the bridge pickup even when the tone pot is all the way up. no tone load on the bridge is a little bright for my ears.
fwiw my strat is all ssl-1's and i use fender amps.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I think you have it right. The bridge SC absolutely needs a couple 250K's, otherwise it's so thin and sharp you could shave with it. Good idea tying it's tone pot into the middle, which could also use a little warmth. One other option would be to give the bridge and middle each their own tone control, and not have one for the neck.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

IMO, a separate tone pot for the neck pickup is essential. Some people shift the connection to the lower tone control so that it operates on the bridge pickup. I prefer to steal the Fender American Standard Stratocaster circuit idea, using a jumper between terminals as mentioned by gibson175.

What should the middle pickup of a Stratocaster sound like on its own? Ideally, like SRV playing Scuttle Buttin'. In reality, what you get depends upon the individual instrument. I suspect that the majority of users adjust the middle pickup to obtain the best sounds in selector switch positions 2 and 4. Position 3 is whatever it is. If this sound lacks some of the distinctiveness of the other four, so much the better for making a guitar part sit back in a mix.

EDIT - If you have no use for the sound of the middle pickup by itself, consider having a Superswitch. This way, your position 3 can be neck + bridge in parallel à la Telecaster.

 

[Natman]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

Just word to the wise, a strat can do a lot more with the standard single soils. I did my last one with Jmmy Vaughan wiring (a master tone except for the middle pickup is unloaded) then I used the 2nd spot as a blend pot, which gives me the neck + mid (in 1, 5) and all 3 pickups at once (in 2,4). This is awesome and pretty easy to do. WAY better than stock wiring, imo.

 

[CTN]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

cool, thanks for the advice guys.

I wired it so the first tone control (immediately under the volume) is for bridge and middle, and the lower tone is for the neck. I'll post pics once I get pickups in, and have a chance to play it and see what it sounds like.

On a side note, this is my first time working with push-back wire, and holy hell, it's totally my new favourite wire. SO easy to use/solder/make super neat circuits!

 

[CTN]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

hmm that sounds kinda interesting Natman. If I don't jive with the wiring I did, perhaps I'll try that out. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I suggest that you rewire or relocate your tone pots as soon as possible.

When you get to my age, it is invariably easier to remember which pot affects which pickup by relating the physical positions of the control knobs and the pickups. e. g. The knob nearer the fingerboard controls the pickup nearer the fingerboard.

I find myself adjusting the tone control for the neck pickup far more often than the one for the bridge/middle.

 

[CTN]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

hehe, 'sok, i prefer the bridge tone being more accessible

 

[Blix]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I wired it so the first tone control (immediately under the volume) is for bridge and middle, and the lower tone is for the neck. I'll post pics once I get pickups in, and have a chance to play it and see what it sounds like.

I'd recommend not having a tone control at all on the middle, with your arrangement it will ruin the neck/middle combo due to double loading. With the middle unloaded the 2 and 4 positions becomes much nicer IMO.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I have 3 Strats, all S/S/S, and I have baseplates on all the bridge pickups. That reins the bridge pickups in somewhat and makes it easier to set an amp up to suit the guitar. Because of that I am able to run a single, master tone control on each instrument, which are all no-load pots (the home-made variety). It's the simplest method i've found and it works great on all 3 guitars.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I did my last one with Jmmy Vaughan wiring (a master tone except for the middle pickup is unloaded) then I used the 2nd spot as a blend pot, which gives me the neck + mid (in 1, 5) and all 3 pickups at once (in 2,4). This is awesome and pretty easy to do. WAY better than stock wiring, imo.

As lackluster as Jimmy Vaughn's playing is these days (sounds like he's falling asleep when he's playing), and as tinny as his tones are, I don't know if I'd do anything the way he does.

 

[jumble jumble]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I like to use a super switch on SSS strats, even when I'm doing "normal" wiring, precisely because of the tone controls. With a super switch you can decide which tone controls are active in each position. I prefer to only ever have one tone control active at any one time. I usually set the first tone control to be active on the neck, neck+mid and mid positions, and the second tone control active on bridge+mid and bridge. It works out very nicely.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I'd recommend not having a tone control at all on the middle, with your arrangement it will ruin the neck/middle combo due to double loading. With the middle unloaded the 2 and 4 positions becomes much nicer IMO.

I prefer it that way too. If you have the bridge and middle pickups share a tone control and you have it rolled back to tame the bridge pickup high end, then that setting will also take some treble off when you switch to the neck/middle position.

By putting the tone controls on just the bridge and neck pickups and leaving the middle pickup open you can roll off high end on the bridge and bridge/middle settings but have the neck/middle setting with no treble rolloff. The trade-off is that you can't adjust the tone on the middle pickup alone.

It all comes down to personal taste and which switch positions you use most, and it's pretty easy to connect/disconnect the jumper wire to try it both ways.

 

[loversmoon]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I just wired mine up so that my bottom tone control is for bridge and middle and the top tone is for the neck. Try it a couple different ways as they have suggested and see what works for you.

 

[hermetico]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I prefer it that way too. If you have the bridge and middle pickups share a tone control and you have it rolled back to tame the bridge pickup high end, then that setting will also take some treble off when you switch to the neck/middle position.

By putting the tone controls on just the bridge and neck pickups and leaving the middle pickup open you can roll off high end on the bridge and bridge/middle settings but have the neck/middle setting with no treble rolloff. The trade-off is that you can't adjust the tone on the middle pickup alone.

It all comes down to personal taste and which switch positions you use most, and it's pretty easy to connect/disconnect the jumper wire to try it both ways.

+1

I am usually leaving bridge's tone dial to 9 or 8 but, I usually haven't to roll off neck's tone.
I love how notch positions work with middle without tone assigned.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

As a strat player for many many years...A couple of other cool options that I use and you may want to check out,is the Fralin Blend Pot...This blends the neck and bridge together and you use 1 tone control..

The other,is the G&L PTB(Passive,Treble and Bass) setup...Both of these setups work nice and it's a different spin on the stock s/s/s setup..

I always make sure that I can roll off highs on that bridge pickup though!

 

[LReese]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I like to use a super switch on SSS strats, even when I'm doing "normal" wiring, precisely because of the tone controls. With a super switch you can decide which tone controls are active in each position. I prefer to only ever have one tone control active at any one time. I usually set the first tone control to be active on the neck, neck+mid and mid positions, and the second tone control active on bridge+mid and bridge. It works out very nicely.

Peerless 1!

I like Pos 1 on the bottom tone and the other 4 on the top. The load of a 250K pot takes the icepick off the bridge pickup. You can also disable tone in the #2 and #4 positions if you wished.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

The middle sounds more like the neck than like the bridge. I can't stand having bridge and middle run off of the same tone knob, or any tone control that controls more than one pickup, really. If anything involving a combined tone pot, I'd do bridge separate and neck/middle together. More likely, I'd go neck and bridge, with no tone control on the middle.

That said, I prefer to start with the stock "vintage" wiring on Strats, then add a switch to give you bridge wide open in position 1 (as stock), bridge with tone control in position #2, series bridge and middle in position #3, all three pickups in position 4, and neck only in position 5 (as stock). It's a great wiring. You have your regular neck and bridge on either end of the switch, and your "trick" stuff in the middle. Therefore it's easy enough to ignore the trick wiring, by just treating the switch as a two position switch (bridge alone or neck alone). With this wiring you get wide open bridge in position 1, and bridge with tone control in position 2. You can easily switch back and forth between the two, like an Esquire. And you can go to the middle position for a volume boost. Position 4 (all three pickups) is low output and "pretty."

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Talk to me about SSS Strat tone controls...

I prefer a tone control on the bridge and neck and no tone control on the middle. The bridge needs a tone control on it when playing a gig imo, and you rarely use the middle by itself at a gig. When you do need to use the middle by itself you can have it for very open strat sound with no tone control on it.