Wiring help - fat strat

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I'm about to install a 4-conductor JB into the bridge of a Fender Mexican Fat Strat. I'm used to Gibson wiring and am wondering how to go about it in the Strat. The stock pick up also has 4 wires and is wired as follows: red and ground soldered on top of the volume pot, green wire soldered to position 1 (nearest neck) of pickup selector, black and white wires soldered onto 3rd position of pickup selector. Should I just use the same wiring for the JB, or am I missing somehting?

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

Can you remind me? Does your Fat Strat have 1 or 2 volumes, 1 or 2 tones? Standard 5-way, or lever 3-way?

Thanks;
Artie

 

[No effects]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

Can you remind me? Does your Fat Strat have 1 or 2 volumes, 1 or 2 tones? Standard 5-way, or lever 3-way?

Thanks;
Artie

S-S-H with 1 volume, 2 tones and 5 way switch

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

Ok, with a JB, you would normally do green and bare together to ground. Red and white together, and taped off so they don't touch anything. Black to the 5-way selector.

But . . . since you're keeping two stock pickups, you have a phase issue, and need to do either of two things:

1. Just reverse the green and black in the above scenario to this:
Black and bare to ground. (back of a pot)
Red and white the same. (together, taped off)
Green to the 5-way.

2. Do the JB the way I first said, and reverse the two wires of each of the two original Fender pups.

So why pick 1 or 2? If you're going to replace the JB, and maybe leave it that way for quite some time, pick 1. If, on the other hand, you have plans of replacing the two Fender pups in the near future with other Duncans, pick 2. That just saves you reversing the wires of the JB one 'mo time.

Artie

 

[No effects]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

Ok, with a JB, you would normally do green and bare together to ground. Red and white together, and taped off so they don't touch anything. Black to the 5-way selector.

But . . . since you're keeping two stock pickups, you have a phase issue, and need to do either of two things:

1. Just reverse the green and black in the above scenario to this:
Black and bare to ground. (back of a pot)
Red and white the same. (together, taped off)
Green to the 5-way.

2. Do the JB the way I first said, and reverse the two wires of each of the two original Fender pups.

So why pick 1 or 2? If you're going to replace the JB, and maybe leave it that way for quite some time, pick 1. If, on the other hand, you have plans of replacing the two Fender pups in the near future with other Duncans, pick 2. That just saves you reversing the wires of the JB one 'mo time.

Artie

Thanks Artie. I went with #1 and although I got the pickup to work, the tone control wasn't functional (it was full on). Any thoughts on how to restore it?

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

"Normal" Strat wiring doesn't connect the tone to the bridge. To add tone control for the bridge, you can do either of a couple different things:

1. Make it a master tone control, like this:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/hum_sing_sing_1vol_1tone_5w.htm

Which will leave you a hole for something else . . . or:

2. Look at this diagram:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/3singlecoils_1vol_2tones.html

Look at the right-hand side of the switch. See the one terminal that has no connection? Add a jumper to connect it to the terminal right below it. That will share the middle tone control with the bridge.

Artie

 

[No effects]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

"Normal" Strat wiring doesn't connect the tone to the bridge. To add tone control for the bridge, you can do either of a couple different things:

1. Make it a master tone control, like this:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/hum_sing_sing_1vol_1tone_5w.htm

Which will leave you a hole for something else . . . or:

2. Look at this diagram:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/3singlecoils_1vol_2tones.html

Look at the right-hand side of the switch. See the one terminal that has no connection? Add a jumper to connect it to the terminal right below it. That will share the middle tone control with the bridge.

Artie

I tried #2, as well as other combinations I thought might work, but to no avail. The way the Strat I'm working on is a bit different than the diagram though, as every connection but one is on the left side of the switch. For example, the 2 single coil pickups connect as per the diagram, but then they use the same spot they soldered to to run a wire to the their respective tone pots. I'm still a beginner at this and am totally lost right now.

 

[No effects]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

bump - should I re-wire the whole thing based on the Duncan diagram or is there another way to make the 2nd tone knob active for the JB in the bridge?

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

bump - should I re-wire the whole thing based on the Duncan diagram or is there another way to make the 2nd tone knob active for the JB in the bridge?

You could just connect a jumper from wherever the second tone control connects now, to the "hot" wire of the JB. That should work. The only problem is, without seeing the schematic, they may have done something else weird. I hate giving you blind advice like that.

Completely rewiring it like the SD diagram is a good choice if you don't mind all that extra work. Good luck.

Artie

 

[No effects]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

You could just connect a jumper from wherever the second tone control connects now, to the "hot" wire of the JB. That should work. The only problem is, without seeing the schematic, they may have done something else weird. I hate giving you blind advice like that.

Completely rewiring it like the SD diagram is a good choice if you don't mind all that extra work. Good luck.

Artie

Yes, it is a bit like the blind leading the blind, isn't it? I take it the hot wire is the one connected to the pickup selector - in this case my green wire? If so, I did try what you suggested and that made the middle pick up active in positions 3, 4 and 5, but the tone did work!

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

That makes sense since they aren't utilizing the "other" side of the switch. Its also something that didn't occur to me since I wasn't seeing it. :smack:

The other side of the switch helps to isolate one function from the other. I would say, at this point, you need to rewire it to match the SD diagram, or do what I'd do . . . use one master tone control. There's so many cool things to use that extra hole for.

Artie

 

[No effects]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

I'm still having trouble with this one, but I now have a pic to share. If anyone can tell me how to properly wire the JB (including tone control from the 2nd tonepot - far right), that would be great. Let me know if you need me to identify some of the wiring in the picture. Thanks

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

In order for the tone control to work with the bridge pup, you'ld need a connection between the red arrow (bridge hot) and the green arrow (middle hot). But you can't do that. That would cause both of those pups to be on all the time. Thats why you need to use the "other" side of the switch to isolate the two functions. Since so many manufacturers make those switches, there are some variations.

Can you take a pic with the camera pointing in the direction of the pointing finger? (And use better lighting.)

Artie

Ooops . . . I guess I oughta post the pic. :smack:

 

[No effects]

Re: Wiring help - fat strat

Thanks Artie. I gave the guitar to my friend last night (he's an electrical engineer and a guitar player), and he's going to have a go at it. If that doesn't work, I'll take another pic when I get the guitar back.