Strat mod: not sure this is possible. help?

[Hann]

So i've been doing alot of reading/listenin on youtube to find out what I want and I'm clearer about what I want but I haven't seemed to be able to find the exact mod of it yet (without drilling more switches/toggles into the pickguard), so any help would be great.


1) Neck adder via P/P, parallel
http://customguitarprojects.co.uk/?page_id=203

2) Series switching to p 2/4 (NM and BM) via p/p
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2012/Jan/Adding_Series_Switching_To_Your_Strat.aspx

3) Bridge neck in series via another p/p or if i can integrate 2) and 3) in 1 p/p, that'll be great.

Can all these be done together? Haven't found any schematics on such a mod yet.. =(
I want such features without having a 100 sound strat, know what i mean? the ultimods and some 12 sounders are a lil too complicated from the looks of it. I'm really looking only for

1) Neck/Bridge (parallel or series but can do without series if undoable)
2) Bridge/Middle Series
3) Neck/Middle series (can prob do without as well)

oh yeah, and this is my first post!

 

[duhvoodooman]

I think this will get you most of what you're looking for:

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php/3355

You'll be able to get a total of 10 different pickup combinations with this wiring mod:

B
M
N
M-B(p)
M-B(s)
N-B(p)
N-B(s)
N-M(p)
N-M(p)-B(s)
N-M-B(p)

You won't get middle and neck in series sith this wiring, but I have a Strat wired for that, and I find it less useful than the bridge and neck in series. The bridge & middle in series is my third favorite Strat tone behind the neck by itself, and the bridge & middle in parallel. I think of it as "quack on steroids".....

 

[markb]

Lots of wiring mods at http://deaf-eddie.net/ . You can also buy one of his Fat-O-Caster switches. I had one and it works, otherwise no connection.

 

[Hann]

I think this will get you most of what you're looking for:

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php/3355

You'll be able to get a total of 10 different pickup combinations with this wiring mod:

B
M
N
M-B(p)
M-B(s)
N-B(p)
N-B(s)
N-M(p)
N-M(p)-B(s)
N-M-B(p)

You won't get middle and neck in series sith this wiring, but I have a Strat wired for that, and I find it less useful than the bridge and neck in series. The bridge & middle in series is my third favorite Strat tone behind the neck by itself, and the bridge & middle in parallel. I think of it as "quack on steroids".....

Thanks! been eyeing that post you did as well.. but i'm not sure how the wiring'd be different with the neck add instead of bridge add?
and whether they could still coexist with your parallel/series switch mod? with the same extra tones (dont intend to use that mid neck series bit either, but i'm thinking using the neck add instead of the bridge add would mean I get the mid neck in series instead of the bridge mid in series?

[edit]Basically everything your mod does but with neck add instead of bridge add...don't know why I didn't just put it straight.. haha

Please correct me if i'm wrong.. not the most experienced, even i intend to just show the tec a schematic to follow.

 

[duhvoodooman]

The parallel neck-add and parallel bridge-add are equivalent--they give exactly the same two new combinations: B-N in parallel ("Tele sound") and all 3 pickups in parallel. So the mod I posted gives you your first choice.

I haven't seen (or tried to work out for myself) a push/pull-based switching scheme to be able to separately add two of the pickups in series, which is what you're talking about to get all three of your stated options. Such a switch would conceivably give you the ability to run any two of the pickups in series, or all three pickups in series simultaneously. But I think the only way to do that is with different/more complicated switch types.

So unless you want to get into something more complicated, I think it comes down to choosing which of the two-pickup series combos you can live without. If you wire the bridge series add-in that is shown in my link, you'll get B-M and B-N series combos, but no M-N series. If you wire the guitar for middle series add-in, you get the B-M and M-N series combos, as per your second web link, but no B-N. And if you wire it for neck series add-in, you get B-N and M-N series combos, but no B-M. You don't get the ability to run all three pickups in series simultaneously with any of these three options, but I would seriously question whether this would be a useful setting, anyway. I would expect it to get pretty dull/muddy sounding.

Personally, I find B-M and B-N series combos to be the most useful, so my recommendation would be to use the diagram in the thread link I posted exactly as shown. But you can always use one of the other two options, with appropriate changes to the P/P switch wiring.

 

[Hann]

I think i'd better play it safe with my tech.. we're much less into modding in Singapore than the US, also cos parts are not that easy to come by, combine that with experienced techs.

Your mod actually does everything i'd want, just being anal about the neck add. My rationale was that i'd like to keep to be able to switch to the neck with ease and so with the neck add i just flip it to neck and doesn't matter if the neck add is on or off, i'm there. With bridge add, i might flip it to neck and the bridge is there. But i think it's a small ask to adapt and get used to tapping it off n get the neck.

With this mod i can remove tone pot from the middle and wire it to the bridge for it's stock positions yes? I wanna try having the mid wide open, and tame the highs on the bridge. I hope that doesn't screw up this mod in anyway.

I think i'd be able to just forward that wiring scheme to the tech!

 

[duhvoodooman]

With this mod i can remove tone pot from the middle and wire it to the bridge for it's stock positions yes? I wanna try having the mid wide open, and tame the highs on the bridge. I hope that doesn't screw up this mod in anyway.

Yes, you can do that, no problem.

 

[markb]

With this mod i can remove tone pot from the middle and wire it to the bridge for it's stock positions yes? I wanna try having the mid wide open, and tame the highs on the bridge. I hope that doesn't screw up this mod in anyway.

I think i'd be able to just forward that wiring scheme to the tech!

My strat's tone controls are wired that way. It's often known as the Eric Johnson mod. I find it gives more sparkle to the neck/middle mix while taming the bridge nicely.

 

[Perfect Stranger]

You may find something useful here! :happy

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php/20312-Guitar-Diagram-Archive-amp-Wiring-Resources

 

[t_ross33]

My strat's tone controls are wired that way. It's often known as the Eric Johnson mod. I find it gives more sparkle to the neck/middle mix while taming the bridge nicely.

I have my Strat wired this way as well and I find it really useful. My Tele, which has Strat p'ups in the neck and middle positions, is wired with a no-load pot for the master tone control. This takes the tone and cap out of the circuit entirely in the "10" position - best of both worlds.

 

[Hann]

just got the guitar back today! enjoying it! really loving the series option.. just so much more growl to it. i'm sure the neck/bridge parallel will find its place too!
For now, experimenting to get some tele growl to it.

One question though.. after my tech switched to the pp pots, the tone knobs turn way too easily for me..a slight nudge and the tone's suddenly rolled off/up a couple notches. how do i stiffen it up abit?