can you wire a normal 5 way strat for neck and bridge?

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:42 pm

without adding extra switches/headache.
the sounds i use on a strat are bridge/bridge and middle/neck. how would i wire it up so say the middle and neck position would be neck and bridge.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:05 am

trade where the the neck and middle pickups are wired on the switch. it will then be:

-bridge
-bridge/neck
-neck
-neck/middle
-middle

as another option you could disconnect the bridge pickup from the switch and then wire it directly to the volume pot. it should give you something like this:

-bridge
-middle/bridge
-middle/bridge
-middle/neck/bridge
-neck/bridge

that trades your middle/neck position for an all on position. I think those will be your best options unless you want to get into using a 4-way switch. if you're interested here are a few of these alternate wiring schemes that I've done in the past.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:14 am

Do an Burns and replace the middle pickup tone control with a push/pull pot that activates the bridge pickup. That way, you can retain the five way switch, but have bridge+neck and bridge+middle+neck too.

aen · Post by **aen** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 5:05 am

DOOG DID IT.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:28 am

I'm a fan of a "bridge on" switch or dpdt pull pot for stealth tones!

Post by **Doog** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:37 am

aen wrote:DOOG DID IT.

I did an "neck on" microswitch, yassss. Nowadays, that Strat is just wired like a Tele with a three-way, ooh matron.

George · Post by **George** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:38 am

Careful with those push/pull pots. They won't fit in every Strat, least not the GFS pot in the body I have.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:57 am

now i'm thinking 3 way switch tele style wiring but the middle wired to a second volume. blend!

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:59 am

Thats actually quite a clever idea, Rob. Hell, maybe even a 4-way switch for parallel?

Here is exactly what you're looking for
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wi ... tele_blend

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:09 am

not so fussed about the parallel, but at least with the 3 way and blend, you don't lose any sounds, just gaining one more and tweakness.

George · Post by **George** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:11 am

I've got parallel on my CVC and it's a bit meh. Good for driving a fuzz because you have more output and less highs, but it's not really great for anything else.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:16 am

I really liked it on my AGAVE BLUE mim tele I had, always good for the extra tone just in case. I found it good for volume-sensitive drives since its louder and use it as a woofy lead tone.

George · Post by **George** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:20 am

Yeah that's about how I use it. The Fender Blender really likes it, which is saying something, because it hates absolutely everything else.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:14 am

GeorgeF wrote:Good for driving a fuzz

what other type of sounds do you need?

George · Post by **George** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:16 am

Sadly I'm a jingly-jangly whimp most of the time

Also, I've just bought a Boss OD3. I have a feeling I'm going to get tomatoes thrown at me.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:21 am

mike used an OD3 for ages, pretty nice pedals.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:04 pm

GeorgeF wrote:Yeah that's about how I use it. The Fender Blender really likes it, which is saying something, because it hates absolutely everything else.

The Fender Blender is not a polite pedal.

George · Post by **George** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:16 pm

When I manage to rein it in it doesn't always piss in my sink and set fire to the carpet. When I play it with my guitar's tone lowered using fingers it's the perfect house guest.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:57 pm

Doog wrote:
aen wrote:DOOG DID IT.
I did an "neck on" microswitch, yassss.

I've done a ''bridge on'' on my strat copy

honeyiscool · Post by **honeyiscool** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:02 am

The second easiest and best mod for a Strat is to just swap the neck and middle pickups. As in take the middle pickup out, and physically swap it with the neck pickup, no soldering or anything. Nobody uses Middle + Bridge, anyway, so this is good. Now you have Bridge, Bridge+Neck, Neck, Neck+Middle, and Middle as your five positions, with proper hum cancellation in the 2 and 4.

The EASIEST and BEST mod for a Strat, of course, is to sell it and get a more interesting guitar.