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Stratocaster Varitone

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:10 pm
by aWolfAppears
A while ago I decided the tone control in my put-random-mods-in stratocaster had to go because it had a really poor sweep (last 5% was the only bit that did anything). I was just going to replace the pot but decided that it might be fun to try and build a varitone and replace the tone control with this. It has 6 positions: a bypass and 5 caps of increasing size. I was floored by how well this turned out. with just a 500k volume and tone bypassed, the pickups are crazy. They sounds phenomenal and so open and powerful. Even more surprising was how usable the positions were, all but the last two sound great. Not only does it roll of highs but it really changes the characteristic of the sound. I might eventually replace the last one with a not-so-dark cap, but overall I am pretty pleased. Anyone else ever experiment with this kind of mods or other tone control mods?

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Oh, I also replaced a prails I had in the bridge (never really could get along with it, unfortunately) with a tele bridge pickup mounted to the body. With no tone control this thing is amazing!

Re: Stratocaster Varitone

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:23 pm
by weeping_moon
Buy a new pickguard i cant stand the big hole after the humbucker a new pickguard wouldnt be expensive and totally look better.

Re: Stratocaster Varitone

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:25 pm
by wwrrss
weeping_moon wrote:Buy a new pickguard i cant stand the big hole after the humbucker a new pickguard wouldnt be expensive and totally look better.
you buy him one if you're that offended.

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:43 pm
by aWolfAppears
Haha I would buy one if this configuration were to stay but the point of this guitar is to try random stuff, so who knows how long that pickup will last?

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:43 pm
by Viljami
No way, the postage would rape him.

Re: Stratocaster Varitone

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:16 pm
by weeping_moon
wwrrss wrote:
weeping_moon wrote:Buy a new pickguard i cant stand the big hole after the humbucker a new pickguard wouldnt be expensive and totally look better.
you buy him one if you're that offended.
No im not offended. Just trying to give good ideas. But if this is a project guitar ill understand.

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:46 pm
by paul_
And weeping_moon understanding is half the battle.