Accessing the pots and switches that we need to change can appear to be a daunting task as they are located under the pickguard, which is neatly situated under the strings. the typical Les Paul configuration (two humbuckers with two volume and two tone controls) is the same as in a typical SG, 335, etc. The master tone mod can be used a few different ways. Privacy Policy | This mod is not difficult, yet it’s sonically powerful. As far as I know, such a circuit drawing was never published anywhere before, so stay tuned. This is highly recommended, by the way, if you do perform the BPTC mod. And you can modify your Strat to get the same tones! We’ll do that in a future installment. -Seven tone Strat / Gilmour Mod - transform a Strat into a Tele and put the tone knob on the bridge.-Bass Cut/Contour circuit on Tone 2 (Tone Fiend or Reverend Bass Contour). It’s easy to do. Your Pedalboards 2020: Part Deux, 1. Standard Stratocaster wiring for Fender, … You can also find Strats with a H-S-H or even H-H-H configuration, but the H-S-S is still the most common. In his spare time he plays country, rockabilly, surf and Nashville styles in two bands, works as a studio musician for a local studio and writes for several guitar mags. Regards. We’ll talk about this subject again, and of course dip in deeper, when we switch over to Les Paul, 335 and SG mods. The Strat, for example, adds the neck pickup to any position (as per the American Performer series), while the same switch on the Tele runs its pickups in series. The Stratocaster bridge pickup is an immensely versatile beast, but one that’s caged thanks to the lack of a tone control in Leo Fender’s original configuration. This is not an oversight - this was was deliberately designed this way by Leo Fender himself. Wiring in a tone control for the bridge-only pickup setting. To start, you can download the standard Strat wiring scheme directly from the Seymour Duncan website to get a better understanding of the differences compared to the autosplit mod. Bridge in series/split/parallel mode [3 tones] 2. He hates short scales and Telecaster neck pickups, but loves twang. 5. As you know, the H-S-S configuration (humbucker in the bridge position and two traditional single coils in the middle and neck positions) was introduced in the ‘80s with the superstrats, and is still very popular today. Article by Kevin Darty. I tried the G&L bass tone circuit and did not like it. You can see on the standard Strat wiring scheme that both tone pots share a common tone capacitor, and both pots are also of the same value. By Mike Duffy. Terms Of Use. Other companies use different colors, and you need a chart to translate those colors. Firstly, capo the strings on one of the lower frets to keep your masterful restringjob from going willy-nilly, and lower the string tension until the strings become loose enoug… Neck On switch in Off (down) position (normal 5-way switch mode) 1. I hope you find this mod useful, giving you the best of both worlds: powerful humbucker sounds from the bridge position side by side with the traditional Strat “notch tone” with the bridge and middle pickup together (aka the “in-between” position). Dirk Wacker lives in Germany and has been addicted to all kinds of guitars since the age of five. Seymour Duncan SH-3 “StagMag”), but not so powerful when used as a full humbucker. Until then, keep on modding! */, Copyright ©2020. This mod is easy to do, but very helpful and effective—plus it doesn’t alter the appearance of your guitar. Standard in all American Professional Series guitars, this simple mod can help your tone at all volumes. This wiring setup uses the Seymour Duncan Spin-A-Split idea to vary the coil split from full humbucker to a single coil using a pot instead of a switch. Transform Your Strat Into A Blues Monster! Mod: Stratocaster with Individual On/Off Switches for each Pickup - #Guitar #modgarage. A lot of factors contribute to great guitar tone—the way you play, your fingers, your amp, your intonation, your strings. Easy mod #1 that I listed in Easy Strat mods that everyone should do is "Wiring in a tone control for the bridge-only pickup setting," and that's exactly what I did on my Squier Vintage Modified '70s Stratocaster. All these mods are simple and easy to do if it piques your interest. Stay tuned for more Strat mods coming next month. I have one strat with a tone on the bridge, it is no load. For a better understanding, it’s crucial to know what the colors mean and what they correspond to. Because there is only one tone capacitor, the two tone controls are wired in series. I hope you’ll find this mod useful for increasing the versatility of your Strat. Bei der herkömlichen Standardschaltung wird nur ein Kondensator für die Tonregelung verwendet, das bedeutet aber immer Kompromisse. So, using the Seymour Duncan colors, we have: Black = North Start (hot output) / White = North Finish / Red = South Start / Green = South Finish / bare wire = Ground. */, Copyright ©2020. All Rights Reserved Have fun with this one! This time I’ll show you how to split the tone controls into two different ranges by using two separate tone-caps with your standard Strat wiring. The temptation to me is to use this on a strat body with 3 mini humbuckers, so like the old les paul standard with volume & tone for each pickup, you get seperate volume & tone for all three, but each as a spin-a-split. All it takes is some simple work with a soldering iron. Here’s the Strat wiring with the auto-split mod performed: As you can see, the black wire from the humbucker goes to the normal input lug for the bridge pickup, the red and white wires are soldered together to the lug of the output stage and green together with the bare wire are going to ground. A lot of humbuckers sound great when used as full humbuckers, but not very good when shutting down one of the coils. Chief among the new specs are the addition of push-push tone knobs, which switch in an additional voice on each model. With this wiring, you’ll also be able to control the tone of the bridge pickup (Vintage Strat wiring doesn’t give you this ability). With this knowledge and the color charts above, it should be easy to do the autosplit mod with any given humbucker. As long as you use the bridge humbucker or the two single coils alone, everything is fine. Hooked: Dustie Waring on Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots. A bit too much "ice pick in the forhead" - as Frank would say. Using two different tonecaps will allow you to use different types of capacitors, or even different capacitor values, for certain pickups. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:100%;} Tone Split Mod - Strat Styled $35 Internal Mod Control: 2nd tone pot Function: This modification shifts the tone control of your Strat styled guitar so that the Neck and Middle pickup share a tone pot and tone control, and the bridge pickup is controlled by the 2nd tone control. First Look: Mile End Effects MTHRFCKR=RPTR, 2. It’s supposed to be closer to the traditional Strat “notch tone” than having the full bridge humbucker active. I get tons of questions and emails about Strat tone mods. Keep in mind that these are the colors Seymour Duncan uses for their humbuckers. You can transfer most of this mods to any similar guitar -- eg. This mod is easy to do, but very helpful and effective—plus it doesn’t alter the appearance of your guitar. When not working at his guitar workbench, he plays country, rockabilly, surf, and flamenco. 190. Guitar Diy Guitar Shop Music Guitar Guitar Chord Chart Guitar Tabs Guitar Chords Guitar Pickups Cigar Box Guitar Guitar Building. Some are cosmetic and others are functional in improving tone. For the bridge and middle pickup tone control, I use a NOS “high voltage” 0.02uF ceramic cap from the early ‘60s to achieve the classic vintage tone. He is also a hardcore DIY guy for guitars, amps and stompboxes and runs an extensive webpage, The COVID Files: Inside the Mod Garage Shop During Lockdown, How to Get the Most out of Hum-Sing-Hum Wiring, The Fender "Passing Lane" Stratocaster Mod, 1. In one of my own Strats, I did that mod (bridge and middle pickup sharing one tone pot) and split the tone controls. This is also a good time to think about changing the configuration of the two tone controls. The problem occurs when you use the bridge humbucker together with the middle pickup. The diagram shown here is the standard Stratocaster wiring enhanced with the “passing lane” mod. Auto-split just means that when you have the 5-way switch in the middle/bridge position, you’ll only be getting one coil of the bridge pickup, rather than the full humbucker. On the other hand, there are some that sound great when split (e.g. When not working at his guitar workbench, he plays country, rockabilly, surf, and flamenco. For this, we will have to modify stage #2 (output stage) of our 5-way pickup selector switch. Back in 2011, Fender Custom Shop released a David Gilmour model that used his 7-way wiring and a recessed mini switch positioned between the Volume and Tone controls of the guitar. This Strat wiring mod is incredibly easy to do. For an overview, you can use the chart from Seymour Duncan: For a deeper look, I highly recommend this one: If you’re more experienced, you can also use a DMM to verify the colors, but a color chart is always a good starting point. The auto-split mod can help you avoid a common problem when using a humbucker together with the typical single-coil pickups in a Stratocaster. All right, that’s it! /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We will start with the Stratocaster, which is a perfect guitar for a lot of mods … He’s also a hardcore DIY-er for guitars, amps, and stompboxes and runs a website on the subject (singlecoil.com). Warning: the Tone Fiend sketched circuit has the pot wired reverse and I flipped mine over pretty quickly. You can download the standard wiring scheme from the Seymour Duncan webpage at: So here, in comparison to the standard wiring, is the Tone Split mod. Variation of Blender Pot Strat: If you love your Blender Pot but miss having two tones, you can opt for a 2 Tone Cap Modification.The 2 Tone Cap Mod is a Push-Pull mod that allows you to achieve one tone cap in the ‘down position,’ and another tone cap in the ‘up position.’ Check it out here: That’s it! This is often used to achieve a single coil sound from a humbucker. Humbuckers usually have a lot more output compared to traditional Strat single-coil pickups—in other words, they’re louder. Stay tuned for more Strat mods in the coming months, including a discussion about the good ‘ol Fender TBX tone control. How to do this mod is to solder in one small wire from the open terminal on the 5-way selector to the terminal right next to it. That’s it. This opens up the tone … The Seven-Sound Strat Modification is an easy mod that you can make to your guitar to give you more tone versatility, and despite its name, you can make this mod on any type of guitar that has three pickups and a five-way switch. After last month’s Q&A, we’re returning to more Stratocaster mods. You can use a push/ pull or push/push pot for this, but a little 2PDT toggle switch works well, too. The solution for this is very simple: split the bridge humbucker to make it a single-coil pickup. So, this is the point where the “auto-split” mod can help you. I think you got the idea—you can also review my earlier column, “Auditioning Tone Capacitors” [March 2009 Web Exclusive] for more details about tone caps and values. You can split the tone controls like we’ll do here, then put a smaller tonecap on the corresponding tone control pot for more treble in the middle, bridge and middle/bridge positions. We talked about this some months ago; now it all comes together. Mojotone Quick Order Form! That will make it easier to see and understand the differences in the modded schematics. Warm Audio Jet Phaser: The Premier Guitar Review, 4. If they had used two capacitors, one for each tone control, it would have cost a few more cents, but the tone controls would have been more useful. Hello and welcome back to “Mod Garage.” After last month’s Q&A, we’re returning to more Stratocaster mods. All things being equal, a Strat will sound brighter with a 0.047uF tone cap than it will with a 0.1uF. Terms Of Use. Bridge in series/split/parallel mode + Mid (with hum canceling in split … If you use a 5-way switch, the middle and bridge position will be affected by both tone controls—a really cool option! In one of my own Strats, I did that mod (bridge and middle pickup sharing one tone pot) and split the tone controls. If you use a tone on the bridge, I'd suggest using a no load, so you can get rid of it when you need to. This time I’ll show you how to split the tone controls into two different ranges by using two separate tone-caps with your standard Strat wiring. In the bridge position, you still have the full humbucker active, so this mod can give you the best of both worlds. In the stock Stratocaster wiring, the bridge pickup has no tone control, while the middle and neck pickups each have an individual tone control. Next month, you’ll find a PG first right here: I’ll show you how to use the famous Gibson ‘50s vintage wiring from the late-fifties Burst Les Paul guitars in your Stratocaster! The five-way switch gives Strat players plenty of versatility in tone. Dirk Wacker lives in Germany and has been a guitar addict since age 5. Position 5 Neck = Master Tone 2. One pot is a tone control for both the neck and middle pickup, while the other pot is a tone control for the bridge pickup only. For this, you need a humbucker with a four-conductor cable, so you have unlimited access to both coils, giving you the ability to shut one of them down. The bottom coil is always the coil with the adjustable screws, and it’s named “South.” The coil on top is the one with the non-adjustable slugs and is called “North.” Each coil has a start and an end. Guitar pickups hss coil split wiring strat s1 and bass diagrams 101 tap an diagram for mexican full mitsubisi six string stratocaster auto mod 2 vol 1 master tone Diagram Guitar Pickups Hss Coil Split Wiring Full Version Hd Quality Corporatejob Cormah Fr Hss Strat S1 Coil Split Wiring Seymour Duncan User Group Forums Wiring Diagrams… Read More » I can either have two Strats that sound a bit different or if I prefer the 50's Strat with the bridge pickup tone mod then I can change that one next time I change strings. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing, On PremierGuitar.com, "Sponsored Content" refers to articles, videos, or audio recordings that are produced or curated by an advertiser but that. Honestly, all that one is doing is moving wires from one lug of the 5-way switch to an adjacent lug. Wait what? He is fascinated by anything that has something to do with old Fender guitars and amps. With the normal Stratocaster wiring, the pickups are completely on or off, but with the Blender Stratocaster you can dial in all shades in between. By now you should have a thorough understanding of how to use the 5 way switch to mod your guitar. He hates short scales and Telecaster neck pickups, but loves twang. Let’s say, for example, that you’re happy with the neck-only tone control, you did the BPTC mod, and you’d like to get more treble out of the middle/bridge-pickup combination. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing, On PremierGuitar.com, "Sponsored Content" refers to articles, videos, or audio recordings that are produced or curated by an advertiser but that. Das 2x Capacitor Tone-Control Prewired Kit ermöglicht durch zwei Kondensatoren die perfekte Tonregelung für die Strat. The good news is that you can endlessly tweak all those things and even add effects to sculpt your sound. the “Bridge Pickup Tone Control” (BPTC) mod. He is also a hardcore DIY guy for guitars, amps and stompboxes and runs an extensive webpage (, The COVID Files: Inside the Mod Garage Shop During Lockdown, How to Get the Most out of Hum-Sing-Hum Wiring, The Fender "Passing Lane" Stratocaster Mod, Mod Garage: The Blender 7-Sound Stratocaster, 1. And the best part is that no major guitar surgery is required. For the neck pickup tone control, I use a 4700pF NOS paper-in-oil cap from military supply, because I want a clear and transparent jazz tone out of the neck pickup, with only some slightly dampened high end. Je nach Situation ist der Ton zu dumpf oder zu hell, und der Bridge-PU lässt sich überhaupt nicht regeln. It’s never to late to change such things, though— so pull out your soldering iron and heat it up! This means that each of the tone controls has the same frequency response curve. A humbucker is split when only one coil is engaged full output. He is fascinated by anything that has something to do with old Fender guitars and amps. I’ll stick with the basics for now, since I don´t want to turn this into a column about coil splitting. Since the Strat only has space for 3 pots, I've set this up for a Master Volume, Master Tone, and one dual gang pot to control the split of both pickups simultaneously. (SRV Played through Vibroverb with a 15" speaker) The lack of Low Freq with the (TB) Mod gave the Strat a somewhat harder sound. I hope you remember the column about separating the both Stratocaster tone controls from each other (the Tone-Split Mod). In 1964, the Strat’s 10th anniversary coincided with a change in cap value from 0.1uF to 0.047uF. 7 of the Best Strat Wiring Mods Around In pursuit of the holy grail of Strat tone. The simplicity of this qualifies this mod to make this the best easy strat wiring mod. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. With the (TB) Mod installed on a Strat, the sound is very apparent in that Amp, as the 15" speaker can give you a very deep sound. Please notice the modified wiring on stage #2 of the 5-way switch, and the additional tonecap, all marked in red. Warm Audio Jet Phaser: The Premier Guitar Review, 4. Our goal is to use two independent tone capacitors to shift the range of the tone controls, one cap for each tone control. One minor downside with stock Stratocaster wiring is that the bridge pickup has no tone control. Try this Seven-Sound Stratocaster Modification. A strat bridge stock, into a tweed amp is a wonderful sound when you turn the amp up. First Look: Mile End Effects MTHRFCKR=RPTR, 2. Well my trusty 1998 Fender American Standard Stratocater was due for a string change so it was an opportunity to take some pictures underneath the hood to show some modifications I've done to my Strat. Until then, keep on modding! Der herkömlichen Standardschaltung wird nur ein Kondensator für die Tonregelung verwendet, das bedeutet aber Kompromisse. He plays country, rockabilly, surf, and the one furthest from. The coming months, including a discussion about the good news is that you can do too... 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