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Post subject: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 12:14 pm
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Hi All,

I plan do a little refresh to the stock circuitry of my MIM Strat (96').
I've already upgraded the pickups a while ago to custom 54, which are great, but I would also like to change pots and the switch to the parts used in the US Strats.

I got a bit overwhelmed by the choice though :)
So we have a standard 5 way switch but also the super switch.
We have the standard 250 pots but also the ones with no load and on top of that there is TBX and S-1 :)

I would like to get as much tonal flexibility as possible. I was thinking e.g. of doing neck+bridge connection or experimenting with parallel and series wiring. I wasn't sure which of these parts I'm going to need - e.g. it seemed to me that super switch makes sense only with some push-pull like S-1.

Could you please point me to the resources where I could get a better feeling of how the wiring and various components (like different pot types) work?
Maybe someone could also recommend a good configuration?

Thanks in advance!
Tomek


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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 8:59 pm
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S-1 wiring typically requires the "Super Switch" to facilitate all ten tonal configurations -- five conventional pickup combinations and five special options (series, series + parallel, series + parallel + additional tone cap, neck + bridge, all three pickups in parallel). I never found much use for the TBX option or the no-load pots.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 1:09 am
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An Oak Gigsby, or earlier switch with an external spring, is a good move. 250k pots by GWR (I tried audio taper but might go linear next time) and oil in paper capacitor are all cool. 20swg wax cotton wiring for the mojo and convenience.

All names, etc from memory (and I'm getting old) so may not be correct but something like.

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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 3:02 am
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A Telecaster wiring guru called Phostenix also has some Strat diagrams. https://sites.google.com/site/phostenix ... ams/strats

This one has a superswitch, Stealth (S1), TBX and gives you series, parallel and blend options.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/744 ... XBlend.jpg


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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:44 am
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John Sims wrote:
20swg wax cotton wiring for the mojo and convenience.


Actually, the spec is AWG22. Cloth push-back for original and re-issue instruments, neoprene insulation for contemporary models.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:49 am
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Yes, Gavitt 22awg is the real deal.


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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 1:19 pm
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Retroverbial, 64Galaxie, John - thank you very much for the replies, your help if very appreciated!
Now I know I need the super switch + S-1. Thank you also for the pointers and links!
I'm curious to see the results - I decided to also put in the Callaham tremolo block, I already have graph-tech saddles and nut and the upgraded pickups. I'm considering to run it through the Plek machine, but I need to think twice (it's more expensive). We will see :)

Cheers,
Tomek


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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 4:27 pm
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I don't think a Plek machine does as good a job as a really gifted luthier. My guy charges $100 for a neck-off set up that includes fret leveling, re-crowning, and polishing and his work is superior to that of my Gibson Historic Shop '59 re-issue Les Paul (which was factory-plek'd) before it was shipped.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:16 pm
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Hi Arjay,

That's very interesting what you say. I always thought of Plek as the top-level because of the precision (if I remember correctly Suhr also uses Plek), but it's good to hear another opinion on that. Would you recommend any specific type of frets for Strat? I also have a Nitefly and I really like their frets (they are very durable).

Thanks,
Tomek


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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:04 pm
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I prefer Strats with vintage-spec fretwire and a 7.25" radius (it's what I grew up with). Fender's fretwire seems very durable and I've never had need to have one re-fretted.

As to plekking, I too thought that it was the be-all/end-all in guitar set-up technology. But as I mentioned, my R9 flametop re-issue Les Paul was factory-plek'd yet it didn't play as nice as the guitars that my luthier has set up for me. Nor did it play as nice as my new Fender Custom Shop 1960 "time machine" Strat (not sure if Fender's CS uses a plek machine or not).

But my story is but a single anecdote -- you may have better luck with plekking than I did.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:52 pm
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Thanks a lot, Arjay!


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Post subject: Re: MIM Strat circuitry (pots, switch, wiring)
Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 6:11 am
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Hi All,

Apologies for the delay but I thought I would post a little update on my project.

In the end I went for the American Deluxe wiring with S1 switch but no TBX. I must say that I am amazed how many tonal options it adds: when the switch is off I have the standard wiring, when it's on then I always have 2 or 3 pickups on. I was very much surprised how much bass got added, on the neck position it gives a very jazzy-like sound. For the circuitry I bought a $25-30 condenser (the paper one) and it seems to be doing the job very well.

I went for a luthier re-fretting and I am vey happy with that. I got a wire which is somewhere between vintage and medium jumbo so it makes it easy to bend without losing the contact with the fretboard.

I also changed the bridge to Callaham and I really enjoy it. I used to use GraphTech string saver classics but I am now experimenting with bent saddles from Callaham, which seem to be more "aggressive" compared to GraphTech, both are fine though.

I also discovered one thing in all the changes. In vingate pickups the magnet below the G string is way higher than the ones for other strings. As a result it makes the G string sound louder than others and makes for an unbalanced sound. I used to have problems with G string since a long time - I was getting these strange chorus-like sounds, especially on the overdrive. The luthier suggested that it's the pickup's magnetic field that's too strong for the string. I started to look around and indeed that is the case: when the pickup was lower, the phenomenon was gone. I googled some more and found out that back then in 50's when the pickups were made like that, G strings were all wound. Plain G strings only appeared later. So I bought myself a set of D'Darrios with G wound and the problem is solved. No strange sound + the sound overall is more balanced because G is not the loudest anymore.

Overall I am really happy with the outcome, to me the guitar sounds really good and I would like to compare it one day, maybe in a store, to some higher-end models.

Cheers!


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