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Post subject: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 7:30 pm
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Bought my first strat last week. It's everything I want EXCEPT this one thing. The bridge and middle pickup selection is NOT how the strat in my head sounds. My guitar sounded much warmer than I had hoped it would in this position. I want that chimey Edge tone in this position! (Streets!!!!) I suspected that this problem would be due to a parallel wiring of the middle single coil and the full shawbucker. I have confirmed this with my guitar's service manual. The last page of the manual found at this link shows exactly this.

My question is would it be possible to have this pickup selection coil split the shawbucker? I don't necessarily know that a coil split shawbucker will sound right either, but it is the cheaper option than swapping all the pickups entirely. Might as well give it a go if it's possible!


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 8:16 pm
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I would suggest doing some capacitor swaps on the 1st tone potentiometer rather than swapping pickups.
It's much-much cheaper, although it will affect the tone of the neck/middle PUPs in the other positions. You may find you like the changes there as well if you like a chimey - brighter tone.
.05= darker
.047
.033
.022
.01= brighter


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 8:52 pm
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sfceric64 wrote:
I would suggest doing some capacitor swaps on the 1st tone potentiometer rather than swapping pickups.
It's much-much cheaper, although it will affect the tone of the neck/middle PUPs in the other positions. You may find you like the changes there as well if you like a chimey - brighter tone.
.05= darker
.047
.033
.022
.01= brighter


I appreciate this info, but it isn't exactly what I'm asking for. I don't have a problem with the cap values. I want to split the humbucker in pickup position 4 (middle + bridge) for more of a "clucky" strat sound. Currently, position 4 yeilds a much fatter sound than I need. Again, this is because the humbucker is not coil split in this position.

I know that this wiring CAN be done in strats. I have seen it in many guitars before. This video by Pete Thorn shows an excellent demonstration of this sound.

https://youtu.be/HOOpAw5fT3E?t=436


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 10:48 pm
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Understand where you are coming from and I have not worked the details .... some of this wiring has to be traced thru as well but the shawbucker is a low powered pickup and designed especially to run as two coils.
What you should do is separate out the coils temporarily and see if you like the sound.
It might be easier to install a coil short switch on the pg.
Just my two cents worth... :D


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 12:31 am
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Where there's a Will, there's a Wayne...
Shawbucker HH and HSS Wiring Diagrams Coil Split


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 1:46 am
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I wouldn't be convinced that coil splitting a Shawbucker which is a low output AlNiCo2, 7.6KOhm DCR pickup will sound like you want it to. Fender don't provide it on the HSS Elite either.
If you go ahead with the rewire please report back with the results.


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 6:43 am
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Maybe I'll be stoned for saying this but...

If the "strat tone" in your head is that chimey, sparkly classic sound of a typical stratocaster and your don't give you that... You need a classic SSS strat. The Delta-tone system will provide you extra-heat in the bridge pup if you need it.

I myself never played a HSS strat I particularly liked.

My 0.02 cents.


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 12:27 pm
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I would agree Sergio.
The Strat is the Strat, the Tele is the Tele, and the Les Paul is the Les Paul... A Fender Wide Range from a Tele or Starcaster is not a Gibson PAF Each has their own unique sound and feel, and while the scale length plays a factor, the electronics are the most important part of this.

A split-coil humbucker is not the same as a single coil. If the pots used are 500k to maintain the brightness in the humbucker, then it's going to be too bright (compared to a traditional Strat) when the coil is split. If standard 250k pots are used, the 'bucker gets too dark.
But even if the electronics are 100% conventional, the split coil is still not the same. The 2nd coil's magnet and the copper in the coil still have an influence on the reactivity of the active coil simply due to their proximity, and the split coil's impedance, gain, and EQ curve are unlikely to match a standard single coil.

This is why I no longer mess with coil splitting and phasing options on my humbucker mods. I used to wire up the whole Jimmy Page thing... and I never used a single one of them.

_________________
-- Rich


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 3:11 pm
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jmattis wrote:
Where there's a Will, there's a Wayne...
Shawbucker HH and HSS Wiring Diagrams Coil Split


Thanks! I think this is what I need! I'll compare this to the American Pro's wiring diagram. I know my guitar has a stacked volume pot. Not sure how this will play into my testing.


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 4:03 pm
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Interestingly one shows red as hot and the other white as hot so watch for phase. :D


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 4:12 pm
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jimmy_james wrote:
Interestingly one shows red as hot and the other white as hot so watch for phase. :D


Nice catch! Didn't see that initially.


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 4:23 pm
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Zach_Drummond wrote:
I know my guitar has a stacked volume pot. Not sure how this will play into my testing.

I would go by priority.
If you most often play in the slot position with the coil split, then perhaps run traditional wiring to the 250k side and abandon the 500k side.

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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 10:04 pm
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Just a suggestion …
Could you leave it as is and take a ground wire to the switch connecting to the position as illustrated in the second diagram then take a wire from where the mid of the humbucker is joined to the other position. (they may already be long enough)
All they are doing is shorting one coil to ground in position 2 to achieve the coil split. Fortunately your switch has the terminals that side present and free. :D


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Post subject: Zach_Drummond
Posted: Sun May 27, 2018 8:23 am
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jimmy_james wrote:
Just a suggestion …
Could you leave it as is and take a ground wire to the switch connecting to the position as illustrated in the second diagram then take a wire from where the mid of the humbucker is joined to the other position. (they may already be long enough)
All they are doing is shorting one coil to ground in position 2 to achieve the coil split. Fortunately your switch has the terminals that side present and free. :D


I'm not knowledgeable with electronics. I'll have to try it.


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Post subject: Re: my prob with my new US pro HSS strat
Posted: Sun May 27, 2018 9:02 am
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[quote="Sérgio"]If the "strat tone" in your head is that chimey, sparkly classic sound of a typical stratocaster and your don't give you that... You need a classic SSS strat.[quote]

Exactly. I've just spent some while trying various HB's in the bridge of one of my Strats. No problem with the volumes, but it obviously doesn't sound like an SSS! I have found that the coil split (can be done with the standard 5-way) needs to take out the bridge-side coil, not the neck side as per most diagrams. Not difficult if you can work it out.

I'm currently running the Pearly Gates, which is fine. Just not the classic sound, and never will be!

That's my 2-penneth too!

Cheers - Peter.


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