I just finished rebuilding (for lack of a better term) a Deluxe Powerhouse Strat from a Powerhouse body (complete with pickups, bridge, etc.) and a really good MIM neck with rosewood board I had left over from another project. I really like it so far, but I can find no information on the pickups, how they work, the specifics of the mid boost, etc.

All I can find are old ads for the guitar that all say the same thing. Anyone know any links or places I can get some information on this thing?

Thanks

Hi rscornutt: well, here's the wiring diagram:

http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/ ... 02APg2.pdf

That comes from this page:

http://www.fender.com/support/wiring_di ... _lists.php

Scroll about a quarter of the way down to find the Deluxe Powerhouse Strat. In addition to that wiring diagram there's a parts list and other diagrams.

Not the full story, but it might get you a way down the road.

Cheers - C

Thanks!

Note the addition of the resistors on the midboost pot to lower it from 25db to 12db. Its a clapton midboost circuit, its your choice whether you limit the circuit. I wouldnt, your paying for 25db so may as well use it.

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No no and no

Sorry to revive this somewhat dead thread....

I recently just got one of these and am a total noob regarding how the boost system actually works (ie what knob does what).

I looked at the diagrams and still mixed up.

Is the first tone knob the actual boost knob and the second tone knob the no load? How do these knobs interact given the position of the 5 way pickup selector switch?

Could someone in simple language explain how this system and knobs work?

Also, I tried searching for the thread on increasing this to the 25db version, but could not find anything. Does anyone have a link?

Thanks in advance!!! I honestly spent most of the evening searching threads and links, but I could not find this basic info.

The first tone knob (meaning, the one next to the volume) is the no-load; the lower tone knob (meaning, the one closest to the output jack) is the booster.

The "no-load" pot functions as a master and 'regular' tone pot from '0' through '9'. Upon turning it up to '10', the innards of the pot have been altered so that it literally takes itself out of the guitar's circuit, thus removing its electrical 'load' from the circuit. In this particular situation, this facilitates for more treble to pass through the circuit than if the pot worked 'normally' through '10'.

The 'guts' of any pickup or overdrive is a cranking up of the circuit's midrange. This booster in your guitar is a pre-amp. A pre-amp has a power source. This is also called an, "active" circuit because it can and does, crank up the midrange and volume well beyond the capabilities of a passive (meaning, no pre-amp) circuit. See, in a passive circuit, '10' is the maximum the circuit can be at and you can only take away from the circuit by way of lowering the volume and/or tone. With active circuitry, the capabilities of the circuit are increased WAY beyond said '10'.

About your pickup selector switch: You have a MASTER volume pot, a MASTER tone pot and a MASTER gain (the booster) pot in your guitar. Consequently, they will ALL affect whichever position you've selected on the switch.

Lastly, there is no practical way to upgrade your system to a 25db one.

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You dig?

Let niki know if your pickups start to howl behind that 25db boost. The active circuit is carefully balanced electroncially and not all pickups are compatible with it.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Doc the powerhouse has a dummycoil and the same circuitboard as the clapton. The dummycoil prettymuch turns the singlecoils into humbuckers, well kinda. They should be ok as long as that dummycoil is kept. I put that dimarzio fs2 on my clapton boost circuit. Thats a fairly highgain pickup now with a 25db push on it.

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No no and no

The first tone knob (meaning, the one next to the volume) is the no-load; the lower tone knob (meaning, the one closest to the output jack) is the booster.

Maybe this is where I am getting confused...

My second tone knob (nearest the jack) kind of clicks into place at the number 10 setting. I saw on either another site or thread that this was the no load and at number 10 it was clicking into the no load position. My other tone knob just turns as usual. I wonder if someone switched mine or if Fender did a flip flop of things between years. I noticed that Fender lists both a Deluxe Powerhouse and regular Powerhouse. Maybe they each have knobs in different positions.



Lastly, there is no practical way to upgrade your system to a 25db one.

I thought I read somewhere that there is a resistor that is can be removed or bypassed and in effect would take it up to 25db. Not planning on doing it, but was just curious.

Thanks for the easy to understand explanation!!!!

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You need to rewire the circuit as per the clapton guitars wiring diagram, but make sure you include the dummycoil and switch the claptons TBX control for your regular tone control. The circuit board is identical, the two resistors go from the outside lugs of the mid pot to the base of the casing grounding out half the boards power. Least thats my bet, stick with Martians advice he's way more knowledgable than I am at this stuff. Theirs likely something I've overlooked. You need a 50k pot for the volume on the clapton circuit too or the thing just squeals.

Truth be told the difference between 5 and 10 on that boost is hard to hear. It may be more trouble than its worth.

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No no and no

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You are describing the no-load pot as it detents into '10'. So, your lower tone pot is in fact, the no-load and your upper tone pot is in fact, your booster. It's no big deal either way as you, yourself can reverse them on the pickguard it suits you better.

Originally, there was just the 12dB booster circuit until Clapton asked them to make a more powerful one. That's when the 25dB booster circuit was created and it came with two resistors on the pot which would reduce the circuit down to 12dB. By removing these resistors, the 25dB would be restored.

Glad to help.

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You dig?