I just purchased a CP 50s in two-tone sunburst. This is my first Strat and so far so good. I do have one question for anyone else who owns one - the tone controls don't seem to work as described in the add-in sheet that came with the user manual. For example - with the switch set to the neck pickup position, the manual indicates that Tone 1 control should change the tone. However, I found that in order for Tone 1 to have any effect, Tone 2 must be turned all the way up (clockwise). If Tone 2 is turned all the way down (counter-clockwise), Tone 1 doesn't seem to change the sound at all. There are other examples of apparent differences between the how the controls actually work and how the instruction sheet indicates they should work, I just don't have the guitar in front of me at the moment to identify all of them.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm wondering if I need to have someone take a look at the guitar to make sure it is properly wired.

This strat has some non-standard wiring, BUT the 2nd tone should be disconnected when you switch to the neck.
Maybe there was a wiring error, so it doesn't match mine, but I can send you the wiring diagram I made for it when it was stock.
I documented it, then changed it to be slightly more standard (so I could use the Neck+Middle position), but wired it so that the 2nd tone was only used for the bridge pickup.

That'd be great - can you post both diagrams (the stock and your revisions) here?

OK, this is the original wiring on my Cassic Player 50's:
http://www.vmresource.com/_temp/strat_w ... iginal.pdf
Note that is uses a 5-way superswitch (stock) to give you the Neck+Bridge in the 4th position (normal Neck+Middle position).

This is my mod to get back the Neck+Middle and I added a push-Pull pot to get the Neck+Bridge:
http://www.vmresource.com/_temp/strat_w ... e_tone.pdf

(The cap on the volume control is just a treble bleed)

-Eddie

Thanks for the quick responses - this is super helpful. Now I can at least determine if there is a problem with the wiring.

One more question (potentially dumb - sorry, new to electrics) - is there an easy way (i.e., without disassembling, etc.) to verify which pickup(s) is active when the switch is in a given position?

Just tap the pole piece with something metal. You will hear a definite Thunk.

Thanks.

Eddie - I took the pickguard off my CP 50s Strat and compared the wiring to the diagram you provided (original wiring). There were a couple of differences which I have noted below (can't figure out how to attach the PDF I marked up PDF).

1. On Pole 2, positions 1 and 2 appear soldered together

2. Also on Pole 2, there is an actual jumper wire connecting positions 4 and 5

3. Finally on Pole 2, the jumper wire from position 0 runs to position 0 on Pole 1 (rather than position 0 on Pole 3 as shown in your diagram). However, I am assuming this doesn't matter since Pole 1 position 0 is then jumped to Pole 3 position 0.

Would these explain the behavior that I am experiencing where Tone Controls 1 and 2 work together (i.e., Tone 1 only has an effect when Tone 2 is turned above 1 and vice versa) when the pickup selector is in the neck position? Also, I tested the pickup selector in each position and only neck position seems affected - the Tone Controls appear to work properly in the other positions. Given this wiring, should I be seeing some other incorrect behavior when other pickups are selected?

Finally, do you think it is safe to simply remove the two additional jumpers on Pole 2 (between positions 1 and 2 and positions 4 and 5) to match the diagram you sent me to correct these problems?

Thanks!

I Think that the jumper on Pole #2 from 4 to 5 is the problem (or at least the difference).
There should be a jumper like that on Pole #4 (Is that there?) so that the bridge pickup is connected in both Bridge and Brige+Middle positions.
The other differences sound like just slight differences that are electrically the same.

In this original configuration the 2nd tone control (the one furthest away from the volume knob) was engaged on both of the middle positions in paralell with the other tone control. I'm not entirely sure what the intent was of this.
I'm my opinion thats the last thing you want to do especially for the Neck+Middle position (it tends to loose some high end as it is)
If I were you, I would at least change it so that the second tone works the bridge tone only.
This is a pretty popular mod on most strats, and makes a ton more sense in my opinion.

-Eddie

Eddie - in answer to your question about a jumper on position 4 of Pole 2 - yes, there is a jumper on Pole 2 from 2 to 4. Also, I tapped the pickups with the side of the blade of a screwdriver with the pickup selector in each of the 5 positions and the correct pickups were active in each switch position.

So, you think I could remove just the extraneous jumper from 4 to 5 on Pole 2 and this would return it to the correct "stock" configuration? The fact that positions 1 and 2 are soldered together on Pole 2 doesn't matter?

Your statement about the neck + middle position losing some high end confuses me - the CP 50s Strat doesn't have this configuration, since switch position 4 engages neck+bridge rather than neck+middle.

Also, you mention modifying the wiring so that Tone 2 only adjusts the bridge pickup as opposed to bridge and middle - can you let me know what wiring change is required to accomplish so that I have it as an option?

One final - is there a simple wiring change that would allow me to change switch position 4 to engage neck+middle rather than neck+bridge? I know you posted a more complex mod involving a push/pull volume pot that provides more configuration options, but I'm not sure I'm up to that at this stage.

Thanks for your help on all of this.

>So, you think I could remove just the extraneous jumper from 4 to 5
>on Pole 2 and this would return it to the correct "stock" configuration? The >fact that positions 1 and 2 are soldered together on Pole 2 doesn't matter?

Sorry, I should have been paying more attention. You should remove the connection on positions 1 and 2 on Pole #2 as well.

>Your statement about the neck + middle position losing some high end >confuses me

Again, sorry. What I should have said is that typically any of the combined positions load down the pickups and tend to kill some of the high end. This actually smooths out the bridge+middle combo, but in my opinion you loose too much high end quack with combinations including the neck pickup.
This is mostly just personal preference.


>Also, you mention modifying the wiring so that Tone 2 only adjusts the bridge >pickup as opposed to bridge and middle - can you let me know what wiring >change is required to accomplish so that I have it as an option?

Sure. Based on my original wiring, on Pole #2 you would just connect to position 5. Removing all other connections on Pole #2
On Pole #1 you would remove the connection to Position 5 so that tone control is disengaged in that position.

>is there a simple wiring change that would allow me to change switch
>position 4 to engage neck+middle rather than neck+bridge? I know you posted >a more complex mod involving a push/pull volume pot that provides more >configuration options, but I'm not sure I'm up to that at this stage.

All you have to do is just ignore the push-pull part of that diagram and that would be it.
In fact that is what I did first, then I missed having the Neck+bridge option
(The push-pull pot will even let you enable all pickups at once.)


For others who might be following this, yes I know it's standard convention to call the bridge position position #1, but the people who make the 5-way superswitch always call the Neck position #1, so when using this switch, I use thier convention.

-Eddie

Thanks a lot!

Eddie - after reviewing the wiring diagram I realize I need a little further clarification on the Tone 2 modification so I don't go messing things up.

Sure. Based on my original wiring, on Pole #2 you would just connect to position 5.

--> Does this mean that I move the wire that currently connects Tone 2 to Pole 2 position 2 so that it connects to Pole 2 position 5?

Removing all other connections on Pole #2

--> Does this mean I just remove the jumper wire between positions 2 and 4 on Pole 2 (i.e., I assume I need to leave the wires that run from position 0 of Pole 2 to Poles 1 and 4 in place)?

On Pole #1 you would remove the connection to Position 5 so that tone control is disengaged in that position.

--> So this means removing the jumper between positions 4 and 5 on Pole 1?

Again, I appreciate your help - thanks.

> Does this mean that I move the wire that currently connects
>Tone 2 to Pole 2 position 2 so that it connects to Pole 2 position 5?

Yes and all other jumpers would be removed on that pole.
Just leave 0 alone since it's actually the other side of that switch (what all posistions are connecting to)


>>On Pole #1 you would remove the connection to Position 5 so that tone >control is disengaged in that position.

>So this means removing the jumper between positions 4 and 5 on Pole 1?

Correct.

Keep me posted on how it goes.