Hey all -- here's a fun mod I just did on my MIM Strat to get more "Tele" like sounds. I didn't search the forum for this, so sorry in advance if this has been covered before...

Here's what I did: I swapped the Bridge and Middle pickups -- no rewiring or soldering: just remove the pickguard and swap the neck and middle pickup positions. Now the 5-way switch has the following combinations:

Position 1: Middle (was Neck)
Position 2: Neck and Middle (as before)
Position 3: Neck (was Middle)
Position 4 : NEW!! Neck and Bridge (was Middle and Bridge)
Position 5: Bridge (as before)

Even with the swap, position 2 and 4 are still hum-canceling.

Actually, I wanted to swap the middle and bridge, so that I could have tone control on the bridge, but the bridge wires were too short. Oh well, maybe I need to learn to solder!!

Enjoy

D^3

Uh ... ok?

You didn't do any wiring whatsoever? The switch is still pretty much functioning the same. I can see how the tone would be a little different though, but still this seems completely placebo ...

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2006 Fender AVRI 70s Stratocaster: Natural Ash | Sovtek MIG 60 & A No Name Cabinet | Pedals & Junk

Still, Thats Good! I like that, Take it apart and experiment.

What is does is change the phase of the pick up.

The middle and neck are the same pick up but by swapping the neck and middle in position 1 is still the bridge, 2 would be like a Tellie neck and bridge instead of bridge and middle. 3 is now the bridge and 4 is the same, middle and neck with 5 now the middle pick up.

That is why it will sound different.

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Marriage is like playing cards...

At first all you want are Hearts and Diamonds.

But in the end, all you really want is a Club and a Spade.

Plecebo?? I think not... Neck+Bridge does sound different than any of the stock combinations.

Think about it -- all the pickups on a stock Strat are essentially the same, right? Each pickup on its own sounds different from the other two -- because of each's position relative to the bridge: closer = brighter.

"Neck+Middle" doesn't sound the same as "Middle+Bridge".

"Neck+Bridge" is one of the "missing options" and IMHO it sounds much better than Middle+Bridge. It has a more tele-like sound without being too bright.

THe other missing option is Neck+Middle+Bridge. There is an easy way to get this with one switch and some wire and solder... I guess I'll have to learn to solder for that one!

Plecebo?? I think not... Neck+Bridge does sound different than any of the stock combinations.

Think about it -- all the pickups on a stock Strat are essentially the same, right? Each pickup on its own sounds different from the other two -- because of each's position relative to the bridge: closer = brighter.

"Neck+Middle" doesn't sound the same as "Middle+Bridge".

"Neck+Bridge" is one of the "missing options" and IMHO it sounds much better than Middle+Bridge. It has a more tele-like sound without being too bright.

THe other missing option is Neck+Middle+Bridge. There is an easy way to get this with one switch and some wire and solder... I guess I'll have to learn to solder for that one!

Also, I don't think Phase has anything to do with it, its just "geometry." Position "four" on the 5-way is still the (old)Middle+Bridge - I just moved the Middle to Bridge position.

Regardless, I like it

Seymour Duncan make a strat PU that makes it sound like a tele...

The Tele-sounding Strat pickup you're talking about is the APST-1 Twang Banger. A hybrid design pickup featuring the attributes of both Strat and Tele for a unique sound and a copper plated steel baseplate with aggressive coil windings and Alnico II magnets. The result is a pickup with both the twangy, muscular, punch of a good Tele pickup with some bell tone Strat "quack" thrown in. Recommended for the bridge position with either APS-2s (for a maple fingerboard) or SSL-2s (for a rosewood fingerboard) in the neck and middle positions.

Uh, no. You're not understanding me. I said the effect was placebo because you're essentially just swapping the order of pickups around in the pickguard without any wiring modifications whatsoever, which is how you are supposed to go about this in the first place.

Yes, I know using a bridge and neck pickup sounds completely unique from the five settings you get from a Strat.

Personally, I'd rather find a six-way switch (or a seven-way to have a position for all three pickups) that would work for a Strat and allow this combination to be accessed.

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2006 Fender AVRI 70s Stratocaster: Natural Ash | Sovtek MIG 60 & A No Name Cabinet | Pedals & Junk

Sonny Landreth played a black Strat with a Tele pickup and bridgeplate during the recent Crossroads Festival in June.

Actually, normal Strat wiring position 1 is the Bridge pickup, and position 5 is the neck. But that is a pretty cool mod that you did, especially since it is easily reversible if needed.