I just wanted to say what a disappointment the new American Deluxe HSS S1 switching and N3 picks are...

I've replaced a 2008 American Deluxe with SCN HSS configuration
(sold if for a Yairi WY1TS) well worth it...
but have to say I've pulled them and I'm putting in 3 SCN!

I've got my V for 2 buckers!

I think it may be the circuitry ? without the passing lane the (humbucker only mode) there is definitely some tone being sucked! Perhaps its not wired correctly? Took me 9 months to get it as Fender is not producing American made in this economy...My wife says the guitar sound lifeless (paraphrase)

Worse than 60 cycle hum you get noise when switching between the pickups. This model won't last and I predict you'll see more of this type of commentary, sadly. Did fender outsource their design?

I've put it (2010 American Deluxe Strat) back in the case and I'm playing my Gibson V until the new "SCN" pickups, WD pickguard, and wiring show up!

Bummed, but happy I found a new set of SCN in Black!

Wake up Fender!!! bring back the Bill Lawerance Designed SCN pups!
And please ditch the "new" but not improved S1 Switching...

Based on owning multiple G&Ls, Fenders, & Gibsons!
New S1 switching and N3 are the worst I've come across!

Never noticed a problem with the SCN's. Saw plenty of people who didn't know how to eq a amp though

Quartersawn I can't help thinking you may be experiencing a setup problem or wiring fault, because of the noise. Or (in the friendliest possible way) a case of the emperor's new clothes. Maybe expecting claims about such new products to be true and falling for marketing hype. Something we've all been guilty of at one time or another.???

Why not try just bypassing the switch and the button and wiring the guitar stock. I'm not a big fan of the S1 with SCN's, I just don't think it offers brilliant combinations. I'd have preferred a all 3 on and out of phase option with the switch down. Rather than those weak humbucker approximations on the old Deluxes.

Also I'm convinced that Fender messed with the SCN's design. I've some in a 04 Deluxe, did have some in a 06 Custom Classic and in my 07 Vintage Hotrod too. The Deluxe's sound better than either of the other two's pickups. The polepiece stagger is different too. I like em in the VHR, they match the bucker well. They sound really good in the 04 Deluxe. I swapped em out of the Custom Classic. They never sounded right, it had exactly the same wiring as the Deluxe.

CBS would tell you that not all improvements are improvements. Most are just marketing strategies.

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No no and no

Well hopefully the straight 5 way switching and SCN pickups will clear this up!

Lesson learned, DON'T SELL GOOD GEAR and expect to replace it with out pain...

Better advice still.

Just don't sell good gear. Unless you're selling it to me at a fraction of it's worth.

Lesson learned eh mate, some of em are hard.

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No no and no

Lesson learned, no gear for sale

It could be the capacitor value.

The 'special cap' on S-1 kits are 503Z.

That's 0.005uf +80%/-10% tolerance.

You could have gotten a cap that was 0.009uf (or more).

I unsoldered the tiny cap, and put in a better one, as well as replace the regular tone cap.

It helped, and it only took about 20 minutes with a soldering iron and a few dollars in parts.

Worth a try, and if it's not what you're looking for, then you haven't wasted a lot.

I am unschooled and such a newb, its not funny. I have a Mim 60th Diamond strat that I fell in love with and now decided I wanted a
American Made guitar for once in my life (( gonna be 56)).
I went to many different Guitar Center Stores and ended up buying
a American Standard in SSS, although I wanted a HSS. I had played many at different times and decided I liked the "fat" sound of a HSS. The black
guitar I bought will come with a white PG, and I will be changing it to a
Black one, and I will buy it as an HSS configuration and then get a
Seymour Duncan SH-6 in all black. The white single pups I can get black
covers and then black knobs. Now that I am learning more and more I
just cant believe how much you can MOD a guitar and Im just so excited
to have bought a new American Made guitar !!!!!!!!!

Because you seem to know about electronics and pots and things, I was wondering if you would happen to know where I can get some good info to learn more about buying a good solder tool for changing the wiring ( I was thinking about amazon dot com has aoyue 937+ with hakko 936 tips)
and with a double set of coils in the bridge and the two original single pups
I will have 4 sets total........would I want to mess with wiring to get different sounds........like the S1 new thing gives you 5 positions, and then an additional 5 after you press the button. I don't know if the "passing Lane" ends up making it 15 positions. If I were to buy some new
push pull pots (dpdt switch) would I be able to sort of rewire my new strat to have many different options for sound as I will have 4 pups and 15 different positions???? I dont even really know what DPDT means, never mind what it does, but you are my first source for info for this info and if you can steer me in the right direction, I would appreciate it. Even if you told where I can get more info, that would be great. Thank You !!!

CTGuy

The back of the S1 is quite hard to solder to. I've plently of experience with solder and balk at the idea of S1 soldering. It's not for the faint of heart.



That said I bought a 12watt Antex iron that comes with 3 tips. One spade tip, one small tip and one needle sized tip.
http://www.burntechshop.com/antex-watt-miniature-soldering-iron-p-293.html

There is a school of thought that a hotter iron is better for such delicate work. Reason being you contact the components for a shorter time to melt the solder. And therefore reduce the risk of heat damage.
Makes sense to me. Dunno what to advise though cos everyone is different and works differently. Have a good bit of practicing if your new to soldering. There are plenty of wiring mods you can try that don't use fiddley components like the S1 as practice.
Lots of good ones in this link.
http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/menu.php

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No no and no

ctguy: Your enthusiasm shows, just a little.

Here is a great place to start:
http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Stratocaster-Handbook-Maintain-Troubleshoot/dp/0760329834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291901445&sr=8-1

Great book that tells you all about strats. Knowing how your guitar works takes the fear away from modifiying it.

Here is the iron I use (like the previous post, I like the hot irons, it make you work quicker):
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgy/R-100391613/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

For me it all started on this webpage (it has tons of cool info; check out the section about shielding and pup install):
http://areyouexperienced.net/

Another really great forum with friendly people is (I'm PCR on that forum):
http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html

A great place for miscellaneous parts (I buy lots of odd and ends):
http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/guitar_index.htm
http://www.ebay.com (becareful; some people charge more than retail for their used pots and caps)

My advise to you is go to radio shack and buy a couple cheap pots (doesn't matter what value... just something cheap), buy some cheap stranded wire (20-24 AWG it really doesnt matter). Then take a cheap plastic container (I use chinese take out containers, or the containers that ground beef comes in); cut a hole in it to mount the pot, then practice soldering the wire to the lug. When you are done, practice un-soldering the wire from the lug. Repeat until you can do this with confidence.



Give that a shot....

Good luck. It's a lot of fun and adicitive make changes to the guitar.

Just remember, you're only dealing with micro volts. You really can't mess anything up, or get hurt much more than a burn. Worse case scenario, is you ruin a couple pots, caps, switches or pups. Just replace them and start over again.

Thank you times 1000K for your help and advice !!!! I am so excited about
all of the different possibilities involved with my new strat. I think its weird that Im willing to mess with a brand new AMER STAND, but did not want to
touch the MIM, as its a special 2006 model and I want to leave it as is.

Back in 1989, I use to take my Amiga 500 computer and cut the trace wires
on the motherboard and solder in new chipsets, and never had a problem, but a few years have passed now and I am a little out of practice.

I so much appreciate both of you helping me and I look forward to learning
so much more about the electronics end of a Fender Strat !!!!!!!!!

Hope it comes in the mail today !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike

Ive been an IBEW LU 90 Electrician for 29 years, and Ive had 277 and 480
tickle me a little, so Im ok with microvolts.


The S1 was what I was using as an example along with the passing lane
button as my way of saying that you now get 15 tones out of your 5 way
switch, and is it possible by using two different NEW tone switches that are push pull that I could accomplish the same feat...have 15 different tones, because of wiring configuration.........I have not gone and read the links yet
about these things, but I am looking forward to going there and finding out more info. I met a kewl guy named Pastor Brad online, who has teaching lessons for heavy metal and rhythm guitar and I started taking lessons
and the whole guitar world is just opening up so wide !!! Now if only they had internet when I was 18 years old and had access to all of the info im getting now!!! In 1990-92 or so, a friend of mine gave me his moms YALE password for the internet, and I was going on using my amiga 500
and downloading stuff and looking around. Now I build all of my own computers from parts and do the work myself and get nice puters.

Thanks so much for all the advice, You All are such nice people !!!!!!!!

The short answer to your question is No.

The S-1 Switch is a 4 DPDT (Double Pole Double Throw: which is a fancy name for a switch) with 2 extra poles that I haven't figured out what it does.

The key that makes the S-1 swtich work is the Super Switch that allows 'piggy back' (not the technical name) connections.

The way it achieves more tones is the 'special' capacitor that basically adds another 503z (or 0.05uf) cap in series to the tone cap.

One way to think of it is that you really need to decide what you want each pick up to do, then use swithes like the s-1 or single toggles, button switches.... to achieve what you want.

For example:

Neck Humbucker:
switch #1 (a/b switch)
a: both lines in serial
b: both lines in parallel
switch #2 (a/b switch)
a: No load tone
b: add 0.022uf cap
switch #3 (a/b/c switch): second cap 0.05uf
a: no secondary cap
b: second cap in parallel
c: second cap in series

Once you have mapped out all the combinations of what you are trying to do, then go through the mental gyrations how to implement it.

Other than on the Strats the S-1 is basically used as an a/b switch. In fact, one of the ways to think about it is that the S-1 switch is an a+b switch with 6 poles and the Super Switch manages the routes from the pickups to the tone/volume pots.

I don't know if I've helped or added to your confusion.

You are very helpful, and i do appreciate your time very much. So instead of mentioning the S1 or the passing lane sw, I just want to ask about the
stock 5 position switch and instead of using the stock control knobs or one
volume switch......I can buy different DPDT controls and finding the right
diagram, choose different wiring methods that will enhance my control
over what tones come out of the guitar, and add whatever resistors
to get different tones, simply by having lets say my 5 selector switch in the last setting ( bridge) and then the humbucker in that position can be manipulated by pulling or pushing the volume or two tone control knobs
(as long as wiring is set up correctly)????

This is sort of me asking the same question again in a different way, that you already said no to......if you do say no again...I will stop asking and finally get it through my thick head that what I want cant be done.

Can I then do it with just ONE push pull knob if not 2 or 3 by adding
resistors that would change the sound? Im sorry to drive you nuts with
my questions, and I did go to the guitar nuts thing and it was SOOOOO
good to read stuff and so interesting !!!

Thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much !!!!!!!!!!

Mike

Here is a pic of my 12 string and MIM strat
I just sold the 6 string to help pay for the American Standard.

When I put the all black pickguard and knobs on the American Standard, it is going to look so kewl next to the all white MIM strat !!!!!!!!!!!

Your questions are good questions.... so feel free to keep them coming.

Yes, you are right. Once figure out what you want to do, you can pretty much wire each position or switch to what you want. Strat selector switches are super simple. Just take one and look and the blades and lugs, and you will figure out how they work. Most of this stuff is like dealing with old time guillotine switches, but smaller.

One thing that really helped me out was to run wires out from the lugs, then use alligator clips to try different caps, and different configurations. Remember, you're dealing with micro volts, so the worst you can do is run a ground buzz (short) into your amp. It's not generating power, so you're not going to throw a lot of amps into the input.

Definitely try different capacitors, resistors etc. Also, take a part a potentiometer and you will see how pots work.

Being a electrician, none of this stuff will be that mysterious once you see the guts. The components are cheap, so the flushing $2 down the drain to see how a tone pot works is not a huge deal.

BTW: Those are some really nice looking guitars.

I don't know if I've answered your question. If I didn't ask away.