Is there and easy way to restore the "normal" strat tone circuit? Actually, all I really like is a way to have the tone control on the middle pickup and not the bridge. Can I just change the pickup positions between mid and bridge and end up with the Jimmie Vaughan system without rewiring or are the pickups sufficiently different to produce and unsatisfactory tone. Or could I just clip the leads and switch them around. I never use the bridge position.

Not sure I understand your question.

Do you have a Jimmy Vaughn Strat? If so, it does not have the Greasebucket tone circuit. The Jimmy Vaughn tone circuit looks like this:

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

If all you want is to have tone control on the neck and middle pups and not the bridge, rewire things like this:

http://support.fender.com/diagrams/stra ... 02DPg2.pdf

Do not switch pups around.

For the record, the Greasebucket circuit looks like this:

http://support.fender.com/diagrams/stra ... 00BPg2.pdf

Ignore the humbucker. The Greasebucket works with three single coil pups as well. In fact, I added the Greasebucket to my SCN equipped Strat and love the tones I get from it.

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Bill

I think Charles want's to ditch the greasebucket and wire his guitar as a normal, vintage correct strat. Or as a Jimmy Vaughn strat with no tone control on the middle pickup and the lower tone control shifted to the bridge pickup.

I thought the Highway guitars had tone controls for all three pickups. Shared mid and bridge, upper tone control for the neck??? Shows where assumption gets you!

Whatever the answer, you're not going to shift from one type of wiring to the other without getting a soldering iron in there. Or paying someone else to do the mod.

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No no and no

I'm not sure about that.

He very clearly says: "Actually, all I really like is a way to have the tone control on the middle pickup and not the bridge."

Then he says: "Can I just change the pickup positions between mid and bridge and end up with the Jimmie Vaughan system without rewiring" which conmtradicts his first statement.

In either case, the Greasebucket circuit is not a factor. It is not stated what guitar he has so it is unknown if it even has the Greasebucket circuit.

I've given him links to the appropriate wiring diagrams. Hopefully he can figure out what he really wants from them.

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Bill

My highway has greasebucket and the tone controls are for the neck and bridge pups. For removing the greasebucket only can be quite simple, by only disconnecting the 1uF ceramic disk and the 4.7komega from both pots. Leaving the each 02uF for the pots. It might have the same effect on the traditional strats as they share the same 02uF for both tone pots.
For directing the bridge pot to the middle or both, yeah some wire and soldering will be needed, but its quite easy if you plan it right and do it with calm.
Cheers!

You've left out one extremely important thing: The .02 mFD cap (item #17) needs to have the leg that was connected to the resistor soldered to ground (back of the pot) after you remove the resistor.

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Bill

Thanks for correcting !

Thanks, I have a American Special Strat and would like the simplest method of getting tone control over the middle pickup, which is NOT currently controlled by a tone pot. I don't play the bride pickup so I don't care what happens to its sound. I would like the middle pickup still bright because I normally play it and the neck pickup together, but I'm really the most interested in ease of doing it. One time I burn the frae of a vintage reissue Mary Kay resoldering the pickups to get a tele sound and haven't gotten over the pain of doing that. I love the American special but going from the neck and middle to the middle alone jas the middle way to bright.

Ok. Wire your guitar like this:

http://support.fender.com/diagrams/stra ... 02DPg2.pdf

If you don't want to do it yourself, go to a tech. You can find one here:

http://www.fender.com/support/service_centers/

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Bill

Just so youall don't think I am any more nuts that I am. Lets say I unscrewed the face plate, then unscrewed the bridge pickup, then unscrewed the middle pickup, then put the bridge pickup in the middle position and screwed it back in, then put the middle pickup in the bridge position and screwed it in, then put the faceplate back on the guitar and screwed that back in . I would then have tone control over the middle pickup, no tone control over the bridge pickup (ala Jimmie Vaughan Strat).

But would I still be able to use the pickup selector as before, i.e., so I can get jiust neck, neck and "new" middle (former bridge pickup) and just middle.

Also then would I end up with two tone controls in the neck and middle pickups?

See?

or could I just cut the middle and bridge pickup wires after the tone controls and 5 way, then resolder them the other way around?

Charles that method does work, and offers some good sounds, though you're better off to get a soldering iron in there and move 3 wires, it's a lot easier mate.

You'll get tone control for the middle pickup, though you should have that already on a stock wired highway1. The bridge pickup is the one without a tone control from new.

You'll get the beautifull neck and bridge combination like a telecaster when you put the swith in position 4 (neck and middle on a normal guitar).

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No no and no

That is NOT how the Jimmie Vaughn Strat is wired. The JV Strat has tone control on the neck and bridge. NOT on the middle. You also said you wanted to get rid of the Greasebucket tone circuit. What you propose will not do it. I gave you a link to the correct wiring diagram in my first post.

Do it right and rewire the circuit. I have posted the wiring diagram you need. It will be less trouble and probably take less time.

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Bill

He does not have a Highway 1. He said he has an American Special which has the Greasebucket tone circuit on the neck and bridge with nothing on the middle. I have twice given him the wiring diagram I think he needs.

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Bill

Thanks for the help and diagrams. As they say I was looking for an easier softer way.......I'll do it right. I know I won't be happy with half measures!

You're very welcome.

In this case, doing it right is the easiest way and the best way.

Just take your time. Its not that hard, I've rewired my Strat at least three times in the last 6 months and may do it again soon. I love to experiment.

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Bill