Okay, so I always read about Strat "quack" here, which I guess is a signature sound for a Strat. What exactly does Strat "quack" sound like?

You know how most Strats have a 5-way switch? Put one with 3 single coils in positions 2 and 4 - the bridge + middle or the neck + middle; those are the "quack" tones. Think of Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" - I always came closest to that sound in position 4 (neck + middle). Knopfler on "Sultans of Swing" is a good example of position 2 (bridge + middle). I have read that Knopfler never put a 5-way in the old Strat he used on that album but put a piece of tape on the pickguar to help hold the 3-way switch in between the bridge and middle setting.

Hope that helps.

Yeah, that helps me understand "quack". I also searched on Youtube for some demos and that made it pretty obvious what quack is all about. Now, I just gotta figure out how to translate that position 2 and 4 from standard pickup combinations to the not-standard positions on my CP 50's...

I never heard it called "quack" until I read it on the net,we always called it "out of phase"...but that is incorrect.

QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK

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So, you're saying the volume needs to be turned up loud, right?

Hi oldguy101,

On the CP50s Strat, you have Standard operation of the pickup selections in all but position 4. Position 4 is neck and bridge, giving a kind of Tele sound. The Standard has neck and mid for position 4. The CP50s has a Super Switch instead of the standard pickup selector switch, and if you are handy with a soldering iron, you can wire just about any custom configuration that you want. As it is, you will still have your quack in position 2, and the Tele sound in position 4.

This is how I rewired mine for my version of standard operation, with the lower tone pot for the bridge only, no tone control on the middle pickup. The colors used have no meaning, other than to differentiate the pickups and controls.

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YES YES YES
I remember back in the 70s when I bought a new Strat. It had a 3-way switch and I thought it was soo cool to trick the guitar into doing that cools quack sound. One had to carefull move the switch to an in-between position—like, wow, no one else know how to do this!!! HA ! But fender finally wised up and in 1977 the three-way selector switch was updated to the 5-way!!!!

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Xhefri,

Do you think that there is any difference in the sound/quack between the 2 configurations, besides the noise cancelling?

1) 3-way, "in between" positions, with all three pickups the same polarity as they used to be.
2) 5-way, positions 2 and 4, with the RWRP middle pickup.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Nikininja touched on that awhile back,shimmilou....he said something to the effect of the RWRP in-between positions being a weak humbucker,I agree.
I think your number 1 sounded pretty good to me back then and I prefer it,I tend to rarely use positions 2 & 4 now because they don't sound as good to me....and I have some great pickups in my guitars....someday I'm going back to the original config.

I play a lot of guitars with Lace Sensors plus have a lot of guitars without them. I really can't tell much or any difference in positions #2 & 4. I love that Dire Straight sound, nasal tone and quack and use it a lot for country picking to raspy funk with some distortion. The RWRP was done to lessen some of the hum associated with having the pickups on together. They are not running in series, so they should not be like a big humbucker. I need to find Nick's post and see what he is saying as I respect his opinion.

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I saw Clapton last night in L.A. and he played 90% of the concert with a Sea Foam green strat set in the middle position and there was a lot of quacking going on. But he really smacks the strings with his pick on and off for effect which really highlights the quack. He did a couple of solos in position 5 and one in position 1. I never saw him use 2 or 4 all night.

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I do not think that 2 & 4 position sound is a Clapton signature sound. Now Jeff Beck uses it a lot because of his funk style. Also Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler) use it a lot... I wonder if Clapton was playing one of his own signature Strats??? with the 25 db boost. The sound from one of those, when activated, can be quite a bit fatter sounding. anyhow IMHO.....

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The 2 & 4 "quack" positions have an awesome role to play in the Strat-sound repertoire.
They're great for rythm, and then . . . . chuck an OD on top . . . . for a very different lead sound
*My humble opinion*

The pups looked like lace sensors. It was also interesting that he had no pedals on stage and was wireless and you couldn't see his amplifier. He had one foot switch that I only saw him use once, so there was someone behind the scene keeping things adjusted. A very polished show.

_________________
'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue