I really do feel dumb about this...
I've been playing guitar for 12 years, but I've only been playing single coil strats for the last year. Up until then it was all humbuckers.

Anyway...

On the 5 way switch. Which "position" is #1, is it the Bridge or the neck position? When I hear people refer to the #2 position is it the middle and neck or middle and bridge?

Make fun of me all you want, but please tell me the answer. ha ha.

There's no such thing as a stupid question although I have seen many stupid answers. The bridge pickup is refered to as the number 1. and bridge and mid 2. etc. and so on.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Hi paztormike,

1 bridge
2 bridge and middle
3 middle
4 middle and neck
5 neck

Don't worry about being confused, even Fender has it wrong on some of their service diagrams.

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---> "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.

I've been confused about this also, because the sheet that came with my guitar shows the bridge to be #1 position, but the service sheets that are posted on this site by Fender shows the neck to be #1. Clear as mud I guess.

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'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

That's what I was talking about. If you look through a bunch of different diagrams on the Fender site, you'll see it listed both ways. The second diagram that you show is correct, the bridge has always been position #1. The confusion is understandable.

Check out the last page on this diagram, it is correct.
http://support.fender.com/service_diagrams/stratocaster/010-1000_02B_SISD.pdf

_________________
---> "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.

the important thing to remember is that position 3 is the middle pickup..

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

You are a complete idiot!

Really man,I've been playing for over 40 years and have never called them by position numbers....to me it's always been neck,neck/mid,mid,etc.
I know guys who have been playing as long as I have and when I say something about "the first string",they'll say you mean the one on top or bottom?...then guys ask which is the top or bottom of the neck?
A guy who started me off way back in the '60s said "this (pointing to the fret nut) is down" and "this (pointing to the neck/body joint) is up"...and "this (pointing to the high E) is the first string"....and "don't ever let me hear ya call it anything else!"

Wow! Seeing that there is plenty of confusion makes me feel more normal than dumb.

I was trying to describe to a friend that I love the neck and middle position on my new guitar. He called it #2 and I was thinking that it was #4. Sounds like the majority would call it #4? Right?

By the way...

The guitar that I was referring to was a Squier Classic Vibe 60's. I was messing around with it at guitar center and bought it because it felt and sounded so stinking amazing. (I already have owned a US Strat, a MIM Strat, and a Kenny Wayne Sig strat.) I bought this Squier Classic Vibe 60's and love it. I've played 3 other CV 60's Strats in different stores and wasn't as impressed by each one. But the one that I bought has an amazing feel and sound. I've played it through a Blues Jr. a Superchamp XD and a Mustang III and I love it through all amps I have tried it through. I feel like I have found a freakishly good guitar for an amazing price.

It's my favorite guitar to play right now, and the Mid/Neck has an unbelievable tone that I can not get through any of the other Strats I have ever tried.

That's called "ambiguity."

I don't use the numbers. I say "bridge" or "neck" or ...

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Bingo! Ya can't go wrong with that!

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Bill

Guitar Made in Mexico-Instructions written in India.

No need to feel dumb at all, this is a great question. Seems like there's evidence pointing both way.

rebel

down the neck is the nut area, up the neck is up here by the neck pickup.
thats what i call it anyways. i know im wrong by most book standards but......
i mean if the neck was hollow right, and filled with water where would the air bubble be when the guitar is at rest?
up here or down there? it would be down at the other end of the neck right?

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Really both are correct; it seems like Fender has been using "1" as the bridge pickup position for the last 3-4 years or so. However, they formerly used "1" as the neck pickup position.

I now use "1" as the bridge position, but when I answer a post about switch positions I will usually wirte something like this just so readers know how I am defining the 5-way:

"In position 1 (bridge pickup only) . . . "

oooohhhh man....