Couple days ago I found this article about the so called "50's wiring" that was done on the early Gibsons and how it can be done on a Strat.

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... aster.aspx

The main principal is to cut the joint between the Common A and the Common B on a five way switch and connect the common B that has the tone controls on the middle lug of the volume, thus putting the tone circuit after the resistor of the volume control.

It is advertised as a better alternative of the 'treble bleed' mod which I had done a month ago and don't have much love for it as it thins terribly the sound of my guitar when I volume down. They say that with this, extremely easy I must say, mod, the total of the frequencies that go through your cable is the same as you lower the volume down, and you are not adding mud as classic wiring does or making the sound too brittle and flimsy as a treble bleed does. And believe me, it does.

With this wiring tone controls become more responsive and the volume lowers down more rapidly than before (at #8 you already have half the volume of #10). That's not necessarily a bad thing, and it might also be helping if you are fond of a lot volume up-and-down, moaning sounds (dire straits - brothers in arms, kinda thing).

Well the bad thing, and I might me totally wrong here 'casue I have the mod only for a couple of hours, and only strummed a few chords and some pentatonics, is that the first impression to my ears is that the overall guitar is a little more dry. Lost a bit of it's soul.
Well I may be totally wrong so I'll give it a chance for at least a month before deciding if I should be changing back to normal wiring.

Anyone else done this mod and had drawn the same conclusions?

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Alexander
AMSTD Strat RW Candy Cola +Callaham + Texas Specials +Tortoise shell pickguard/Fender Blues Junior III SN FSR
Salonica-Greece


Macedonia IS GREECE the last 2500 years

I have 50's vintage type wiring in all my guitars (Strat, Tele, Ibanez, Lyon by Washburn, even my Yamaha bass). I like it.

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Bill

I did, decades ago and indeed came to the same conclusions and this one as well: There's a reason why manufacturers change some of their guitars' wirings over the years.

Notwithstanding and to give a balanced presentation, this topic comes under the purely subjective and is equally debatable and valid by those whose conclusions favor 50s wirings; clearly a YMMV issue.

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You dig?

Was this type of wiring ever applied as standard in any period of any fender guitar?

The thing is, that the more I read about it, I can't seem to find a single person not to be thrilled with that mod. And I'm wondering. Am I tone deaf or every one of those satisfied people are?

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Alexander
AMSTD Strat RW Candy Cola +Callaham + Texas Specials +Tortoise shell pickguard/Fender Blues Junior III SN FSR
Salonica-Greece


Macedonia IS GREECE the last 2500 years

I presume you are referring to the Gibson 50s wiring in a Fender guitar such as (but not limited to) their Coronado type wiring configurations. To the best of my recollection, the answer is no.

Again and as I've said above, this is a purely subjective issue. You, I and I'm sure, millions of other players don't like it, period. By the same token and as you've researched, millions of other players do like it, period.

FWIW, I did a job years ago for a guy who was in a Black Sabbath tribute band. He had a late 60s SG Standard as his #1 guitar. He wanted the OEM HBs removed and replaced with a set of Rickenbacker, what is now known as, "Toaster Pickups", complete with this now called, "50s Wiring" which I may add, Rickenbacker used then and still uses through this day. As you may well imagine, this was a project. I thought he was crazy but not only was I not asked my opinion and so never offered it, I knew that if I didn't do the job, I would stand to lose serious coin as he'd eventually find someone else to do it.

Well, I did this project on such short notice that also built into the price, I had to bring it to his gig that night. Believe it or not, he really sounded great! I readily admit, I was really surprised. Later on, I complimented him on his sound and benignly stated how I was a bit apprehensive about his choice of pickups. His immediate response was, "Oh, thank goodness for Rickenbacker pickups!" The point of all this is, what would never work for some surely works incredibly well for others. Pure subjectivity.

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You dig?

I took a minute to think this over.

If my volume knob is at 10, resulting no resistance between the two lugs, what difference does it make if you place the tone cable on either of these lugs?
I suppose none.
So, when I have the volume maxed, should I be hearing any difference between the modern and the 50's wiring?
I'll put my bet money on the "NO".

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Alexander
AMSTD Strat RW Candy Cola +Callaham + Texas Specials +Tortoise shell pickguard/Fender Blues Junior III SN FSR
Salonica-Greece


Macedonia IS GREECE the last 2500 years

My bet money is right next to yours.

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You dig?

Hey Martian, you are driving me crazy, man

If that's the case then why am I hearing differences between the two kinds of wiring?
And why you agreed then with me that there IS a difference in the sound of the two wirings and the sound of the modern one is more preferable?
I'm talking with the volume and tone always maxed. Did you mean that the difference between the two setups becomes obvious ONLY when you turn the volume and/or the tone controls down?

If that's the case, I guess my ears are not that trained then.

Sorry if I bug you too much... Answer only if I haven't already bored you too much with my "theories"

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Alexander
AMSTD Strat RW Candy Cola +Callaham + Texas Specials +Tortoise shell pickguard/Fender Blues Junior III SN FSR
Salonica-Greece


Macedonia IS GREECE the last 2500 years

To be succinct:
- With everything on '10' and wired correctly, there would be no tonal difference between the two wiring schemes.
- Upon lowering the volume and/or tone pot, there will be a difference between the two wiring schemes both tonally and how the pots' taper perform.
- I prefer the 'modern' wiring tonality and performance over the "50s" wiring as I find the circuit has a fuller frequency response and the pots' taper are more dynamic.

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You dig?