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Post subject: Tricking out your strat
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:59 pm
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Does anyone have any advice on how to trick out a Strat? I have an early 90's American Standard (all stock).

I was thinking about upgrading my pick ups and possibly adding one of those special tone pots (T1 I think it's called) with the push button to allow more options with the 5 way switch. (I think one of the options is to have all three pick ups on at once.

I have recently changed little things in my playing, like turning the volume knob down to 9 or 8 to soften/sweeten the tone up. And I started using a brass style pick to brighten my sound a bit.

Does anyone have advice on changing the nut to a brass or bone style?


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Post subject: tone pot
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:04 pm
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Thats the S-1 system it comes with The american deluxe Strat I dont know how hard it would be to install or the cost. maybe try some texas special pickups .


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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:42 am
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I personally like the option of using the bridge and neck p'ups together. It gives a very nice tone.

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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:48 am
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There are lots of wiring diagrams for just about anything you want to do to a Strat.

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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:02 pm
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you could also try this or others at this site...

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/sw1.php

http://www.guitarnuts.com/

this gives you a lot of the options found on brian may's guitar plus more. you can control each individual pickup, serial or parallel, in phase or out of phase.

i want to do a fender standard strat with dimarzio fs1 in the bridge and two class of 55's in the mid and neck with this pickup configuration.


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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:45 pm
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I put tom anderson pickups (neck and middle,stacked humbuckers) and a seymour duncan JB in the bridge on my strat with each one on a on/off/on toggle switch, I can get a sound for any type music I want and sounds fantastic.


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Post subject: Re: Tricking out your strat
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:38 am
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GregScott wrote:
Does anyone have any advice on how to trick out a Strat? I have an early 90's American Standard (all stock).

I was thinking about upgrading my pick ups and possibly adding one of those special tone pots (T1 I think it's called) with the push button to allow more options with the 5 way switch. (I think one of the options is to have all three pick ups on at once.

I have recently changed little things in my playing, like turning the volume knob down to 9 or 8 to soften/sweeten the tone up. And I started using a brass style pick to brighten my sound a bit.

Does anyone have advice on changing the nut to a brass or bone style?


Reply:
It’s a simple single pole switch addition to the Strat circuit to give the 2-pick-up mixes not available on the standard 5-position Strat switching ie.Neck & Bridge pick-ups in parallel, like the ‘Fender Jaguar’ and all 3-pick-ups in parallel.

When the 5-position switch is in pos.1 (Neck pick-up only) the new switch adds the Bridge pick-up, now you have the Neck & Bridge pick-ups only, as per the Fender Jaguar.
When the 5-position switch is in pos.2 (Neck & middle pick-ups only ) the new switch again adds the Bridge pick-up, now you have All Pick-ups. All other switch selections are completely unaffected no matter what position the new switch is left in.
The new switch can be a small neat single pole, single throw switch mounted below & between the 2-Tone Controls (Fender have used this position on occasions) note: it must be a small switch & fit with-in the body recess.
OR
Change the middle Tone Control to a ‘Pull-Switch’ 250K Linear potentiometer, usually used for ‘Coil-Tap’ switching for ‘Humbucker set ups. In this way the instrument looks un-modified and the additional switching is a achieved by pulling up the Neck (Middle) pick-up Tone control.

The Wiring for the additional switch is:
One side connects to the 5-position switch terminal that connects to the Bridge Pick-up.
The other side connects to the 5-position switch terminal that connects to the centre pin of the middle tone control. If you use the ‘Pull-Switch’ potentiometer option you can move the tone control capacitor to be mounted on the top of the lower tone control between the centre pin & the case.

Best to try it first, by bringing the two wires out from the connection point specified , re-assembling the Guitar pick-guard etc. and try it out by shorting the wires together to give the additional switch function. It’s better to be sure you like it before doing irreversible changes to your lovely Fender.

By the way to check which pick-ups are active, when connected to your amp gentle tap each pick-up on a pole piece with the end of an ordinary screw driver, the active pick-ups will stand out.

By the way the ‘S1’ switching is a difficult modification, entailing 16 connections to the ‘S1’ switch and these wiring details are not obvious to copy.
This ‘S1’ switching gives you pick-ups in Series & Parallel with some polarity reversal. See the ’American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS’ details on this site.- OK

Watsok 23/07/07


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:55 am
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I've experimented with an "E Megaswitch" with some interesting results. There are so many ways to do things depending on what your goal is. I used to have an effects device that wouldn't fit the Strat jackplate, so I ended up reversing it. You have to "think outside the box" :wink:


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:35 pm
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This one is customized from the word go. American Strat body. Mexican Strat neck. White Lace pick up in the bridge position. Red Lace pick up in the middle position. Standard Strat pick up in the neck position. Two position toggle switch (located near the middle tone control) to add more pick up combinations.
Makes for one screaming piece!

Image


Last edited by Naked Beer Guy on Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:34 pm
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I can't believe there aren't more guitar "customizers" out there with photos. I actually didn't put this package together myself. A very good friend did that has been doing this kind of thing for over 30 years and offered this up to me for a price I couldn't refuse.


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:29 pm
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Image

Got this one moded out. Two pull pots in the tones. I get 11 combos INCLUDING three pups and bridge SC and neck.

Phil 8)


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:57 am
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Naked Beer Guy wrote:
This one is customized from the word go. American Strat body. Mexican Strat neck. White Lace pick up in the bridge position. Red Lace pick up in the middle position. Standard Strat pick up in the neck position. Two position toggle switch (located near the middle tone control) to add more pick up combinations.
Makes for one screaming piece!

Image


Hey Naked Beer Guy! is that a System I tremolo? (the one made by schaller with Fender stamped on it?)
here's a japanese contemp. strat with System I that I tricked out. oh wel, I stripped it, stained and finished it with True-Oil, replaced the pickup and the neck :) Image


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:04 am
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ok, this one has it's own story :)
My #1 for 20 years! started as a Japanese Fender (not Squier)
I first replaced the white plastic with black, then later enlarged the cavity and added a PAf Pro II HB. years later, the movers damaged the body, so since then I have replaced the body, trem, added a Rio Grande BBQ bucker and had it rewired.

Before:
Image

and After:
Image
Image


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 2:49 pm
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Hey! That's what I'm talkin' about!
Those are some great looking custom jobs.
I'm not sure exactly what model that tremolo system is but it is rock solid. You can really give those strings cruel and unusual punishment and they just snap right back in tune. When you lean on it with open chords my Marshall will let out a deep raspy growl that will make the hair on the back of your neck just stand right on end! I also like the fine tune adjustment at my fingertips.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:24 pm
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defo get a brass nut, one came as standard on my malmsteen strat and it gives a lovely tonal bright sound

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