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Post subject: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 2:32 am
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I found this at a local store it's a 2002 "Powerhouse" Stratocaster. It's used but looks like it is brand new. Love the color!

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 3:17 am
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Nice! But I need these 8)

Now crack it open and whip the resistors off the boost pot - it'll then sound as bright as that paint job!

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:19 am
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Whipping the resistors off the boost pot may increase the overall gain to 25dB!

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:02 am
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chromeface wrote:
Whipping the resistors off the boost pot may increase the overall gain to 25dB!


yep, that's the idea :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:10 am
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I have it's twin, also in mint condition. Great find! Now can someone elaborate a little more about eliminating the resistors. What exactly do you do, and how does it affect everything?


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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:29 am
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Yeah, why not - yellow looks great.
Congrats and enjoy.

Cheers,
Robin

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:38 am
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Boy, oh, boy! I would have jumped on that guitar in a heartbeat! Nice find!

Sign me, slightly jealous!

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:36 am
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tvr1979 wrote:
I have it's twin, also in mint condition. Great find! Now can someone elaborate a little more about eliminating the resistors. What exactly do you do, and how does it affect everything?


The preamp is the same +25dB preamp used in the Clapton models. For the Powerhouse, they added a pair of resistors to the mid-boost pot to limit the available boost to +12dB. By simply removing those two resistors you can get more boost. You can still get the stock Powerhouse tones by turning the boost knob down below the halfway point, but above that you'll have more volume and more mids.

Refer to this service diagram: http://support.fender.com/service_diagrams/stratocaster/013-9500_9502A_SISD.pdf

See the two oval things on the bottom mid-boost pot? One is a 47K resistor, the other is a 24K resistor. One connects to the pot's first terminal with the other end soldered to the back of the pot, the other connects to the pot's third terminal with its other end soldered to the back of the pot. You can either remove them entirely or simply disconnect one end of each resistor and leave them dangling in place. Since Fender doesn't tell you which is which, it's probably safer to just disconnect one end of each (then cover the bare leads individually with tape) -- then if you ever want to put it back to stock you can just peel off the tape and resolder them. If you take them off entirely, make a note that shows which one goes where and stuff the note into the control cavity so you won't lose it.

(If the note fades or something, you won't break anything if you get the resistors mixed up -- it just won't work properly and you'll have to disassemble everything again to swap them.)

It's a simple mod that's completely reversible. Every Powerhouse owner should try it to see if the extra boost is useful to them. If not, just reattach the resistors.

(It would also be possible to add a switch so you could toggle between Powerhouse-level and Clapton-level boosts, but there's not much point to that -- if you remove the resistors you can still get the stock Powerhouse tones just by turning down the boost knob.)

The preamp draws the same amount of power all the time, regardless of boost-knob settings or with/without the resistors, so battery life is unaffected by the mod.


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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:52 am
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I like the concept, not crazy about the colors... Looks too much like my partsocaster project...

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:02 pm
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strayedstrater wrote:
For the Powerhouse, they added a pair of resistors to the mid-boost pot to limit the available boost to +12dB.


They did the same mod for the 2nd generation Samboras with the small star inlays and dual-coil ceramic stack humbuckers.

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 2:06 pm
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You have got to be kidding me, I have been trying to track down this exact guitar for 2 years now. (Not this one exactly, but a yellow powerhouse strat anyways). How much will you take for it? Lol.


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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 3:56 pm
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auxsend wrote:
You have got to be kidding me, I have been trying to track down this exact guitar for 2 years now. (Not this one exactly, but a yellow powerhouse strat anyways). How much will you take for it? Lol.


Haha,I have to think about that. It's a great color. My 2002 copy of Fender Frontline says "Grafitti Yellow" is a new color for 2002,is that true? I thought Fender used this color in the 80s?

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:00 pm
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Love it awesome Congratz......Huge fan of the Graffiti yellow 80's strats.....Love the Plus....My first Lace sensor Strat will be that guitar!!! Rosewood is the only board to have with that colour!!! :|

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 8:55 pm
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Thanks! The Powerhouse goes with my other yellow Fender with active electronics.That guitar has built-in distortion.

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Post subject: Re: Grafitti Yellow Powerhouse Stratocaster
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 3:46 am
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@Truetone6

Get a Graffiti Yellow Strat Plus with Lace Golds and add a Clapton Mid Boost circuit on it to complement your active beauties!


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