It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:57 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 16 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:00 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:19 pm
Posts: 3
I'm wondering if it is at all possible to convert my s/s/s strat to an h/s/s. I thought that it would be cheaper than to replace the guitar entirely. Any advice is appreciated.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:21 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:15 pm
Posts: 603
Sure, all you need is a new pickup, 250k pot, and pick guard. I went the opposite way you want to go and didn't even change the pot. It worked fine for me. But then again, it was a inexpensive guitar, and I can't play or hear well enough to really tell the difference.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 9:09 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
Might want to pull the pickguard off and check the pickup routing before buying any new pickups and parts. :wink:

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 4:41 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
Electronics wise (other than the HB, of course), you'll need a 500K ohm audio taper pot and two 470K ohm resistors.

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 5:24 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:15 pm
Posts: 603
My mistake, Martin is correct, 500k for humbucker, 250k for single coil pickup.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 5:56 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
If you look at the HSS Strats that Fender does with an S-1 switch, the volume control for an S-1 is ONLY 250K, not 500K.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:04 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
bluesky636 wrote:
If you look at the HSS Strats that Fender does with an S-1 switch, the volume control for an S-1 is ONLY 250K, not 500K.


Well, there's no point in duplicating a design inefficiency. This is why I also cited the addition of the two resistors with the 500K pot.

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:23 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:36 pm
Posts: 638
I guess it depends on what kind of guitar you are switching the pups in... You can get a Fender Standard Strat (MIM) for $400 brand new right now. By the time you buy a HB pup, the required pots and circuitry and take it to a guitar tech or luthier and figure in the labor... you might have been better off preserving your SSS Strat and adding the inexpensive HSS Strat to the stable.

On the other hand, if you are considering modding an expensive American SSS Strat, better be sure it will be a keeper because you are going to ruin its resale value by making a rather irreversible mod. But the mod would probably be much cheaper than adding a US made HSS to the stable.

And neither scenario above contemplates that you could sell your SSS to create extra cash to purchase the HSS on top of what you would have spent for the mod.

_________________
Tiger J

my gear:

Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
Warmoth Custom-Build Stratocaster (The Andersong)
Fender American Special Stratocaster
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang GT40
Eleven HeadRush w/ two Alto TS212 FRFRs


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:31 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
Tiger J wrote:
...if you are considering modding an expensive American SSS Strat, better be sure it will be a keeper because you are going to ruin its resale value by making a rather irreversible mod...


This is premising the OEM bridge pickup cutout is for a single coil which is largely no longer the case; all else is easily reversible.

Tiger J wrote:
But the mod would probably be much cheaper than adding a US made HSS to the stable.


It would also be radically cheaper than even a used MIM HSS.

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:56 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
Until the OP confirms that his guitar is routed to accommodate HSS, all of this is moot. We have no idea what guitar he has.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:57 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
bluesky636 wrote:
Until the OP confirms that his guitar is routed to accommodate HSS, all of this is moot. We have no idea what guitar he has.


Point well taken.

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:12 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
He could get a split rail pickup installed in the bridge position too, aren't those humbuckers as well?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 7:01 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
BrittB wrote:
He could get a split rail pickup installed in the bridge position too, aren't those humbuckers as well?


Depends. Many split rail or stacked humbuckers are designed to sound like single coils, not PAF type humbuckers.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:06 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:10 pm
Posts: 13467
Location: Palm Beach County FL
fireteam66 wrote:
I'm wondering if it is at all possible to convert my s/s/s strat to an h/s/s. I thought that it would be cheaper than to replace the guitar entirely. Any advice is appreciated.

If budget is not too great a consideration, there are also a variety of aftermarket prewired systems such as:
http://www.siglermusic.com >guitars>guitar parts>920D pickguards. In the right hand column on that page you can narrow your search to HSS.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: converting from s/s/s to h/s/s
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:55 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:46 pm
Posts: 62
I've convereted numerous SSS strats to HSS. Fender uses 250K pots for both volume and tones on the mexican ones. Usually a .022 cap sounds best. A thing that works real good too, is to just put a SD hotrails in the bridge. I've done that a lot too and it sounds great. I would recommend putting in a jumper wire on the switch so you have tone 2 for adjusting the tone not only on the mid pickup, but the bridge as well. Even if you put a full humbucker in there, do that!


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 16 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], tominkansas and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: