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Post subject: Strat Wiring no tone control in bridge pickup
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:35 pm
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I have a 2002 or 2003 American Strat that has no tone control down in the bridge position. The tone pot does control the center pickup. I added a wire from the corresponding switch post to the bottom tone pot, on the same post as the other ground wire, but it loses power in the bridge and the center pickups. Granted, the wire is not the right gauge as it should be, but it is close for now. I haven't wired a guitar since the 90's so I'm a little rusty. I have taken notice to the various wiring diagrams for the Strat showing that it was wired right, but I need tone control in the bridge pickup, so I put the wire in and it works but as I said, the power is lacking. I guess what I need is, a wiring diagram for dummies depicting how I should wire it. I am not an electrician so any help I can get would be great. ASAP Got gigs coming up and I'm down to one guitar left.


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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:56 pm
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Welcome to the Forum.

Take out the wire you put in. Follow the wire from the tone pot back to the 5 way. There will be an empty lug right beside it. Run a jumper from on lug to the other. That will give you tone control for both middle and bridge.

OR

Move the wire from the one lug over to the lug beside it. That will give you tone control on the bridge pickup only.

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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:52 am
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Let me see if I got this right...... The wire that I put in, which is connected to the empty position on the 5 pos. switch now, should connect to the post that the other wire that leads to that tone pot is connected to on the switch. In other words... I should jump the wire from the empty post on the switch to the post on the switch that the other wire, from the tone pot in question is connected to???? I hope that is correct, if not, then I'm still clueless! If I still have it wrong, is there a diagram that will help? I have ADHD, so visual instructions are easiest for me. Thanks for the help!!!


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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 2:16 pm
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Six String Lee wrote:
Let me see if I got this right...... The wire that I put in, which is connected to the empty position on the 5 pos. switch now, should connect to the post that the other wire that leads to that tone pot is connected to on the switch. In other words... I should jump the wire from the empty post on the switch to the post on the switch that the other wire, from the tone pot in question is connected to???? I hope that is correct, if not, then I'm still clueless! If I still have it wrong, is there a diagram that will help? I have ADHD, so visual instructions are easiest for me. Thanks for the help!!!


Yes, that is correct. If you still have a problem post it here again and I'll see if I can find a wiring diagram for you.

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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:16 pm
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Just done this on another post. Here's the wiring diagram:

http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/ ... 02CPg2.pdf

The jumper you want to install, as per Chet's excellent description, is that little short one going between the middle two lugs on one side of the switch.

Cheers


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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:21 pm
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I want to thank you both for the help. It's better then dealing with tech support on most websites.

But it didn't seem to make that much of a difference. By doing what you said, all the difference seems to be is that I just shortened the wire. I mean it's still connected to the tone pot. It just goes through the wire that already was connected via the switch post instead of directly to the pot. Obviously it does reduce the resistance some by using a short wire.

It works fine though because I just lowered the neck pickup a little and that balanced it out.

Thanks again!


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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:29 am
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Six String Lee wrote:
I want to thank you both for the help. It's better then dealing with tech support on most websites.

But it didn't seem to make that much of a difference. By doing what you said, all the difference seems to be is that I just shortened the wire. I mean it's still connected to the tone pot. It just goes through the wire that already was connected via the switch post instead of directly to the pot. Obviously it does reduce the resistance some by using a short wire.

It works fine though because I just lowered the neck pickup a little and that balanced it out.

Thanks again!


No problem.

But listen, you are making it more complicated than you need to, and not getting a satisfactory result. Instead, just do what Chet said.

First, return the wiring to how it was before you started.

Then, just add that tiny little extra bit of wire bridging the two middle tags on the side of the switch facing the pots; less than half an inch of wire.

That is all you need to do: if in doubt, copy exactly that wiring diagram I gave you the link for in my previous post.

Cheers!


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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:33 pm
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Yea I got that. It just seems not be much different. It still is technically connected to the tone pot, it just has a short jumper instead of a long wire leading directly to the tone pot. I did just bridge the wire. It's less then a half inch long.

All is working well now, for the most part, but I think I may need to get better pickups. The stock American pickups are lame. Someone told me that the Texas pickups that the Mexican Strat has are hotter.

What I don't understand is why it was wired like it was. It appeared to be factory wired. I actually use the neck pickup far more then the bridge pickup, but we sponsor an Open Mic, and others use my guitar. They all ask me; "Why doesn't the tone knob work?" So it's more for the other players then for me. So they thank you guy's too!


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