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Post subject: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:38 pm
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Hi guys,
I know people have installed the Clapton Mid-Boost kits into non routed bodies - do any of you have photos of your install?

I've seen this (link below) but wondered if anyone here has done it and has their own photos or experiences to share?

http://www.areyouexperienced.net/fender ... st_kit.htm

Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 6:20 pm
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I have installed a couple of these BUT I did so in a Strat Plus guitar with a big swimming pool route. That provided enough room to put it in there and tuck the battery down in the route area below the tone and volume controls. I used a small pieces of rubber to put over top the circuit board and battery to prevent them from shorting out on somehting on the pickguard like a tone control or pickup screw. So it you were going to try this on a body with a vintage route, ummm, not sure you could tuck it in there. Maybe someone else has tried and made it work, but it would be a real tight fit.

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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:13 am
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I recently installed the Clapton Mid Boost in a vintage spec body, an American Fender Vintage 50s Hot Rod Stratocaster.

The only necessary modification was to enlarge the Jack cavity slightly, with a rotary tool, to allow room for the stereo (3 lug) jack.

My "Hot Rod Brownie" has a Nitro 2tsb Ash body (Hot Rod refers to the 2pt. bridge) and a refretted 12 y/o Clapton neck.

The control cavity is 1.5 inches deep. At first I intended to mount the battery next to the 5 way switch but it wouldn't close comfortably, so it was moved to the trem cavity.

To prevent grounding out I made a pouch out of 2" wide electrical tape doubled over, the thinnest way I could imagine to shield it.

It fit quite easily, no corners were trimmed on the PCB. I'm a neat freak about wiring so that took a while with an extra six leads.

Master volume then mid boost pot, and in tone 2 position, the master tone pot with a push/pull switch for "Bridge pickup On" like a Tele. Had to be put there, the PCB would only fit under a normal pot. I like the controls that way, the Mid Boost control is handier.

If you've got questions ask away, the link you posted was very informative but left questions in my mind as well.

Tip - I used Plastic Cable Ties to secure the Mid Boost leads at both ends. At the PCB it relieved a lot of the stress on the soldered leads, which can fracture the solder joints and pull the leads out, which is a Nightmare! At the other end it kept 4 of the leads neat and controlled.

Couple of pics:


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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 9:36 am
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I was wondering if you had done this. I couldn't remember. Good info!

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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 7:24 pm
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Xhefri wrote:
I was wondering if you had done this. I couldn't remember. Good info!

Thanks, I'm about 98% done on the Hot Rod Brownie. The 2% is cosmetic, but lacquer takes time to evaporate the solvents, then re-touch, dry, etc. Plus, I'm forgetful. :lol:

Eventually I'll be able to use polishing papers & try some Meguiar's Carnauba Wax to clean up the finish for pics.

That's a 1/8" ding down to the wood on the bottom edge, courtesy of a TSA inspector, who also broke the "TSA #2" lock on my Travel Case. :roll:

I really like the 7 way switching combination plus the Mid Boost with DiMarzio's Area 67 - 58 - 69 Pups, dead quiet, but hot and expressive.

Those Pups were Martian's suggestion and it's a perfect joining. He also showed me how to wire the P/P switch and did the Re-Fret job on the Clapton Neck with somewhat thicker wire than vintage. Very comfortable neck. :D

For the OP, a Clapton Mid Boost PCB is 1 5/8" x 2 5/8" x 7/16". The critical dimension is width - 1 5/8", it's not as tall as the 5 way, nor longer than your cavity. You can set a cardboard cut-out on your pickguard. If it fits within the screws (less an 1/8") and the edge of your 5 way switch it probably works, but only under normal height pots; not TBX or P/P switch that add height.

To my eye MIM and MIJ control cavities look smaller than USA.

I ran new 9V battery clip leads (Radio Shack) through the trem cavity tunnel with the claw ground.

Soldered the Red leads inside the body and ran the other to the 3 way Jack to unplug the active electronics with the cable plug.

That's not an original idea of mine of course, turns out ZZDoc did it first, I believe in 1908. :shock:


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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:48 am
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I have seen other examples of the battery in the trem cavity but this was combined with a trem lock wedge.

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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 7:38 am
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danagos wrote:
That's not an original idea of mine of course, turns out ZZDoc did it first, I believe in 1908. :shock:


You misstyped something wrong I suppose. :lol:

Arne did that job in 1998 and not in 1908.

In that year the electric guitar was not even yet a reality! :shock:

Electrics didn't surface until the midst of the 20th century.


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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:22 am
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chromeface wrote:
Arne did that job in 1998 and not in 1908. In that year the electric guitar was not even yet a reality! :shock: Electrics didn't surface until the midst of the 20th century.

Thank you for pointing that out. In 1908 I was in Belfast, Ireland, with Thomas Andrews and the design team at Harland and Wolfe, busily putting the finishing touches on the final plans for the White Star Line's Olympic and Titanic. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:38 am
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danagos wrote:
Xhefri wrote:
I really like the 7 way switching combination plus the Mid Boost with DiMarzio's Area 67 - 58 - 69 Pups, dead quiet, but hot and expressive.
Those Pups were Martian's suggestion and it's a perfect joining. He also showed me how to wire the P/P switch and did the Re-Fret job on the Clapton Neck with somewhat thicker wire than vintage. Very comfortable neck. :D For the OP, a Clapton Mid Boost PCB is 1 5/8" x 2 5/8" x 7/16". The critical dimension is width - 1 5/8", it's not as tall as the 5 way, nor longer than your cavity. You can set a cardboard cut-out on your pickguard. If it fits within the screws (less an 1/8") and the edge of your 5 way switch it probably works, but only under normal height pots; not TBX or P/P switch that add height. I ran new 9V battery clip leads (Radio Shack) through the trem cavity tunnel with the claw ground.Soldered the Red leads inside the body and ran the other to the 3 way Jack to unplug the active electronics with the cable plug.

OK...so with all this electronics wiring genius, while I am presently waiting for a response from Fender, suggest a wiring schematic for the present Clapton circuitry which replaces the stereo jack with a conventional jack, and inserts a mini-toggle into the preamp circuit to turn it on and off thus returning it to the original design.

Jeff is familiar with the present situation with my prototype. With the toggle in the 'up' position, which I deem to be 'active', the output is stronger, yet the second tone pot which one would expect to increase or decrease the gain of the midboost output is non-functional. With the toggle in the 'down' position, which I deem to be 'inactive', the pot returns to the circuit, but functions more like a conventional tone pot, rolling off the highs. This activity is true for any position of the 5-way switch. The TBX pot is not an issue here.

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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:57 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
OK...so with all this electronics wiring genius, while I am presently waiting for a response from Fender, suggest a wiring schematic for the present Clapton circuitry which replaces the stereo jack with a conventional jack, and inserts a mini-toggle into the preamp circuit to turn it on and off thus returning it to the original design.

...umm...3 lug stereo jack...7 way switching...clapton mid boost...EASY :D

...2 lug (conventional) jack...toggle off clapton mid boost...REAL HARD :lol:

That's what I wanted on my build, but all the research I could do (see sambora) AND martian agreed; it's a highly problematic endeavor.

I'd be the last to turn to for wiring advice, I compare advice from the experts, both actual and self professed!

Where's Andy Big Hair when we need him? 8)

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Post subject: Re: Install help with Clapton Mid-Boost (non routed body)
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 11:11 am
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I'll see what Fender comes up with first. If their tree does not bear fruit, I'm going to put the questions to Dirk Wacker who writes the Mod Garage column for Premier Guitar Magazine. It boggles the mind that Fender would not have archived for posterity, the accumulated R&D for that project. The same goes for the circuitry they developed for the first generation Tele Plus, whose popularity was revived by Radiohead.

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