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Post subject: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 8:39 am
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I love everything about the Strat's electronics configuration with one exception: the location of the pickup selector switch. It's positioned in exactly the wrong place for me as a player. I know most people love the location and find it useful for them. Not me. I'm always hitting that darned switch with my picking hand while I play. Most of the time I prefer the selector switch to be in the 1 or 2 position to get the tone I prefer, but the switch always ends up at #5 because I whack it with my right hand while I'm playing. It drives me nuts. I've tried changing my picking style, holding my right hand farther toward the neck, etc. None of that works for me. I always end up getting frustrated because the selector switch gets knocked out of the location I prefer. If there was a way to do it, I'd prefer to have the selector switch located either 1) on the upper bout like a (dare I say it?) Les Paul's switch, or 2) somewhere behind and below the bridge so it's out of the way of my picking hand. I don't know if those options are feasible or even doable. Maybe I'm just nuts. I'm sure some people would tell me to learn to play without flinging my right hand around so much, but it's part of my style and I don't want to change that. Anyone have any suggestions on how to arrange the location of the selector switch so I'm not always hitting it with my right hand? Thanks for any input you can provide.


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 8:51 am
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Buy a Les Paul. You're simply not a Strat person.

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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 11:02 am
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I onced asked Stacy Mitchhart, after playing the hell out of my Strat (a Nashville blues artist) why he didn't Strats (He was using Telecasters at the time), and he told me that he loved the way they played and sounded, but he felt that the selector switch always got in the way.

If you are ever in Nashville, TN, you have got to see this guy play.

The take away: You might want try playing a Telecaster or even a Deluxe Nashville Tele (I think it comes with 3 pickups). The selector switch will out of your way, but you'll have some sort Strat-like qualities.


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 12:57 pm
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I used to think it was just me with that problem.
I typically play from the neck pick-up (position 1) and kept knocking it down to 5.
So it just went in and physically turned it around.


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 2:31 am
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Stevie Ray used to beat his guitar to death, yet he didn't have a problem with bashing the selector switch.
Just get used to playing a Strat - the pickup selector switch position comes with the territory 8)


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 4:08 am
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Setting aside my first natural and primitive reaction (who do you think you are to criticize Leo's designs), you could get a new, custom made pickguard with the knobs and switch positioned in the way you'd like.
The switch might fit between Vol and Tone2, so you'd have to relocate Tone1.
Or wire it to two pots ( Vol & MasterTone), put the switch in line behind these to where Tone2 used to be.
The relocated switch might need a bit of routing under the pickguard, so don't try this on your most expensive vintage axes.

But there's one thing that puzzles me: if you have trouble modifying your current playing style to not hit the switch, will you find the switch at all after the mods..?
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Anyway, Strats were made to be modded. (Bumper sticker to be issued).


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 5:31 am
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Well you could certainly trying a different guitar (a Fender Jaguar comes to mind) or you can pretty much modify any guitar just about any way you want (such as modifying the body and moving the switch to the upper horn), however before trying any of that I might simply suggest simply re-wiring the switch. For example, if your favorite position is the neck & mid pickups...the 2 position, just wire the switch so that would be the 5 position instead.

Second to that, I also might suggest replacing the blade switch with 3 dip switches instead. This would be a bit more complicated than just rewiring the current switch as you'd have to modify the pickguard as well (or just cut a custom pickguard), but still easier than having to modify the body of the guitar (such as moving the switch to the upper horn). Those blade switches do tend to stick out a bit (I know I've hit mine on occasion as well) where as the dip switches tend to sit lower, so if you lined them up on the pickguard around where the original switch is, you could just turn on whichever pickup (or combination of pickups) as you needed them. You could do the same with 3 mini toggle switches (or even mini push buttons) as well.

Just a couple of thoughts.


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 4:45 pm
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Position 1 is the bridge, 5 is the neck.

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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 3:46 am
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shimmilou wrote:
Position 1 is the bridge, 5 is the neck.
Thank you....you beat me to it. 8)

I agree with "flip the switch".

Seems like you got a heck of a playing style if you're hitting that switch---to me, that switch seems a lllooonnnggg ways away; but I play right up on the neck...which is why I have the same exact problem with a Les Paul.


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 8:10 am
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White Dog wrote:
.....Seems like you got a heck of a playing style if you're hitting that switch---to me, that switch seems a lllooonnnggg ways away...


Strikes me as a lot of wasted energy :roll:

A 3 PUP Tele sounds like a cunning plan though.

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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 9:35 am
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Well, most of these replies were useless, so I guess I'll just move on. I was genuinely trying to get some realistic help here, but it looks like that's not happening. Good luck to everyone.


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 10:32 am
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Bu-bye! :roll:

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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 1:26 pm
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jarasi wrote:
Well, most of these replies were useless, so I guess I'll just move on. I was genuinely trying to get some realistic help here, but it looks like that's not happening. Good luck to everyone.


Learning how to strum without thrashing your arm around is a start.
You'd be surprised just how much speed, attack and dynamics you can get with a decent wrist action.
If the guitar is too quiet when you play in a band turn the amp up, and if you've already turned the amp up and it's still too quiet then get a bigger amp.

Beating harder on the guitar will not make it louder, just make it sound nastier and out of tune.

Of course this isn't the advice you want to hear, so you'll discount it as unhelpful 8)


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 1:31 pm
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And just to show that I'm not just some cranky old guy on the forum (although I can get cranky and I'm the wrong side of 50) here is a genuine solution to the problem.

Remove the blade switch and replace one of the tone controls with a rotary selector switch. Make the other tone control a master tone control.
If the soldering required is beyond your skill set take it to somebody who knows fully what they're doing and save yourself a world of grief.
The type of switch you need is one of these https://www.allparts.com/EP-4925-000-5- ... _1469.html

Adios amigo :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Strat p/u selector switch location
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 2:42 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Buy a Les Paul. You're simply not a Strat person.

Arjay


:lol:

8)

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