Wiring options for Prewired Strat Assemblies

Wiring Options for S-S-S Configurations

 

Model

Description

1st Pot

2nd Pot

3rd Pot

1

Voodoo Tone

Have you ever asked the question: "why do I really need two tone pots to control different pickups on a Strat?" I've wondered the same thing myself which is I love this mod. Both tone controls function as master tone controls. One tone pot is a standard tone control that cuts highs. The other tone pot is a passive midrange control that enhances mids from 5 to 10 for a thicker sound, and scoops mids from 5 to 0 for a glassy almost acoustic like tone. Read more about the passive midrange mod here. This is totally passive and requires NO batteries and NO body routing at all.

Master Volume

Master Tone

Master Midrange

2

Voodoo Tone Plus

Same as the Voodoo Tone wiring above only this comes with a trick "neck-on" switch. The neck-on switch mounted on the tone control has a push-pull pot which is used to engage the neck pickup at any time, regardless of which position you have selected using the 5 way switch. This allows you to get the two missing sounds from a strat namely neck/bridge (think Tele like tone) and all three pickups on at the same time.

Master Volume

Master Tone on push-pull to engage "neck-on" switch

Master Midrange

3

Voodoo Tone Monster

This is our most popular Strat assembly and it is unique to Rothstein Guitars. It is exactly the same as the Voodoo Tone Plus (above) only this includes 3PDT (3 pole double throw) mini switch to engage the bridge and middle pickups together in SERIES mode for a louder sound with more bottom. Most people use DPDT (double pole double throw) switches for series/parallel switching but the problem we have found with this approach is that when the series link is active, several positions of the 5 way switch produce no sound at all. Our solution is to use the extra pole provided by the 3PDT switch to simply bypass the 5 way. Think of it as a kind of "blow" switch. You can read more about this mod here. Note: This pickguard has an extra hole drilled to accommodate the 3PDT switch.

Master Volume

Master Tone on a push-pull to engage"neck-on" switch

Master Midrange

4

Fralin Blender

A blender pot replaces one of a Strat's tone controls, and allows you to combine the neck and bridge pickups together. Blenders are "no-load" pots modified to eliminate bleed-through when turned fully clockwise. When the blender pot is fully clockwise it is completely removed from the circuit and does not load the guitar's circuit in anyway shape or form. Turning the pot counter-clockwise will blend in either the neck or bridge pickup, whichever is not engaged by the 5-way switch.

Master Volume

Master Tone

Blender (to blend neck/bridge)

5

Fralin Blender plus

Very cool and unique to Rothstein Guitars!!! It is exactly the same as the Fralin Blender (above), only the tone control is replaced by one of our "Mid-Scoop/Tone Switches" mounted on a push-pull pot. When the switch is down this functions as a standard tone control. When the switch is up it scoops mid for a glassy, almost "acoustic" like quality.

Master Volume

Master Tone / Mid-scoop housed on a push-pull pot

Blender (to blend neck/bridge)

6

Jimmie Vaughn

This is basically stock strat wiring but some feel this is a more useful way of employing two tone controls. The first tone control affects positions 4 and 5 of the selector switch only (neck and neck/mid) and the second tone control affects positions 1 and 2 only (bridge and bridge/mid). The only position without a tone control is position 3. This can be modified using a super switch to assign the bridge pickup a totally separate tone control from the other 4 positions (see the "slick willy" wiring below.

Master Volume

Tone for positions 1 & 2 of the selector switch

Tone for positions 4 & 5 of the selector switch

7

Voodoo Tone Monster

Basic 60's stock strat wiring where the first tone control affects positions 4 and 5 of the selector switch while the 2nd tone control affects positions 2,3 and 4.

Master Volume

Tone for positions 4 and 5

Tone for positions 2, 3 and 4.

Wiring Options for H-S-S Configurations

 

Model

Description

1st Pot

2nd Pot

3rd Pot

1

Dial-A-Tap

This is a very cool way to set up a Strat for Humb-Single-Single operation. The first tone control is a master tone which controls all pickups. The lower pot is a Dial-A-Tap which means you can dial in just the right amount of the split humbucker. It will short out the "screw coil" and leave in the "slug coil" (the slug coil is the one furthest from the bridge)

Master Volume

Master Tone

Dial-A-Tap

2

11 Combo Strat with Dial A Tap

Same as above, only this comes with a neck-on Switch to get 11 pickup combinations. Click here for more details about this.

Master Volume

Master Tone on push-pull to engage "neck-on" switch

Dial-A-Tap

3

Jimmie Vaughn Strat w/Coil Tap

Coil tap is engaged by a push-pull on the first tone control. The first tone control affects positions 4 and 5 of the selector switch only (neck and neck/mid) and the second tone control affects positions 1 and 2 only (bridge and bridge/mid). The only position without a tone control is position 3.

Master Volume

Tone for positions 1 & 2 of the selector switch w/push-pull for coil tap

Tone for positions 4 & 5 of the selector switch

4

Lonestar "Auto-Tap"

 

This wiring features "auto-tapping" of the humbucker as soon as the 5 way switch hits position 2.

  • Switch Position 1: Bridge Pickup (Both Coils)
  • Switch Position 2: Bridge + Middle Pickups (Bridge Pickup Tapped)
  • Switch Position 3: Middle Pickup
  • Switch Position 4: Neck + Middle Pickups
  • Switch Position 5: Neck Pickup

A Super Switch (5 way, 4 pole) is used so you can have two tone controls and still tap the humbucker automatically when you switch to the 2 position. The tone controls use different capacitors rather than sharing one. The top tone control (for the two single coils) uses a .047uf capacitor, while the bottom tone control (for the humbucker) uses a .022uf cap (.022uf is the de facto standard for a humbucker)

Master Volume

  Tone for the two single coils only

Tone for bridge pickup only

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