Custom Series SSS Prewired Strat Assembly (with Pickups)

Rothstein Guitars is an AUTHORIZED DEALER for all these manufacturers listed on this page. While we stock the most popular configurations, we can special order ANY model from these brands for your custom assembly.

• LINDY FRALIN PICKUPS - Fabulous, world-class pickups hand-wound in Richmond, VA. We stock 4 configurations (Vintage Hots and Blues Specials), but we can special order any other Fralin model for your build.
  
  
• CURTIS NOVAK PICKUPS - The pinnacle of "boutique" hand-wound tone. Curt uses "scatterwinding" to capture complex harmonics. Listen to these samples recorded by Andy Rothstein:

  Stevie Ray Pride & Joy type lick - Neck/Middle (clean)

  Hendrix Voodoo Chile lick - Bridge position w/blender (dirty)

  Wind Cries Mary - Neck/Middle (clean)

  Rhythm Changes (Jazz) - Warm neck position

  We offer special orders for any Novak model or custom wind tailored to your specs.
  
  
• SEYMOUR DUNCAN - The industry standard for professional tone. We carry the SSL series and Antiquity series, but any Seymour Duncan pickup can be requested for your order.
  
  
• SUHR PICKUPS - Designed by John Suhr with RWRP middle pickups for hum-canceling in positions 2 & 4. We stock V60 and ML Standards, and can special order any other Suhr set you desire.

1. Stock 5-Way - Traditional 1960's Strat wiring. The first tone control affects the neck and middle pickups, while the second tone control affects the bridge/middle position.
*Note: If you prefer Jimmie Vaughan style wiring (tone control moved to the bridge), just let us know in the order notes!

2. The Blender - A "no-load" blender pot replaces one tone control, allowing you to blend the neck and bridge pickups together. This gives you the missing Tele-style neck/bridge combo and the all-three-on sound, all while maintaining a classic 3-knob look.

3. Voodoo Tone - Why have two tone pots doing the same thing? This mod converts your Strat to a Master Tone setup. One pot is a standard high-cut tone control; the other is our famous RG500D Passive Midrange Control. It enhances mids from 5 to 10 for a thicker, humbucker-like punch, and scoops mids from 5 down to 0 for a glassy, acoustic-like chime. Totally passive, no batteries required! Read more here.

4. Voodoo Tone Plus - Includes everything in the Voodoo Tone (above) plus a "neck-on" push-pull switch. This allows you to engage the neck pickup in any position, giving you 7 total pickup combinations including neck/bridge and all three pickups simultaneously.

5. Voodoo Tone Monster - Our Flagship Assembly. This is the Voodoo Tone Plus on steroids. It adds a 3PDT mini-toggle to engage the bridge and middle pickups in SERIES for a louder and fatter tone with more bottom. We use a 3PDT switch to bypass the 5-way selector when active, ensuring you never have "dead" spots on your switch. Note: This requires an extra hole drilled between the pots. View the diagram here.

There is endless debate about the impact of capacitor materials on guitar tone. Our philosophy is simple: Tone is subjective, but quality and construction are objective. We offer three options for the tone capacitor we'll use on your build:

• Standard Choice: SBE Orange Drop. These are our default choice (at no extra charge). Known for their consistency and durability, they have been the industry standard for decades.


• Boutique Performance: Sozo NextGen Blue Molded. For players who want to spec their build with high-fidelity components similar to those found in boutique tube amplifiers.


• The No-Compromise Build: VH Audio's V-CAP TONE Series. These are the bomb. They are ultra-high-end Paper in Oil (PIO) capacitors featuring world-class, military-grade construction. If you want the most robust component available in your build, this is it.

Read about our capacitor choices here.

NOTE: The capacitor upgrade does not apply to the RG5000D Passive Midrange Control (included with Voodoo Tone options), which will always use Orange Drops.

Ever notice how your tone gets muddy or loses its sparkle when you roll back the volume? That is a natural byproduct of how standard guitar circuits work. Our Volume Kit (also known as a treble retention circuit or treble bleed mod) solves this by allowing the high frequencies to pass through even as the volume decreases.

To ensure a smooth, musical taper, we use a 1000 pF Mallory 150 Series metalized polyester capacitor wired in parallel with a 150K resistor. It's a small addition that makes your volume knob a much more powerful tool for cleaning up your overdriven amp tone.

If you want to skip the soldering iron, we can pre-wire your assembly with high-quality color-coded pin and socket connectors. This turns a complex installation into a simple "plug and play" experience. Please note we charge $20 for this service, which is literally the cost of the parts.

• Simple Connections: You only have 3 total connections to make.
• Full Kit: We provide a new tremolo claw and output jack with pre-attached connectors. Simply match the colors and click them together.
• Industrial Quality: We use high-reliability, military-grade connectors designed for high-vibration environments to ensure a secure, noise-free connection that won't fail over time.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This kit requires installing a new tremolo claw, which means you will need to re-setup your guitar bridge. If you are not comfortable setting up a Strat-style floating tremolo, we recommend the standard solder-on version.

We are the only company providing pre-wired assemblies with heavy-duty, noise-canceling THICK copper shielding. While many others use flimsy aluminum foil, or no shielding ag all, our thick copper shielding provides a superior ground plane and significantly reduces the 60-cycle hum and interference common in Strat-style guitars. Read more about our shields here.

Since every assembly is custom ordered, you can choose from a wide array of colors. Our pickguards are sourced from WD Music Products, an industry leader in high-quality guards. By default, these are .090 inch thick with 11 perimeter holes, but we can accommodate nearly any custom requirement or hole pattern upon request.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT CELLULOID: The Tortoise pickguards from WD Music are made of genuine celluloid, just like the vintage Fender guitars from the 50s and 60s. This is the authentic material tone purists look for. Please note:

• Shrinkage: Celluloid is a solvent-based plastic that tends to shrink slightly over the years. This is a known phenomenon on vintage instruments.
• Cupping: The material may cup slightly, with edges sitting 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch high when placed on a flat surface. This is normal; the guard will sit perfectly flat once it is screwed onto the guitar.
• Flammability: Celluloid is highly flammable. Keep it away from open flames or high-heat sources.

Choose the color for your knobs and pickup covers to match your pickguard. We offer high-quality accessories in Black, White, and Parchment.

• Standard Set ($10): Includes color-matched volume/tone knobs and three pickup covers.


• Full Kit ($25): Includes the knobs and covers plus a matching tremolo spring plate (backplate) for the rear of the guitar.

Note: If you need a color not listed in the dropdown, such as Aged White or Mint Green, please contact us for a special order.