STRAT® DIAGRAMS

11 SOUND STRAT WITH NO-LOAD DIAL-A-TAP FOR H-S-S CONFIGURATION -
Very cool Humb-Single-Single configuration with Master Volume, Master Tone and Dial-A-Tap. Includes a "neck-on" switch for up to 11 sounds!!

H-S-S STRAT WITH NO-LOAD DIAL-A-TAP -
Same as above, only without the neck-on switch

HOW DO I WIRE A NECK-ON SWITCH IN A STRAT?

This simple mod will turn a 5 sound strat into a 7 sound strat!

STRAT WITH MASTER VOLUME, MASTER TONE & PASSIVE MIDRANGE (aka Rothstein Guitars "Voodoo Tone" Wiring) -
This diagram features a 5 way switch with master volume, master tone, master passive midrange. The passive midrange control is available here at Rothstein Guitars as well as by some other quality vendors. The great thing about this configuration is that both the tone pots function as "master" tone controls. The first tone pot is a standard tone control which cuts highs. The 2nd tone pot is a really cool passive midrange shaper control which will scoops out the mids as you turn the knob counterclockwise towards 0, and as you turn the knob clockwise towards 10. The control is neutral on 5, and is now available on a custom taper pot with a center detente by Rothstein Guitars.

THE ULTIMATE STRAT VERSION 1 (S-S-S) (with bridge/neck series switch)
5 way switch with master volume, master tone, master midrange plus a "blow" switch to engage bridge/neck in series as well as a "neck-on" switch to engage the neck pickup with any other. The nice thing about this is that a player can always fall back on the standard strat 5 way switching, but using mini-switches you can access some very cool tones. Either an SPST switch or a push pull pot is used to engage the neck pup with any other to get the 2 missing sounds, namely neck/bridge (telecaster like) and all 3 on. In addition, a 3PDT switch is used to get a series connection between the neck and bridge pickups which will give you a noticeable boost in both volume and bottom end. Also, the 2nd tone control on this mod is converted into a master midrange control which will cut mids as you move down towards 0 (acoustic like) and thicken things a bit as you move towards 10, while staying neutral in the 5 spot.

Here is the control function (B = bridge pup, M =middle pup, N = neck pup)

Series Switch Neck-on Switch Pos 1 Pos 2 Pos 3 Pos 4 Pos 5
OFF OFF B B,M M M,N N
OFF ON B,N B,N,M M,N M,N N
ON OFF B,N in series B,N in series + M B,N in series + M B,N in series + M B,N in series
ON ON
(note: this has no effect when series switch is engaged)
B,N in series B,N in series + M B,N in series + M B,N in series + M B,N in series


THE ULTIMATE STRAT VERSION 2 (S-S-S) (with bridge/middle series switch)
Like the ultimate strat above only this one engages the bridge and middle pickups for the series link. The benefit here is that if the middle pickup is RWRP (reverse wound reverse polarity) this position will then be hum-cancelling.


Here is the control function (B = bridge pup, M =middle pup, N = neck pup)

Series Switch Neck-on Switch Pos 1 Pos 2 Pos 3 Pos 4 Pos 5
OFF OFF B B,M M M,N N
OFF ON B,N B,N,M M,N M,N N
ON OFF B,M in series B,M in series B,M in series B,M in series + N B,M in series + N
ON ON
(note: this has no effect when series switch is engaged)
B,M in series + N B,M in series + N B,M in series + N B,M in series + N B,M in series + N


STRAT WITH VOLUME, TONE, PASSIVE MIDRANGE and NECK-ON SWITCH
(aka Rothstein Guitars Voodoo Tone Plus Wiring)
5 way switch with master volume, master tone, master passive midrange and neck on switch. Just like the mod above only without the series connection.

Here is the control function (B = bridge pup, M =middle pup, N = neck pup)

Neck-on Switch Pos 1 Pos 2 Pos 3 Pos 4 Pos 5
OFF B B,M M M,N N
ON B,N B,N,M M,N M,N N


STRAT WITH BLENDER POT -
5 way switch with master volume, master tone and blender pot (works best with a "no-load" blender).

A blender pot allows you to blend (mix) the neck pickup or the bridge pickup into the signal which will provide you with 2 extra sounds, namely: bridge/neck (very Tele like) as well as all 3 pickups on simultaneously. If the 5-way is in the neck position, it blends in the bridge pickup. If the 5-way is in the bridge position it blends in the neck pickup. You can dial in as much or as little as you want. For example, one of Lindy Fralin’s favorite ways to use blender wiring is add just a little bit of the neck pickup to warm up the bridge pickup.

Blender pots ideally should be “no-load” pots (see above) so when the pot is on 10 the pot is completely removed from the circuit, and therefore not loading the circuit in any way (think “true bypass”).

Here is a summary of how the blender works in relation to the 5 way selector switch:

POSITION

ORIGINAL PICKUP COMBO

BLENDER FUNCTION

RESULTING PICKUP COMBO

1

Bridge

Blends in neck pickup

Bridge/Neck

2

Bridge/Middle

Blends in neck pickup

Bridge/Middle/Neck

3

Middle

Non-functional

Middle

4

Middle/Neck

Blends in bridge pickup

Bridge/Middle/Neck

5

Neck

Blends in bridge pickup

Neck/Bridge

STANDARD STRAT WIRING -
Typical strat wiring with 2 tone controls

JIMMIE VAUGHAN STYLE STRAT -
Same as standard strat except you get one tone for positions 1 + 2 (bridge + bridge/middle) and another tone for positions 4 + 5 (neck/middle + neck). No tone control for position 3 (middle only)

LONESTAR STRAT -
5 way super switch is used to split the coil of the humbucker when in position 2 as well as to assign a separate tone control to the bridge pickup (with a .022 uf cap) and another tone control for the single coils (.047 uf).

ROTHSTEIN "SMART" LONESTAR STRAT - Humbucker sees 500K and the Single Coils see 250K
Mod to the aforementioned Fender Lonestar wiring so that the humbucker sees 500K pots and the single coils see 250K.

G&L LEGACY with PTB SYSTEM -
Wiring found on the G&L Legacy featuring the PTB System (passive treble and bass). Unlike in stock Strat wiring where both tone pots are low pass filters, but they each affect different switch positions, the PTB system's two tone controls each function as a"master" tone control. The first tone pot is a low pass filter, like you will find on just about any guitar. The second tone pot is a high pass filter, which rolls off the low end.