a viable strat configuration?

[mediumflats]

I am getting my first stratocaster shortly and I would like to wire it in this way:

3-way switch

1. Front: Neck & Middle
2. Middle: All 3 pickups
3. Back: Bridge & Middle

I am both a wiring and a Strat novice. Is this a possible arrangement?

Thanks,
Doug

[waparker4]

It would be the same as a stock telecaster wiring with the middle pickup wired straight to the volume pot.

[mediumflats]

ok, thanks.

[Teleterr]

Interesting wiring, what kind of music do you play? If you haven't heard N ll B , thats another great tone along the lines of whats you re getting.

[mediumflats]

I play the blues, as well some new wave stuff. Really simple passages.
I like full tones and I had never heard of a strat wired in such a way that prevented the use of a single pick-up on its own. I thought it would be an intersting limitation. My main interest in Strats is that they are so incredibly comfortable to hold and to play.

[waparker4]

It would be cool to add a switch to turn the middle pickup on and off; maybe in place one of those extraneous tone controls. If you like the blues, the neck pickup alone is a pretty classic sound.

[garrett]

There is such a thing as a three way super switch, which would make that arrangement possible and simple to wire.

I have a guitar with a five way Megaswitch M wired as:

Bridge and middle series
Bridge and middle parallel
Bridge and neck parallel
Neck and middle parallel
Neck and middle series

Something different.

[Teleterr]

Originally Posted by mediumflats

I play the blues, as well some new wave stuff. Really simple passages.
I like full tones and I had never heard of a strat wired in such a way that prevented the use of a single pick-up on its own. I thought it would be an intersting limitation. My main interest in Strats is that they are so incredibly comfortable to hold and to play.

"Interesting limitation". I like the approach. Its easy to see too many possibilities and get lost in the vastness. I've done crazy switching w as many as 28 combos. I ended up using only 5 at all, and 3 mostly. I will mention that 2 p/ups in parallel then in series w the third is a great full, yet airy sound. It has both the series and parallel sound and features the non-parallel p/up as its major tonal vibe.

[AJBaker]

Originally Posted by waparker4

It would be the same as a stock telecaster wiring with the middle pickup wired straight to the volume pot.

Exactly. Weird wiring, let us know how it works for you!

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by mediumflats

I am getting my first stratocaster shortly and I would like to wire it in this way:

3-way switch

1. Front: Neck & Middle
2. Middle: All 3 pickups
3. Back: Bridge & Middle

I am both a wiring and a Strat novice. Is this a possible arrangement?

Thanks,
Doug

all three pups together is typically a very bleh tone. i recommend a blender circuit for all strats ....

5-way
master volume
master no-load tone w/.022uf cap
no-load neck pup blender (this will allow the bridge/neck and bridge/middle/neck pickup combinations)

[AJBaker]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

all three pups together is typically a very bleh tone.

I have to agree. Plus, for me at least, the strat in between sounds are a bit overused. The three sounds you listed are actually some of my least favourite on a seven sound strat.
If you want to try something a bit different, go with what you said, but with the middle pickup wired half out of phase (search phostenix). Great sound, and different!

[Teleterr]

Yeah all 3 untweaked might not be so great. I do like 3 in series (<6K each) and the 2 and 1 combo I mentioned, so I think all 3 ll might be very nice w the proper EQ, but it is thin and string noise prone without any. AJ has a good idea about the 1/2 out of phase thing that gives a different and quite usefull sound when done w 2 p/ups.From my 28 tone Strat I remember being disapointed about the tone w all 3, but with 1 OoP, the M if I remember correctly, it was a lot better.Since theres 3 p/up the OoP p/up takes the place of the filter cap sort of.You'd need a Super Switch for that.

[mediumflats]

good advice, thanks everyone. i particularly appreciate the point about the 3-pickup sound not adding up to much. i have never knowingly heard it, so that's good to know.

[garrett]

Originally Posted by mediumflats

good advice, thanks everyone. i particularly appreciate the point about the 3-pickup sound not adding up to much. i have never knowingly heard it, so that's good to know.

I too am not very fond of that option. It has a sort of unfocused sound to my ears.

[Teleterr]

Its unusual to have a consensus about anything, ie all 3 p/ups on. But its easy to try for yourself just solder all 3 to the volume, since you are a fan of parallel you might hear something w it that the rest of us don't. It is very clear and transparent, my main complaint was it sounded sort of like an unpluged electric played in front of a mike. Too much pick/fingering noise. My recommendation would be get the 3 way Super Switch and do all the 2 p/up parallel combos. N+B is really usefull and is the clearest of the 3 IMO,while still having a lot of character.