Strat-O-Tele SS Wiring

[Phostenix]

A friend's Nashville B Bender Tele gave me an idea for a new Strat-O-Tele wiring scheme. This Tele has a 3rd (middle) pickup & a 5-way switch that gives standard Tele switching in positions 1, 3 & 5 and Strat in-between tones in positions 2 & 4.

I decided to go one further and install a Fender S-1 switch to have the 5 standard Strat choices in one position & the standard Tele choices in the other with the addition of 2 series pickup choices (in the 2 & 4 positions).

With the S-1 switch in the "up" position, it's the Tele switching, with the S-1 in the "down" position, it's Strat switching.

I'm really pleased with the results. The 2 series positions sound great.

I'm attaching my wiring diagram & a pinout of the S-1 switching for the diagram. I also made a long video of the project, which can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luHFN3n3AW4


The switching goes like this (1 is the lever back towards the bridge):

S-1 Up:

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge in series
3. Neck & Middle in parallel
4. Neck & Bridge in series
5. Neck

S-1 Down:

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge in parallel
3. Middle
4. Neck & Middle in parallel
5. Neck

[Phostenix]

I have wired my Strat with it now, too, but I reversed the way the S-1 works so that the "up" position is normal Strat and the "down" position is the enhanced Tele switching. I have a drawing for that, too.


Here's the Strat version (1 is the lever back towards the bridge):

S-1 Up:

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge in parallel
3. Middle
4. Neck & Middle in parallel
5. Neck

S-1 Down:

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge in series
3. Neck & Middle in parallel
4. Neck & Bridge in series
5. Neck

[Phostenix]

Here's the Strat-O-Tele SS in action:

YouTube - Be Still - Josh Miles & Shawn Skinner

Shawn is using position 4 & switching back & forth between the S-1 up & the S-1 down. He's using the S-1 up for the harmonics. That's the Neck & Bridge in series. It sounds great for the pedal steel tone! He switches the S-1 down (Strat position 4 - Neck & Middle in parallel) for the rhythm work (at first) and then leaves it in the series position as the song builds, so you can hear a little more of how the series connection sounds.

They recorded this song in Nashville last July when he obviously didn't have the new switching choices. The series connection in position 4 sounds killer for his pedal steel harmonics stuff compared to the recording.

It's exciting for me to see Shawn have a new tone that he can immediately use. Who says wiring can't be fun? :)

[jefrs]

I indulged in something similar but have since removed the push-pull pot as too complicated in use.
Aria STG3 Stratoclone with
Neck = "Twisted-Tele" (from Baja06)
Middle = "Kent-Armstrong alnico vintage stagger" bridge pickup
Bridge = "American-Tele high output" bridge pickup (from AmSer07)

5-way switch works as follows
Neck
Neck+Bridge (parallel) - must-have for tele pickups
Bridge
Bridge+Middle (parallel) - the quack
Middle
i.e. as standard 5-way but neck and middle are reversed.
I found that with the 5-way switch and the push-pull, things were getting too complicated, more-so than the Baja, so I retreated to a non-standard but conventional system. I found the 10-way selection just too complicated in use whilst playing. This is not the first time I have found this. I had a 2-pickup guitar with a 6-way selector and too many knobs before, that one has been simplified too.

You have shown an interesting and novel use of the S-1 to provide series connection, the normal 5-way selector cannot do this. Thanks for that

[Phostenix]

I thought it interesting how Shawn is switching the S-1 in this song. I expected it to be more of something that you would switch between songs - either Strat wiring or Tele wiring.

The series connections sound great - especially with the B Bender. It was the fatter, pedal steel tone he was looking for.

You could have the series connections with a 5-way Super Switch and no S-1.

[Deaf Eddie]

I did a drawing for something every close to this in a thread a little over a year ago:
Series-to-parallel switch for a B-Bender Tele

[timbucktwo]

Originally Posted by Deaf Eddie

I did a drawing for something every close to this in a thread a little over a year ago:
Series-to-parallel switch for a B-Bender Tele

... gonna try this on one of my two three pick-up teles, by the way thanks for the help with the wiring problem Deaf Eddie!

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by Deaf Eddie

I did a drawing for something every close to this in a thread a little over a year ago:
Series-to-parallel switch for a B-Bender Tele

The neck & bridge in series is the killer tone, especially on a Tele. I really like my Strat-O-Tele SS wiring scheme because I think it's easy for the player to remember. One side is normal Strat & the other is normal Tele with the series connections in 2 & 4. And, using the S-1, one of the sections of the Super Switch is unused, so it could be wired for various tone pot options, including no tone pot in the 2 & 4 positions.

[plucker]

Hi Phostenix great reading and a geat forum might I add.

I have a Strat with 2 Seymour Duncan STK-4 Neck & Middle and a Seymour Duncan SL59 Bridge. I would love to try the above combinations with my setup. I have the S-1 control and also a Fender super switch, could you point me in the right direction wiring wise please.

I have the wiring diagram from the Seymour Duncan site "1 Humbucker, 2 STK-S4. 1 Volume, 2 Tones,Super 5 way switch"

Giving

Bridge Pickup Full
Bridge Split+Middle Split (Hum Canceling)
Middle Pickup Full
Middle Split + Neck Split (Hum Canceling)
Neck Pickup Full

My question is can I use this setup and add the S-1 to give me your options Below

S-1 Up:

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge in parallel
3. Middle
4. Neck & Middle in parallel
5. Neck

S-1 Down:

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge in series
3. Neck & Middle in parallel
4. Neck & Bridge in series
5. Neck

I appologise for the length of my first post and asking so many questions but this sems like the place to get answers an help.

Thanks in advance

Paul

[Phostenix]

With the S-1 up, I assume that you still want the Bridge pup split in positions 2 & 4 ?

With the S-1 down, you want position 3 to be Neck & Middle in parallel, not Neck & Bridge in parallel?

Having the Middle & Neck in series is usually to get a brdige humbucker type sound, but you already have a bridge humbucker. Are you sure you want that choice?

[Phostenix]

And, let me redraw this with Visio so it's easier to see.

[plucker]

Thats a good point, I suppose I would like the guitar as standard in the S-1 up position, however the Diagram from the Seymour Ducan site shows them as split 2 & 4 I don't know if that would cause too much volume drop?. I want to give your bridge and neck position a try out sounds great on the clip.

Thanks for the quick reply

[plucker]

I think having Neck & Bridge in parallel Position 3 is a better choice, it does seem pointless replicating the humbucker thats already there thanks Phostenix.

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by plucker

Thats a good point, I suppose I would like the guitar as standard in the S-1 up position, however the Diagram from the Seymour Ducan site shows them as split 2 & 4 I don't know if that would cause too much volume drop?.

You can leave it as the full Bridge humbucker in position 2 with the S-1 up. I justed wanted to confirm whether you wanted it split or not.

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by plucker

I think having Neck & Bridge in parallel Position 3 is a better choice, it does seem pointless replicating the humbucker thats already there thanks Phostenix.

Position 2 is the one that tries to replicate a Bridge humbucker. Position 3 is the normal Tele middle position (S-1 down). That's what makes this a Strat-O-Tele.

[plucker]

This is basically the seymour Duncan wiring done with the brilliant Visio Guitar Stensils downloaded from here (thank you) with the s-1 in position.



As I said at the moment the guitar is standard wiring standard 5 way switch so I will work on the diagram to use the super switch the s-1 and your layout Phostenix then post it here.

[plucker]

Phostenix, my brain became very sore while trying to incorporate the splits so I have left them out on my first effort.

I am at a loss how to incorporate the second tone pot and also i'm not sure the - output from middle and Neck are correct with the bare wire going to ground




If you can cast your expert eye over this and let me know how it looks please? and also if I could incorporate the splits somehow.

Thanks

[plucker]

Ok the above diagram was tele up strat down got things a bit mixed up so here is what I think is the correct strat up tele down wiring.

I do have one problem that whatever position I select S-1 up or down the neck pickup still seems to be active slightly. When I tap it I can still here the neck pickup comng through just slightly?

Still not sussed the second tone pot yet but am happy not splitting the coils now so will leave them as is.



Phostenix I noticed on the strat diagram ss B+2 shows as going to pin 3 but on the s1 it's pin 1 and ss pin going to pin 1 with s1 showing pin 3.

Also the S1 down position I get

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge in series
3. Neck & Bridge in parallel
4. Neck & Bridge in series
5. Neck

Again could you check my wiring please and any ideas about wiring in the two tone pots would be very welcome thanks for the instuctons and video

[Phostenix]

Sorry, I didn't have a chance to draw this up yesterday, but I fully intend to do this for you. I've got it about half way there.

I've got an extra set of contacts on the Super Switch that can be used for switching the split. I've only used 1 master tone pot on my setups so far, but I think I can come up with a way to switch the tone pots with that, too. It may require reordering the wires n the bridge pup to get the split we want.

I won't be able to get to this until this afternoon, but I will get you a drawing.

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by plucker

Phostenix I noticed on the strat diagram ss B+2 shows as going to pin 3 but on the s1 it's pin 1 and ss pin going to pin 1 with s1 showing pin 3.

I remember finding that error a while back, but I can't edit that post at this point. I'll post new drawings now.