3 pick-up guitars eg 2 single coil pick-ups and a humbucker, or 3 single coil pick-ups:
This is how most "standard" Stratocasters are wired. This diagram will work for almost any standard Stratocaster or copy that uses three single-coil (or untapped humbucking) pickups and a five-way selector switch, two tone controls, and a single volume control.
|
POSITION |
PICKUP COMBO |
TONE CONTROL 1 |
TONE CONTROL 2 |
|
1 |
Bridge |
NA |
NA |
|
2 |
Bridge/Middle |
NA |
Works on Middle pickup |
|
3 |
Middle |
NA |
Yes |
|
4 |
Middle/Neck |
Works on Neck pickup |
Works on Middle pickup |
|
5 |
Neck |
Yes |
NA |
Below are some examples of the modifications and combinations that are possible with a S Style guitar without changing the standard look. All of these modifications are reversable to the 'Standard' S Style configuration.
Do want to add 2 more pick up options to your Strat?
This simple mod will turn a 5 sound strat into a 7 sound strat! Using a push/pull switch retains the standard look, or a toggle switch can be added like David Gilmour.
|
‘Neck on’ switch |
Position 1 |
Position 2 |
Position 3 |
Position 4 |
Position 5 |
|
OFF |
Bridge |
B,M |
Middle |
M,N |
Neck |
|
ON |
B,N |
B,N,M |
M,N |
M,N |
Neck |
Want to be able to blend the Bridge (or Neck) pickup in?
5 way switch with master volume, master tone and blender pot. A blender pot allows you to blend (mix) the neck pickup (or the bridge pickup if you prefer) 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 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”).
|
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 |
What about the Jimmy Vaughan Mod?
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 pickup)
or
5 way switch, Master Volume, 1 Tone control for Neck and Middle Pick-ups, 1 Tone control for Bridge Pick-up and 2 tone controls for Bridge and Middle pickup.
Treble Bleed mod
Do you notice that when you turn down the volume (even just a bit), the high end or treble loss is NOT proportionate. In other words, a small cut in volume creates a far greater loss in your guitar’s treble response. 
This is one of the idiosyncrasies inherent in passive guitar and bass pickup systems. The best solution would be to replace the complete system with an active one but there is another method to combat the "volume vs. tone" problem that involves replacing the ‘standard’ capacitor with 2 capacitors and a resistor.
Greasebucket Tone Mod
The Fender Greasebucket tone circuit was introduced in 2005 on several guitars in the Highway One series, as well as in various Custom Shop Stratocaster models. The Greasebucket name is a registered Fender trademark, by the way. But don’t let the Greasebucket name fool you - your tone will get cleaner with this modification, not greasy and dirty. Here is what Fender says about the Greasebucket: “The Greasebucket tone circuit adds a new dimension to your tone, the effect is that when rolled down, the tone pot reduces the high frequencies, but does not add bass”. Many pro players swear by this tone circuit, and it indeed produces a different effect than the standard tone circuit we all know.
and many more...............................
And if you don't mind altering the appearance of your guitar, well the sky is the limit!
Do you like the idea of Brian May's Red Special 3 pickups in series with in phase or out of phase option?
What about 34 different pickup combinations (yes! 34!) using a rotary switch?
Do you want to have the option of pickups in paralle as well as the option of series for when you want that 'fat' warm sound?
Do you have a humbucker in the Bridge position and want to be able to get the single coil sound as well as the fatter humbucker tones?
and many more...............................
2 pick-up guitars eg 2 single coils, a single coil and a humbucker, or 2 humbuckers:
4 way Switch Telecaster
4 way switch with master volume and master tone which is a nice upgrade to the stock 3 way switch. This is the same diagram that Fender provides when you purchase a 4-way switch from them. This mod works best if the neck and bridge pickups have opposite polarity. Here are the switch positions:
Tele with a Single coil and Humbucker
Got a tele with humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge? Looking for an interesting and versatile way to hook this up. Look no further!! This one requires a 5 way super switch to get a coil split in positions 2 and 4. Here is the switching:
