Wiring Diagram: Hermetico's Stratosphear mod 4

Classification

Guitar Modded

Fender Stratocaster SSS

Description

• SSS pickup layout
• 3 single coils, direct Fender replacement pickups
• 1 volume pot with S-1 switch
• 2 tone pots
• 1 Fender Super Switch

Difficulty Level

Medium

Features

• Provides standard SSS switching mode plus an alternate mode with interesting combos.

Wiring Diagram

Click on the diagram for a full sized view.

 

Comments

For this mod, an S-1 switch or a 4PDT on/on switch is needed. Even that most of the job can be done with a DPDT switch, some position can leave some coils hunging from the hot path, what converts the pickup in a very large antenna that can catch any kind of noise. This is avoided with the help of a couple more of poles and, the reason why I am designing this with a 4 poles switch.

Given that Fender includes in several of their strato models the S-1 switch and, that this kind of switch is really discrete and easier to actuate than a pull/push, I went in that director for this mod.

 

Due to the complexity of the wiring, there is a dedicated tone pot for the bridge pickup but, a master tone for all positions. So, you can tweak the overall trebles roll off with the master tone (MT) and roll off a bit more for the bridge position (BT), what is always convenient, since the bridge pickup has always more high end frequencies.

 

When the S-1 is up (unactive), we achieve the standard strato combinations but, tone controls work as described above. When the S-1 is down, we enter in an alternate mode, with the following combinations:

 

1. Neck in Series with Bridge (like the 4th position of a Tele mod)

2. (Neck in series with Bridge) in parallel with Middle (very open but strong)

3. Neck in parallel with Bridge (like the middle position of a Tele)

4. (Middle in series with Bridge) in parallel with Neck (strong an open)

5. Middle in series with Bridge (some kind of Bridge virtual humbucker)

 

I've tried lots of combinations but, those alternate one that this mod has were the ones that I liked more.

This gives a lot of versatility to your strato, without repetitive combinations (by example, neck in series with middle is quite similar to middle in series with bridge) and, all them delivering an interesting alternate sound.

 

For sure, there is more room for improvements or changes. By example, we could use a master treble tone and a master bass tone, to better narrow the sound. I cannot cover every variant.

 

As always, not represented ground wires (as bridge's or shielding's) should be soldered together with the rest of grounds (inverted triangle).