08-11-2012, 05:07 PM
Original Strats had a three way switch that could only select one pick-up at a time. Of course you could carefully move the switch so it would connect with the contacts for two pick-ups and this was later replaced by a five position switch.
My Strat is wired with humbucker at the bridge and then two single pick-ups, middle and neck. This is work I did 30 years ago so I can't recall exactly the how it's connected and neither do I want to take my guitar apart to look. The idea came from a book by a guy called Adrian Legg or Pegg (come to think of it, probably the former as the latter's an actor).
All three pickups can be selected individually or together, neck+mid, bridge+mid, bridge+neck. These positions are selected by mini-toggle switches. Two of these are On/Off switches the third is Off/On/Off (or On/Off/On), selecting the centre position on the third switch puts the neck and middle pick-ups out of phase. The bridge humbucker is coil tapped via a push-pull rotary switch the bottom part being the guitar volume control. I've also got a non-latching On/Off button which kills the sound. The bridge pick-up is a DiMarzio and the mid and neck are Seymour Duncan. These would be early '80's products, I recall each having several wires, not just two. All my volume and tone controls go up to 11, not 10.
It seemed a good thing to customise your guitar back then especially as effects pedals were pretty much one trick ponies and were pretty expensive. Nowadays, I stick the guitar in a relatively cheap Zoom synthesised effects pedal and I can select any noise or tone I want at the press of a button.
Andrew
My Strat is wired with humbucker at the bridge and then two single pick-ups, middle and neck. This is work I did 30 years ago so I can't recall exactly the how it's connected and neither do I want to take my guitar apart to look. The idea came from a book by a guy called Adrian Legg or Pegg (come to think of it, probably the former as the latter's an actor).
All three pickups can be selected individually or together, neck+mid, bridge+mid, bridge+neck. These positions are selected by mini-toggle switches. Two of these are On/Off switches the third is Off/On/Off (or On/Off/On), selecting the centre position on the third switch puts the neck and middle pick-ups out of phase. The bridge humbucker is coil tapped via a push-pull rotary switch the bottom part being the guitar volume control. I've also got a non-latching On/Off button which kills the sound. The bridge pick-up is a DiMarzio and the mid and neck are Seymour Duncan. These would be early '80's products, I recall each having several wires, not just two. All my volume and tone controls go up to 11, not 10.
It seemed a good thing to customise your guitar back then especially as effects pedals were pretty much one trick ponies and were pretty expensive. Nowadays, I stick the guitar in a relatively cheap Zoom synthesised effects pedal and I can select any noise or tone I want at the press of a button.
Andrew
