Jim's Guitar Tips #2, March 1999

Some wiring ideas you may not have seen elsewhere!

#1, For Strats, Stratocopies, and other 3 pickup guitars.

This setup uses a 5-way switch, plus a 3-way switch, to achieve normal Stratocaster wiring, and Telecaster wiring (but with separate tone controls) on the same guitar.

The 3-way can be a push-pull, a push-push, or a mini-toggle, but whatever you use it should not have a "center" position.

In the "Strat" position, you get the

usual 5 sounds:

In the "Tele" position, you get:

  1. Neck

  2. Neck + Middle

  3. Middle

  4. Middle + Bridge

  5. Bridge

  1. Neck

  2. Neck + Bridge

  3. Neck + Bridge

  4. Neck + Bridge

  5. Bridge

Thus, the 5-way acts as a 3-way, with 2, 3, and 4, as the center position.

Note that in the "Strat" position, the #2 Tone Control acts on the Middle pickup, while in the "Tele" position it is switched to the Bridge pickup, good for a "Clapton" sound when used with distortion.

 

# 2, for 2 pickup guitars that have had a 3rd pickup added. Like my ASAT.

In this one, the main switch is a three way, and as above, the modifier switch can be any of several kinds. The idea is, you have a normal 2 pickup guitar to which the middle pickup can be added, giving 3 of the funky, choked-up, sounds that many magazines call "quack" sounds.

In the "Normal Position" you get: In the "Quack Position" you get:
  1. Neck Pickup
  2. Neck+Bridge
  3. Bridge Pickup
  1. Neck+Middle
  2. Neck+Middle+Bridge
  3. Middle+Bridge

Although I drew in a separateTone control for the Neck and Bridge Pickups (the Middle Pickup doesn't need one since it's never used alone), this setup works fine with a Master Tone. Just connect the Tone to the output of the 3-Way at any convenient point, such as where it is connected to the Volume Control.

This has become my "Standard" 3 Pickup Wiring for my own guitars because it is so "User Friendly", giving two "families" of sounds that are related in character, and therefore appropriate within the same song. This means that, in practice, I seldom need to change both switches at once during a song!

A future installment will deal with 2-Pickup guitars with Humbuckers, like my Epiphone Les Paul which has nine basic sounds instead of the usual three!

Remember: Play LOUD, and play often!

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