Stratocaster tone knobs/selector switch.

[Tim Lee]

When I’m playing guitar I’m typically fiddling with the amp switches and the tone and volume knobs on my guitar.

Having said that I always thought that the lower tone control knob on a Strat controlled the tone on the bridge pickup as well as other selector positions and a Fender page diagram seems to support this.
But…..I tried my Strat with the selector switch at the bridge position ( lowest setting away from the neck ) and with the lower tone knob at zero and then at max tone and could tell no difference……This seems to be confirmed by a book written by Terry Burrows
( The Stratocaster Manual ) where he says” don’t forget that on a Strat the lower tone control only works for the center pickup “.
So the Fender diagram does not agree with my tone control setting and seems to confirm what Terry Burrows states that it only works for the center pickup and other positions further up the selector swith setting.
http://www2.fender.com/experience/tech-talk/the-stratocaster-pickup-selector-switch/

Tim

[Tim Lee]

Just wanted to add that the answer may be that some Strats are wired differently so perhaps the American Standard Series functions as illustrated but I don’t have an American Series Strat so can’t verify the Fender diagram info………but again, the book written by Terry Burrows makes no distinction that one Fender/Squier series is different from the other when it comes to the Lower tone control……

Tim

[Bryce-AKguitar]

Hey Tim,

It is so funny you are mentioning this as I just ran into this last week.

My strat (Humanity) 2nd tone knob does control the bridge pickup in positions 3 (middle), 4 (middle + bridge), and 5 (Bridge). I borrowed a friend’s strat last week and his did not. I thought something was broke on his guitar.

I talked to one of the resident experts at my local jam and mentioned it and he said that on the traditional strats position 3 the 2nd tone knob can control the bridge tone but no tone control on position 5 at all. I am not sure if that is true if that is how the originally wired them but it goes to show you, you can wire your strat to do about anything you want as long as you know what you want. What I am saying is there is no “right” way to wire a strat.

-Bryce
Anchorage, Alaska

[Tim Lee]

Bryce,

Thanks so much for replying. I thought I was losing it for a minute there………evidently your friend’s guitar is wired differently as mine is from the Fender diagram I attached so I learned something today which is all good!

I’ll have to check my other Strats and see how they are wired and if that tone knob works on the bridge pickup.

Tim

[sunjamr]

Mine (US made, fairly new) is like Bryce’s.

Sunjamr Steve

[Tim Lee]

Steve,

I need to check my Fender MIM but my cheapo Squier strats all do not work with the 2nd tone knob on the bridge pickup…..I’ll just have to compensate by adjusting my amp.

Tim

[Canada Moose]

My experience is Strat knob wiring is all over the map, depending on where and when it was made.

My own Strat has EMG “active” pickups so the middle knob is used as a universal tone control (works the same on any switch position) while the lower knob is a special gain/distortion knob associated with the EMG pickups.

I was really moving away from my smooth uni-tone Tele and getting into the multi-tone Strat, but now my PRS has me spellbound. Is it possible to have too many guitars?

[Tim Lee]

You can never have too many guitars……I traded in a vintage guitar y’day at Guitar Center but turned right around and bought another Strat………..need to play them all now…..

[Billy]

Hi Tim,
Lots of variations on Fenders wiring for Strats and not having a tone option for the bridge pick up is common and possibly the original way to wire the selector switch, Remember though when the Strat first hit the streets it had a 3 way switch and not the 5 way switch that they have now.
The 5 way and the introduction of the bridge pickup as a humbucker style meant that guitarists started looking at tone on the bridge more closely..
In saying all this, there are lots of differing wiring diagrams out there. This one though is my preference to use, I have used this on my partscaster build and it works a treat.

..Billy..

[Tim Lee]

Billy,

Thanks. It looks like it’s just a piece of insulated wire that needs to be soldered on but I’m not sure my soldering skills are up to it…..I re-soldered the output jack wiring before and it was an ugly looking soldering job but it works…..it’s not a biggie just to leave things as they are – my bullets & affinity’s all have the bridge disconnect on the 2nd control knob so not worth it I don’t think to do it. Still have to check my Fender MIM to see how that’s wired up.
Tim

[Billy]

Tim Lee wrote:

Billy,

Thanks. It looks like it’s just a piece of insulated wire that needs to be soldered on but I’m not sure my soldering skills are up to it…..I re-soldered the output jack wiring before and it was an ugly looking soldering job but it works…..it’s not a biggie just to leave things as they are – my bullets & affinity’s all have the bridge disconnect on the 2nd control knob so not worth it I don’t think to do it. Still have to check my Fender MIM to see how that’s wired up.
Tim

Flux is the key Tim, even if you are using fluxless solder use flux..it all depends on which sound you are looking for and imho the more options from the toggle then the better, maybe once you start experimenting and modding your guitars you will feel differently about trying this mod out…

..Billy..

[Tim Lee]

Billy,

I hear ya. When the time comes ‘ the grasshopper will come to the master ‘ for any further advice.
Thanks!

Tim

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