My Strat Mod

  • Thread starter Thread starter WhiteStrat
  • Start date Start date
WhiteStrat

WhiteStrat

Don't stare at the eye.
I've been troubled by the fact that I play my $150 Epi Les Paul (a Christmas gift from my son) more than my $1200 Strat that I've had for 15 years. Then I figured out why. Once upon a time, when my Strat was my only guitar, I needed it to be "everything." So I put a double humbucker in the bridge and expected it to be a Les Paul style rocker as well.

But guess what? The cheap Epi does that better. So rather than feel guilty, I decided to soup up the Epi and embrace it as the "rocker" and return the Strat to a more classic state of Strat-ness. Three hot, overwound single coils and new electronics all around. (the old 5-way was shorting out). In the process, I couldn't resist souping the Strat up as well. I went with 3 mini toggles-one for each pickup-instead of the standard Strat pickup selector. Now I can have all 3, the neck and the bridge together and any combination of out-of-phase sounds as well.

All the parts & supplies came from Guitar Fetish. I thought their prices were good and the extra service with all my questions was impressive. I got the package in no time and the wiring diagram was very clear--so I jumped in.

Here's what I did last night: (more pics below the ad!)
 

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Wrapping it up...
 

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Very cool! I've been thinking about redoing my strat, and I think you just made up my mind for me. The toggle switch thing makes me feel good in all the right spots.
 
Well, now, ain't that just shit hot! :)

You did sort of a Brian May thing with the switching, with three independent on/off toggles. How's it sound with all three on?
 
Zaphod B said:
Well, now, ain't that just shit hot! :)

You did sort of a Brian May thing with the switching, with three independent on/off toggles. How's it sound with all three on?
Click to expand...

I think it sounds great with 'em all on, but it's hard for me to compare to the old sound. The pickups are new--brighter and hotter than the old ones. And while I was monkeying around with it, I upped my strings from .009's to .010's and did a new setup. So it sounds like a new guitar on all fronts.

FWIW--you know what sounds even better than all three on (at least to my ears)? The neck and the bridge together. I'm grooving on that combination.
 
Looks sweet!
I've got Guitar Fetish pups in my Strat and one of my Teles. I got the I18 set... they are a little hot with a non-reverse wound middle pup. Which did you get??

Peace!

~Shawn
 
eyema_believer said:
Looks sweet!
I've got Guitar Fetish pups in my Strat and one of my Teles. I got the I18 set... they are a little hot with a non-reverse wound middle pup. Which did you get??

Peace!

~Shawn
Click to expand...

The I66 set--I think they're called "60's/70's Overwound Greybottoms." The differences between them and my stock pups (whatever was stock in a Strat in '94) is noticeable. Especially through the clean channel of my tube amp.

Last night me and my son were playing around in the studio and I put it this way; "I've always heard guys' Strats and wondered why mine doesn't sound like that. Now it does."
 
Nice one, thats a lot of switching I get confused with a standard strat setup. That thing would have me dizzy in no time..:D
 
muttley600 said:
Nice one, thats a lot of switching I get confused with a standard strat setup. That thing would have me dizzy in no time..:D
Click to expand...

Well, I'm still new to it (or it's new to me :rolleyes:) but so far it's been pretty easy. Since I don't really use the out of phase sounds much, each pickup is either on (up) or off (middle). And since there's one switch per pickup it's fairly intuitive.

What's wild though is having an "all off"--with all three switches in the middle. I can see that being valuable for quick silence without having to roll back the volume.
 
WhiteStrat said:
What's wild though is having an "all off"--with all three switches in the middle. I can see that being valuable for quick silence without having to roll back the volume.
Click to expand...
You can get the "kill switch" effect on a Les Paul or similarly wired guitar by rolling off the volume on one of the pickups and toggling the selector switch between the middle position and the other, volume-up pickup. (Ya gotta remember which one is rolled off so you dont go there for a lead and find embarrassing silence instead...:eek: :D)
 
muttley600 said:
Nice one, thats a lot of switching I get confused with a standard strat setup. That thing would have me dizzy in no time..:D
Click to expand...


That's how I've always felt about that setup. I've always using a push/pull pot that turns on the neck pickup.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
WhiteStrat said:
I think it sounds great with 'em all on, but it's hard for me to compare to the old sound. The pickups are new--brighter and hotter than the old ones. And while I was monkeying around with it, I upped my strings from .009's to .010's and did a new setup. So it sounds like a new guitar on all fronts.

FWIW--you know what sounds even better than all three on (at least to my ears)? The neck and the bridge together. I'm grooving on that combination.
Click to expand...

That would be adding a middle position Telecaster sound to you're Strat-more or less. :)
 
Light said:
That's how I've always felt about that setup. I've always using a push/pull pot that turns on the neck pickup.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...
Thats kind of the way I would go, but others like it with switches. As long as it works all is good..
 
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