The Stratocaster Appreciation thread

[baobaojon]

S1 switching gives u the option to choose which pickups to combine with. Do you notice that the traditional way of pickup combination doesn't allow the neck and bridge pickups to be combined in any position. I did a tone blending mod for my Strat upon the recommendation of Master Beez. The last tone knob is used to control the amount of combination I want, say @ 5th position, I wanna activate neck pickup as well - tone knob 0 = bridge 100%, neck 0%. tone knob 1 = bridge 90%, neck 10% etc.

I also recommend you to install an orange cap for improved tonality..

I've tried the orange caps on my previous guitars and I have to agree that it simple is good.

Thanks for explaning about the tone blend fucntion.
However I'm still a little confused about it.
From what i read. the S1 switching changes the middle pickup from series to parallel and there be simulating a humbucking sound on the 2nd and 4th position. Is that true?

Cos if it is...than the tone blend and S1 switching seems really different to me... and i cant find and schematics on how the S1 swtching looks liek online..

 

[neuro182]

The S1 switching on American Strat gives u an option for parallel and series wiring. The tone blending is another case by itself.

As for humbucking, I doubt you can use S1 to give u that emulated humbucker sound. Should ask the experts in here.

 

[baobaojon]

ahhh..thanks for that...so those any1 know..... can we mod a strat to give switch for an option for parallel and series wiring.

 

[lightice]

Use a push/pull pot or a on/on mini toggle switch to wire the middle pickup to series/parallel and you're good to go.

By default the wiring on strats will be parallel.

 

[lightice]

I've tried the orange caps on my previous guitars and I have to agree that it simple is good.

Thanks for explaning about the tone blend fucntion.
However I'm still a little confused about it.
From what i read. the S1 switching changes the middle pickup from series to parallel and there be simulating a humbucking sound on the 2nd and 4th position. Is that true?

Cos if it is...than the tone blend and S1 switching seems really different to me... and i cant find and schematics on how the S1 swtching looks liek online..

The S1 switch is a monster to draw out.

But here's a picture:-

Picture from Axeblaster.com

 

[joshuak]

ive got a question...the S1 switching is found on the american deluxe strats and theres this option of pressing a button down (in the vol knob)

Is it true that when u press it down, u get a simulated humbucking sound on the 2nd and 4th position? How does it actually work?
Any1 care to shed some light?

Im asking this because if its possible to do this mod on my strat...I really would like to do it..

I use a American Deluxe Strat with S1 switch. Its my most versatile guitar so far. Yes, you can get humbucking sounds when you press down the S1 switch.

In fact, with the S1 switch down you can get 5 different shades of humbucking sounds on all 5 pup selector positions. With the S-1 switch up, you get 5 different types of strat sounds.

When I brought my deluxe strat for setup by a luthier, he said that the pups are actually humbuckers taken apart to act as single coils. He also said that many strat pups are not compatible with the S1 switch circuit.

 

[Whitestrat]

When I brought my deluxe strat for setup by a luthier, he said that the pups are actually humbuckers taken apart to act as single coils. He also said that many strat pups are not compatible with the S1 switch circuit.

This isn't true wat... The S-1 switch is independant of pickups. The pickups on the american deluxe are SCNs, which are designed by Bill Lawrence. They are stacked humbuckers BY THEMSELVES, just like every other noiseless single coil out there. It's a dummy coil. There's nothing about them that resembles a full active coiled humbucker.

You can fit ANY pickups along with the S-1 switching simply because it's just a switching mechanism. It simply gives you series/parallel options along with inphase and out of phase options. It's versatile, yes, but you will never get a full humbucker tone from this. There are things a switch cannot replicate, like pickup size and physical pickup position, which attributes a lot to that fat humbucker tone. The SCNs are thin, and snappy. Completely different animals.:mrgreen:

For a more comprehensive understanding on the S1, here's the info: .:: Fender®.com ::.

BTW, who's this "luthier" who told you all this?

Ok, just so you guys get lazy, here's the diagram:

 

[joshuak]

I have a few awesome sounding humbucker guitars. All of them have different shades of humbucking sounds from one another. I have tested the deluxe strat with S1 switch during quite a number of gigs. On the 5th position it's like awesome sounding humbuckers (bridge position). I only like and use 3 out of 10 pup selector options on the deluxe strat.

The luthier might have been wrong about the SCN pups. Or I might have mis-quoted him. But it's not nice to mention his name here eh?

 

[guitarsan]

Is there any shop here that sells just the Fender S1 pot/switch by itself?

 

[lightice]

No, fender has not sold it as an after market upgrade.

The s1 assembly is proprietary to fender and the only way you can get it is via ebay or from an authorised repair.

 

[Whitestrat]

I have a few awesome sounding humbucker guitars. All of them have different shades of humbucking sounds from one another. I have tested the deluxe strat with S1 switch during quite a number of gigs. On the 5th position it's like awesome sounding humbuckers (bridge position). I only like and use 3 out of 10 pup selector options on the deluxe strat.

The luthier might have been wrong about the SCN pups. Or I might have mis-quoted him. But it's not nice to mention his name here eh?

I think you're misreading me. I didn't mean that the S1 system won't give you a humbucker set up. The SCN single coils alone are humbuckers by themselves. What I meant is you won't get that fat ballsy clean from the SCNs just because of the S1. I used to have an American Deluxe. I just couldn't bond with it, so I got rid of it after 3 months. Maybe it felt too stiff for my liking. I dunno. But I know what the guitar sounds like.

Yes, you can have different shades of humbucking tones from various guitars. Because if they use different humbuckers with different winds, then obviously you get different shades. That's not what I'm talking about.

No, I'm referring to the humcancelling properties of 2 coils stacked side by side. Not only do they cancel hum, they also cut off some high frequencies they pick up. I think this is also due to the fact that these individual stacked coils are RWRP. This results in a fat tone with plenty of mids and bass, and why many people say that humbuckers are dark sounding. For some reason, you don't get this frequency cut off with the SCNs in the S1. I really don't know why though, but I suspect it has something to do with the coils not being stacked together side by side. Maybe someone else can shed light one this?

Anyways, I was asking about the luthier's name because I was wondering what kind of luthier would say something so unprofessional. I don't know what transpired in your conversation with him, but if he volunteered this information to you freely, then I'd be wary. Then again, you could have misunderstood what he was saying. I dunno.

P.S. My tone isn't nasty. Just trying to tell it like it is. Remember, online, no one can see you smile...:mrgreen:

 

[neuro182]

Or have them wired @ Beez according to your own customization..



Think about it.. You only need a push/pull pot to toggle between S1 and normal switching, then the rest of the wiring can leave it to the guitar tech to solder for u..

 

[neuro182]

WhiteStrat: I tried SCN pickups and they are darn "hot" *woah* finger burns.

I prefer them to the current Texas Special on my axe, but Beez did an excellent job in giving me versatility with the tone blender for an array of sound..

Now I have no complaints

Think about it, we should have a Strat user gathering and jam session. Anybody game for the idea?

 

[Whitestrat]

Is there any shop here that sells just the Fender S1 pot/switch by itself?

There IS an alternative to the S-1, and it's actually the Kinman K7 and K9 no-soldering harness. Noiseless Stratocaster & Fender guitar pickups

I think he'll only provide the system pre-wired if you buy his pickups though... I never wanted it, though he tried to convince me of getting one...:mrgreen:

The stock 5 way selector options are good enough for me...:mrgreen:

 

[Whitestrat]

Think about it.. You only need a push/pull pot to toggle between S1 and normal switching, then the rest of the wiring can leave it to the guitar tech to solder for u..

I'm not sure man... the S1 switching is a PCB traced for those switching positions. I'm not sure it can just be done like that with a push pull.:mrgreen:

 

[lightice]

Or have them wired @ Beez according to your own customization..



Think about it.. You only need a push/pull pot to toggle between S1 and normal switching, then the rest of the wiring can leave it to the guitar tech to solder for u..

Its not exactly just a push/pull pot.

There's some other stuff there that I have no idea of. a small PCB board and some other stuff.

There's also a 'special capacitor' there in the circuit on some of the positions.

 

[Whitestrat]

WhiteStrat: I tried SCN pickups and they are darn "hot" *woah* finger burns.

I prefer them to the current Texas Special on my axe, but Beez did an excellent job in giving me versatility with the tone blender for an array of sound..

Now I have no complaints

Think about it, we should have a Strat user gathering and jam session. Anybody game for the idea?

I'm onz for the gathering!

You actually like them SCNs? I hated them. seriosuly hated them. I threw them away when I got Kinmans.:mrgreen: Then I sold off the Kinmans when I got my CS69s...:twisted:

 

[neuro182]

Hmm, I am pretty much cool with the SCN, in fact I would trade my Texas Special away for them SCNs.. Kinman, needless to say, are darn good Strat pickups replacement..

Anybody tried the Lindy Fralins??

 

[joshuak]

Anyways, I was asking about the luthier's name because I was wondering what kind of luthier would say something so unprofessional. I don't know what transpired in your conversation with him, but if he volunteered this information to you freely, then I'd be wary. Then again, you could have misunderstood what he was saying. I dunno.

P.S. My tone isn't nasty. Just trying to tell it like it is. Remember, online, no one can see you smile...:mrgreen:

I probably misunderstood him when he was explaining why he wouldn't recommend changing the pups on that S1 circuit.

And hey, I can actually read your smile now. :mrgreen:

 

[lightice]

Hmm, I am pretty much cool with the SCN, in fact I would trade my Texas Special away for them SCNs.. Kinman, needless to say, are darn good Strat pickups replacement..

Anybody tried the Lindy Fralins??

I have fralins.

The standard wind is a little dark, I have the VH in standard wind. They are nice and clear, but I'm looking for more highs and a little less mids and bass.

I'm gonna buy another set of VH or real 54s that are 5% underwound.