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previous: charlie Anyone done John Atchley's "Hum-bus... -- 8/2/1999 8:03 PM

Re: strat re-wiring question

8/4/1999 2:45 PM
Doc	Re: strat re-wiring question Regarding the switching noise: The stock 3-way & 5-way switch (used by Fender) has overlapping contacts. The 5-way switch is identical to the 3-way, but with extra mechanical detents (notches) to hold the lever between positions. It's a "make-before-break" type switch. There should be no pops or switching noise with this type of switch, if the contact surfaces are clean. Many of the newer multi-pole super switches, like my favorite 4-pole, 5-position switch from AllParts, has individual non-overlapping contacts. In other wods, "break-before-make" contacts. If you've used one of these multi-pole switches to customize your strat, you may very well get some switching noise that must be accepted with the hot-rodding. I'm not sure how the pre-programmed Megaswitches (the pcb-wafer type that Stewart MacDonald's sells) are set up with regard to overlapping contacts. I haven't used any yet. The plastic cased 5-position imported switches that one finds on almost all but American-made guitars develop poor contact efficiency after a few years. DeOxit-5 contact cleaner helps, but these switches will eventually fail, or at least drive you crazy. I have an otherwise great old squier strat (japanese) with a stock import switch that oxidizes when sitting for a week without use. It crackles when changing positions, so I have to rapidly run it up & back a number of times to allow the wiper to clean the "track". In this case, it's a matter of lesser quality metal on the contacts. These import switches all have a knob mounting blade that's not as wide as on the US fender switches. The knob for these has a rather pointed look to it, where the US strat knob is more pear-shaped with a broader rounded tip. Separate tone caps: I first learned about this, not sharing a single tone cap, when the Lone Star strat came out. The tone controls had to be separated, because switch contacts were needed to utilize the stock 2-pole switch and be able to split the bridge humbucker coils in the bridge-mid position. I've since routinely used separate caps on each tone pot to be able to choose different cap values for bridge and neck p/u's. I've found a .01uf is nice for a strat bridge pickup.

8/4/1999 2:45 PM

Doc

Re: strat re-wiring question

Regarding the switching noise:

The stock 3-way & 5-way switch (used by Fender) has overlapping contacts. The 5-way switch is identical to the 3-way, but with extra mechanical detents (notches) to hold the lever between positions. It's a "make-before-break" type switch. There should be no pops or switching noise with this type of switch, if the contact surfaces are clean.

Many of the newer multi-pole super switches, like my favorite 4-pole, 5-position switch from AllParts, has individual non-overlapping contacts. In other wods, "break-before-make" contacts. If you've used one of these multi-pole switches to customize your strat, you may very well get some switching noise that must be accepted with the hot-rodding.

I'm not sure how the pre-programmed Megaswitches (the pcb-wafer type that Stewart MacDonald's sells) are set up with regard to overlapping contacts. I haven't used any yet.

The plastic cased 5-position imported switches that one finds on almost all but American-made guitars develop poor contact efficiency after a few years. DeOxit-5 contact cleaner helps, but these switches will eventually fail, or at least drive you crazy. I have an otherwise great old squier strat (japanese) with a stock import switch that oxidizes when sitting for a week without use. It crackles when changing positions, so I have to rapidly run it up & back a number of times to allow the wiper to clean the "track". In this case, it's a matter of lesser quality metal on the contacts. These import switches all have a knob mounting blade that's not as wide as on the US fender switches. The knob for these has a rather pointed look to it, where the US strat knob is more pear-shaped with a broader rounded tip.

Separate tone caps:

I first learned about this, not sharing a single tone cap, when the Lone Star strat came out. The tone controls had to be separated, because switch contacts were needed to utilize the stock 2-pole switch and be able to split the bridge humbucker coils in the bridge-mid position. I've since routinely used separate caps on each tone pot to be able to choose different cap values for bridge and neck p/u's. I've found a .01uf is nice for a strat bridge pickup.

Replies:

charlie Thanks, Doc!I'll se... -- 8/5/1999 4:24 AM