Strat wiring - second wire from 5 way switch to the wiper lug of the volume pot

SunDevil

Gents,

It's NGD for me - been lusting after a Custom Shop 56 Start with a roasted maple neck for some time and pulled the trigger on it today.

It has 'postmodern 50ies wiring to retain more treble' - whatever the F*ck that means?

At home, I'm loosing too much treble when I roll past 7 on the volume and I'm looking at putting a treble bleed (220k / 650pf from memory) on across the volume pot to retain some more treble, as I've done with Strat types before

Looking at the volume pot, there's the standard wire from the 5 way going into lug 1 and lug 2 goes to the jack, but also a wire coming from the 1st terminal on the 4 terminal side of the switch which is going direct to the wiper lug of the volume pot

What is this? 

Any issues with me putting the above treble bleed across the 2 volume terminals?

normula1

Any chance of a picture?

ICBM

Sounds like it has "50s" (Gibson) wiring applied to a Strat - ie the tone controls on the jack side of the volume pot rather than the pickup side. This is fashionable but really won't do anything useful on a Strat.

To properly retain treble you need a treble *pass* circuit. There are a range of values which work depending on personal taste/cable  length etc, but between 180pF and 1000pF for the cap and between 150K and 470K for the resistor are about the outer ends.

SunDevil

Thanks Gents,

I’ve stalled the treble bleed (the 150k / 680pF is the Suhr treble bleed, which has always worked perfectly for me)

I’m currently at the vets (..no really) so will test when I get back and report back to base ..will take pics if I need to open it up again

Baz

FelineGuitars

Yup to 50s wiring which I have found will help to a degree but not as dramatic as a treble bleed kit

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Components_and_Parts/Capacitors_and_Resistors/Golden_Age_Treble_Bleed_Circuit.html

SunDevil

Thanks @FelineGuitars ;

A dramatic difference with the treble bleed in place - much more usable and some classic Strat tones in there, but probably a tad too bright now below 7 on the volume - a bigger cap might be in order?

Jonathan - any recommendation on capacitor brand? 

Would the combination of 50ies wiring and the treble bleed be accentuating the treble bypass?

Funkfingers

SunDevil said:

I’m currently at the vet

Check yer bag before you leave.

ICBM

SunDevil said:

A dramatic difference with the treble bleed in place - much more usable and some classic Strat tones in there, but probably a tad too bright now below 7 on the volume - a bigger cap might be in order?

No, a smaller cap or a smaller resistor.

SunDevil said:

Would the combination of 50ies wiring and the treble bleed be accentuating the treble bypass?

No, if anything it will reduce it since the tone control now follows it.

By the way, this is a treble *pass* network. Treble *bleed* is what the tone control does.

FelineGuitars

Brand of cap really doesn't matter - there isnt any performance benefit at the voltages involved here. 

Value is more important, and being accurately on value
The rest is all about posing value and as it's hidden inside the guitar doesn't matter

ICBM said:

By the way, this is a treble *pass* network. Treble *bleed* is what the tone control does.

ICBM being right again

ICBM

Being a pedant again .

Sorry - I know that 99% of the internet calls it a treble 'bleed', but it does annoy me!

SunDevil

@FelineGuitars - I shall seek out an Unobtanium 8000v cap (value don't matter!) (..wink!)

@icbm - indeed - ''tis certainly passing less treble to ground

Sounding pretty good now, so thanks for all the help (as ever!)

I guess moving the wire feeding the tone controls from the wiper to the input should effectively put in into a regular Strat arrangement?

FelineGuitars

SunDevil said:

@FelineGuitars - I shall seek out an Unobtanium 8000v cap (value don't matter!) (..wink!)

@icbm - indeed - ''tis certainly passing less treble to ground

Sounding pretty good now, so thanks for all the help (as ever!)

I guess moving the wire feeding the tone controls from the wiper to the input should effectively put in into a regular Strat arrangement?

yes to wire shift

p90fool

A little hint for Strats, I run a couple of wires from the volume pot into the jack socket cavity to experiment with treble pass cap values, taped up and carefully placed so they don't interfere with the jack plug. 

That means I can easily make changes in a few seconds without lifting the scratchplate, and when I'm totally happy with the value I've settled on after a few gigs I can solder the cap directly to the pot at the next string change.