Strat bridge tone help needed

Sarge

Hey up.
Standard sss setup but I want the bridge to have its own pot (bottom) while neck and middle share the top tone pot.
Now I've tried switching lugs on the switch but no joy, I've searched all over for a diagram, again no joy. 
I've seen people mention it but no mention as to how they wired it. 

Could any of you fine twiddlers point me in the direction of a diagram please? 

ICBM

If you look at the switch you should see one unused terminal, and the next one has a wire that goes to the bottom tone pot. Move the wire to the unused terminal, and connect the terminal it came from to the one with the wire that goes to the top tone pot (which should be the end one on the switch).

Be aware that this will produce a slightly duller sound in the bridge+middle position, and a slightly brighter one in the neck+middle position, than a stock Strat.

Sarge

ICBM said:

If you look at the switch you should see one unused terminal, and the next one has a wire that goes to the bottom tone pot. Move the wire to the unused terminal, and connect the terminal it came from to the one with the wire that goes to the top tone pot (which should be the end one on the switch).

Be aware that this will produce a slightly duller sound in the bridge+middle position, and a slightly brighter one in the neck+middle position, than a stock Strat.

Thanks. 
That's what I did, but I'm now thinking maybe it didn't work because, as the guitar isn't assembled and I'm just prewiring the plate, that I didn't have the 2nd tone pot earthed? (I'm plugged into the amp and tapping the poles) 

CasperCaster

Standard 5-way? You can have one tone control for bridge and also bridge + middle together - the switch itself doesn't allow for specific discrete selections, so you can't have it wired for the bridge selection without it also working in the bridge + middle selection. If you must have specific discrete selections you need a superswitch - sorry!

Assuming bridge; bridge +middle is acceptable there are then several options for your second tone control, typically neck; neck + middle; middle; middle + bridge (the latter overlapping with the first tone control).

Alternatively the second tone control could cover neck; neck + middle (no tone control in the middle selection alone).

I don't have a diagram to hand, but if I cant't find one shortly, I'll draw one out for you.

EDIT: I see @ICBM has replied whilst I was typing. If you're still stuck, let me know and I'll draw something.

Sarge

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pN5TW4J9bsXY4ZqR9

I'm confused, i just tried this fralin diagram which should have seen me right, but still no dice.

@CasperCaster I'd appreciate that, thanks 

Sarge

And yes, a standard grigsby type 5 way

sixstringsupplies

assuming you have standard strat wiring, just add the wire in red on this diagram

https://www.sixstringsupplies.co.uk/stratocaster-wiring-diagram

it is the only connection you need to change.

sixstringsupplies

or if you want it in video format 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=884-MdsDIHg&t=83s

Sarge

sixstringsupplies said:

assuming you have standard strat wiring, just add the wire in red on this diagram

https://www.sixstringsupplies.co.uk/stratocaster-wiring-diagram

it is the only connection you need to change.

Thanks but that's for bridge/middle tone control. 
I was hoping to get just bridge tone on the bottom pot and neck/middle on the top pot

sixstringsupplies

Sarge said:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pN5TW4J9bsXY4ZqR9

I'm confused, i just tried this fralin diagram which should have seen me right, but still no dice.

@CasperCaster I'd appreciate that, thanks 

did you get any sound from this diagram? It looks correct but they haven't connected both sides of the switch together

Sarge

sixstringsupplies said:

Sarge said:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pN5TW4J9bsXY4ZqR9

I'm confused, i just tried this fralin diagram which should have seen me right, but still no dice.

@CasperCaster I'd appreciate that, thanks 

did you get any sound from this diagram? It looks correct but they haven't connected both sides of the switch together

Yeah I did, just no tone for bridge at all. 
It does state in the pic that no jumpers are depicted, why I have no idea 

SteveRobinson

sixstringsupplies said:

Sarge said:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pN5TW4J9bsXY4ZqR9

I'm confused, i just tried this fralin diagram which should have seen me right, but still no dice.

@CasperCaster I'd appreciate that, thanks 

did you get any sound from this diagram? It looks correct but they haven't connected both sides of the switch together

I think that's the orange wire? It looks good to me.

ICBM

Sarge said:

That's what I did, but I'm now thinking maybe it didn't work because, as the guitar isn't assembled and I'm just prewiring the plate, that I didn't have the 2nd tone pot earthed? (I'm plugged into the amp and tapping the poles) 

That would stop the tone controls working. Connect the top tone pot casing to the volume pot casing with a wire anyway, don't rely on contact via the shielding.

Sarge

SteveRobinson said:

sixstringsupplies said:

Sarge said:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pN5TW4J9bsXY4ZqR9

I'm confused, i just tried this fralin diagram which should have seen me right, but still no dice.

@CasperCaster I'd appreciate that, thanks 

did you get any sound from this diagram? It looks correct but they haven't connected both sides of the switch together

I think that's the orange wire? It looks good to me.

Damnit I didn't see the orange wire  
Sigh....lets go again 

Sarge

Right, in this fralin diagram, it doesn't show earth from vol-tone1-tone2, that would just be assumed, right? 

Sarge

ICBM said:

Sarge said:

That's what I did, but I'm now thinking maybe it didn't work because, as the guitar isn't assembled and I'm just prewiring the plate, that I didn't have the 2nd tone pot earthed? (I'm plugged into the amp and tapping the poles) 

That would stop the tone controls working. Connect the top tone pot casing to the volume pot casing with a wire anyway, don't rely on contact via the shielding.

Yes I had that set already, I meant the earth to trem claw wasn't connected to anything. 

ICBM

Sarge said:

Right, in this fralin diagram, it doesn't show earth from vol-tone1-tone2, that would just be assumed, right? 

Yes. Normally it's done by the pots contacting the shielding, but in practice this can be unreliable. You don't actually need to connect the lower tone pot casing though, because the cap for both tone controls goes to the top tone pot.

Sarge

Ok thanks.
I'm convinced that diagram is wrong, I've done it three times now and my wiring is definitely identical. 
I know all pots are fine, they're new and work in standard sss and with the bridge/middle mod. 

ICBM

The diagram is definitely correct. The only thing that's non-standard is that it shows two tone caps, whereas normally it's done by using only the orange one, and instead of the pink cap, that terminal is connected to the same one on the top pot. Just connect the pot casing of the top tone pot to the casing of the volume pot and it will work.

Sarge

ICBM said:

The diagram is definitely correct. The only thing that's non-standard is that it shows two tone caps, whereas normally it's done by using only the orange one, and instead of the pink cap, that terminal is connected to the same one on the top pot. Just connect the pot casing of the top tone pot to the casing of the volume pot and it will work.

Nope, it doesn't work. 
With or without the pink cap. 
Best I get is top tone control of bridge/middle in position 2.
There is no tone at all in position 1.

Sarge

I've been doing this all fucking evening  
Im going back to vintage, fuckit. 

Thanks for your help