Strat wiring question......4 way switch?

paulnb57

I don't particularly like the bridge/middle combination in a Strat, but am happy with the rest so would like to try wiring for, neck, neck/middle, middle, bridge, with tone for neck and bridge, as an experiment...
Can I do this with a 4 way blade switch?
A photo of a diagram would be nice!

Thanks chaps and chapesses!

ICBM

Yes, but you will also need an extra tone cap, since you can’t use the switch to select the tone controls any more - the neck and middle pickups will need to use both sides of the switch in position 2, unless you want no tone control in that position - so the neck and bridge pickups will need independent ones. This has the advantage that you can use different caps, .047 for the neck and .022 for the bridge works well.

I don’t have a diagram but it should be easy to work out - just connect both switch rotors to the volume control and the terminals in each position to the pickups you want on.

Funkfingers

paulnb57 said:

I don't particularly like the bridge/middle combination in a Strat

Obvious but necessary questions.

1. What pickups do you have in your Stratocaster? SSS, HSS, HSH, something else? 
2. How are the tone pots connected? Neck/Middle, Neck/Bridge, Neck/Middle+Bridge, something else?
3. If the bridge position pickup is a high output single coil, does it have a coil tap?

paulnb57

Funkfingers said:

paulnb57 said:

I don't particularly like the bridge/middle combination in a Strat

Obvious but necessary questions.

1. What pickups do you have in your Stratocaster? SSS, HSS, HSH, something else? 
2. How are the tone pots connected? Neck/Middle, Neck/Bridge, Neck/Middle+Bridge, something else?
3. If the bridge position pickup is a high output single coil, does it have a coil tap?

1. 3 Singles
2. Neck and Bridge
3 No and no!....

Ill probably stick with the 5 way! I’snot compulsory to use the bridge and middle together, I just wondered if it were possible...

ICBM

paulnb57 said:

Ill probably stick with the 5 way! I’snot compulsory to use the bridge and middle together, I just wondered if it were possible...

It definitely is. This is one of the standard requests, although it’s more common to want a 3-way giving neck/neck+middle/bridge+middle, or a 4-way giving those plus neck+bridge in the third position.

A remarkable number of Strat players never use the middle pickup, and quite a lot never use the bridge even with a tone control.