4-way switch wiring with a 2 pickup strat?

Matt J

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Hey everyone, I'm a newbie here to the forum, but I've had a long term interest in guitar wiring and construction and was looking for some advice. I play a Stratocaster (71' RI CIJ with natural finish and maple neck) with only the bridge and neck pickups installed (similar to Ritchie Blackmore's setup) and I'm soon going to be doing an upgrade with new pots and switches. I'm looking at the 4-way switch for telecasters that is sold so you can get a wiring combination of bridge, bridge and neck, neck, and bridge and neck in series. What I'm curious about is whether you can wire this switch so that you can get the following combination: bridge, neck and bridge, neck and bridge out of phase, neck. Is this possible, has any one else tried this out?
Thanks, it's always great to talk to fellow gearheads out there.
-Matt J.
 
Matt J said:
Hey everyone, I'm a newbie here to the forum, but I've had a long term interest in guitar wiring and construction and was looking for some advice. I play a Stratocaster (71' RI CIJ with natural finish and maple neck) with only the bridge and neck pickups installed (similar to Ritchie Blackmore's setup) and I'm soon going to be doing an upgrade with new pots and switches. I'm looking at the 4-way switch for telecasters that is sold so you can get a wiring combination of bridge, bridge and neck, neck, and bridge and neck in series. What I'm curious about is whether you can wire this switch so that you can get the following combination: bridge, neck and bridge, neck and bridge out of phase, neck. Is this possible, has any one else tried this out?
Thanks, it's always great to talk to fellow gearheads out there.
-Matt J.

nop, wont work. You need a super-4wayswitch to fix that, and I've never seen one like that. even then; why not just use a 3/4 way (I prefer a 3way) with phase under a pushpul pot?
 
If you use the 4-way Tele switch on a 2 pickup Strat... just wire it like the Tele diagram for 4-way.   You get bridge, both parallel, neck, both series.   

A tele with bridge/neck in series is a fat toned machine.   You're gonna like it on the strat too

For phasing... add a phase reversal mini toggle, and you can get out of phase in either of the "both" positions.  Series and parallel out of phase are different tones btw.
 
+1 Yeah I would go standard 4-way tele wiring with push-pot (or mini toggle) for phase. That would be pretty cool.
 
I have wired my Strat with 2 pups and a 4 way switch. The tonality is fantastic.  The 4 way switch will give you 4 distinct tones with the 'series' position givng a very full fat sound. Also, if you avoid a reverse wound middle pickup you do not loose the top (being the trade off for hum cancellation). I use Vintage Vibe P90 Strat style pickups. Good luck with the guitar.
 
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