Planning a build. 7/8 Strat, 24.75"

[ztevie]

Thanks Mike!
Yeah, white with maple neck is weirdly arousing for me.
I may go with black hardware also.  Then a zebra humbucker in the bridge and a white single coil or single coil sized humbucker in the neck.  No middle pup.
I'm playing with the thought of a white bucker in the bridge and black binding for the body too. But I can't decide if s binding will make it look less classy?
i think I need to find that kisakae virtual builder to test some options...

 

[Cagey]

I think the next Strat I build will short the middle pickup as well. Seems like I rarely use it.

I have a white Strat with black hardware, but I put an Ebony over Pau Ferro neck on it. Love that neck. One of the best wood combinations I've used. I agree a Maple neck would look good on there, but I don't like a finished fretboard. I've got a Tele that's been waiting to get put together for about a year now that I keep putting off because I have a Maple neck for that, and I just can't get excited about it. Should finish it up and throw it at eBay.

 

[telecutie]

I have one strat, and I prefer having a middle pickup.  It's wired so that the lower control affects the bridge p'up tone only, and the middle control affects the middle and neck p'up tone.  As the middle p'up is RWRP, I can roll the two tone controls around to get some nice humbucker voices in the #4 switch position.

I suppose you could achieve the same by putting a RWRP p'up in the neck position.

 

[ztevie]

I have one strat, and I prefer having a middle pickup.  It's wired so that the lower control affects the bridge p'up tone only, and the middle control affects the middle and neck p'up tone.  As the middle p'up is RWRP, I can roll the two tone controls around to get some nice humbucker voices in the #4 switch position.

I suppose you could achieve the same by putting a RWRP p'up in the neck position.

I might go with a sc-sized humbucker in neck, together with a 5way switch I have enough options covered. I realize of course that real twang strat tone is not available then... Not the same to split a humbucker. I'll see. I have another guitar with a Dimarzio Chopper in the neck which is really nice. I like to solo with the neck pup, and for those singing sustain rich gain solos a'la Petrucci/Sfogli I need a humbucker. Then again, I have other guitarsv that cover that area... Hm, decisions.

Another question: How does Alpine White and Pearl White compare? It's impossible to see in pics. Pearl White should have that sparkle goin on, but is it very pronounced? I don't want too much of that, too much 70's disco vibe... arty07:

 

[Kostas]

You can check the Cruiser or the Fast Track 1 for cleans closer to classic strat and still with enough power for soloing.

I don't think Pearl White has much or any sparkle, it would be in the Flake category if it had sparkle. There is also Olympic White which is warmer than Alpine.

 

[Cagey]

The Alpine white is very white. What some might call a "bleach white". I mean, it's a solid finish with no tint to it. The pearl white is a pearlescent finish that doesn't sparkle at all. No metal flakes or metallic treatment. It's not quite as bright as the Alpine; I suspect there may be some silver under it, or perhaps a drop or two of black tint to take the blinding edge off. I have examples of both here, and the pearl is gorgeous. You won't be sorry with that one.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I have one strat, and I prefer having a middle pickup.  It's wired so that the lower control affects the bridge p'up tone only, and the middle control affects the middle and neck p'up tone.  As the middle p'up is RWRP, I can roll the two tone controls around to get some nice humbucker voices in the #4 switch position.

Just so you know, in the #4 position the tone controls are simply both acting as a master tone. They are both connected directly to the hot output at this point, so they're not doing anything independent to each pickup. That is to say, if you roll one to 8 and the other to 5, the circuit is electrically identical to if you switch those two values around.

The exception to this would be if two capacitors are used in the circuit and they're not of the same value.

 

[telecutie]

I know...
caps=.022 orange drop on middle/neck control, .015 on bridge.

 

[MikeW]

... I might go with a sc-sized humbucker in neck, together with a 5way switch I have enough options covered. I realize of course that real twang strat tone is not available then... Not the same to split a humbucker. I'll see. I have another guitar with a Dimarzio Chopper in the neck which is really nice. I like to solo with the neck pup, and for those singing sustain rich gain solos a'la Petrucci/Sfogli I need a humbucker. Then again, I have other guitarsv that cover that area... Hm, decisions. ...

Check this schematic out. It splits the coils in positions #2 and #4 so you're essentially running a single coil pickup. I've got this wiring in my latest Strat and really like it. more power and fuller sound for when I need it by using the humbuckers, but I can split and get to a great single coil sound just by flicking the switch to 2 or 4.

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WD2HH5L10_01/Guitar-Wiring-Diagram-2-Humbuckers5-Way-Lever-Switch1-Volume.html

This guitar currently has a SD '59er in the neck and a SD JB in the bridge. Great sounds all the way around. Especially with the Canary/Ebony neck; really punchy in the mids and clear top end.

 

[ztevie]

Check this schematic out. It splits the coils in positions #2 and #4 so you're essentially running a single coil pickup. I've got this wiring in my latest Strat and really like it. more power and fuller sound for when I need it by using the humbuckers, but I can split and get to a great single coil sound just by flicking the switch to 2 or 4.

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WD2HH5L10_01/Guitar-Wiring-Diagram-2-Humbuckers5-Way-Lever-Switch1-Volume.html
This guitar currently has a SD '59er in the neck and a SD JB in the bridge. Great sounds all the way around. Especially with the Canary/Ebony neck; really punchy in the mids and clear top end.

Yeah, it'll be something like that. I've done my share of soldering thru the years...
Just look at this schematic I came up with a few years ago. Was some serious soldering going on, but it worked really well, and still does... But it took a looong time to think it through, trying different things in theory on paper before I was ready to heat up that iron, haha......

12 different options:

4pdt #1 position 1
4pdt #2, position 1: Bridge series
4pdt #2, position 2, P/P pushed: Bridge series (in series with) Neck series
4pdt #2, position 2, P/P pulled: Bridge series (in parallel with) Neck series
4pdt #2, position 3: Neck series

4pdt #1 position 2
4pdt #2, position 1: Bridge split
4pdt #2, position 2, P/P pushed: Bridge split (in series with) Neck split
4pdt #2, position 2, P/P pulled: Bridge split (in parallel with) Neck split
4pdt #2, position 3: Neck split


4pdt #1 position 3
4pdt #2, position 1: Bridge parallel
4pdt #2, position 2, P/P pushed: Bridge parallel (in series with) Neck parallel
4pdt #2, position 2, P/P pulled: Bridge parallel (in parallel with) Neck parallel
4pdt #2, position 3: Neck parallel