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Easy mod for Strats to get Neck/Bridge combo - no solder!


tedmanzie
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I found this on another forum and tried it out for my Stratocaster, it gives you the Neck/Bridge combo and it sounds excellent!

Just take off the pickguard, undo the middle and neck pickups and swap round. So what was middle pickup is now in the neck, and what was neck is now in the middle. You leave the wires as they were.

So now your 5 position switch gives you this:

1. Bridge (same)
2. Neck/Bridge (was Bridge/Middle)
3. Neck (was Middle)
4. Neck/Middle (same)
5. Middle (was Neck)


Bit tricky to get your head round at first, but if you are a fan of the Neck/Bridge combo - as found on Telecasters - then I would recommend giving this a go. You lose the Bridge/Middle position, but I prefer having the Bridge/Neck option. Easy to put back if you don't like it!

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if you want to keep bridge/middle but don't mind losing middle/neck then you can swap the position of the bridge and middle pickups instead, this gives you:

1. middle (was bridge)
2. middle/bridge (same)
3. bridge (was middle)
4. bridge/neck (was neck/middle)
5. neck (same)

there are additional differences in this setup as the two tone controls effect different combos.

alternatively, buy a telecaster :)

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No need to buy a tele when I have a Yammie MSG with coil taps. :P

Some basic rewiring can replace the mid coil setting with bridge and neck pickups. It's even possible to wire in a small switch that allows both sets of wiring to be swapped in and out.

[url="http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WDUSSS5L1204/"]http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WDUSSS5L1204/[/url]

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Nice little trick there! There's bound to be some players who want that neck+bridge sound and are willing to forego an in-between sound, though I get the feeling those guys should just go buy a Tele and be done with it if they don't want an in-between sound ;)


[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1393277962' post='2378267']
No need to buy a tele when I have a Yammie MSG with coil taps. :P
[/quote]

Nice too! I Esquire'd my tele a while back, and I absolutely LOVE the one pickup simplicity. Even removed the three-way so it's just volume, tone, bridge pickup, out. Sounds HUGE and rings so clearly. Proper beater.

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[quote name='mcgraham' timestamp='1393336702' post='2378880']
Nice little trick there! There's bound to be some players who want that neck+bridge sound and are willing to forego an in-between sound, though I get the feeling those guys should just go buy a Tele and be done with it if they don't want an in-between sound
[/quote]

I've been looking at Tele's recently! Now the American Standards come with a contoured rear I'm more interested, I never really liked the slab body. Just tried a swamp ash AS in natural and it was fantastic, sounded great and seemed to weigh under 6lbs.

Edited by tedmanzie
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Telecasters are great guitars. It's a guitar that ALWAYS delivers. It's the uber-solid robustness and stripped-back physicality that tips it over a Strat or LP/ES for me. I only Esquire'd mine to get it even more stripped down and utilitarian.

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My start Ultra has the neck/bridge combination with the selector switch in the middle position. With the dually lace pickups in the bridge I can via a separate switch choose either of the two coils in single coil mode to give me a tele type tone or use in humbucker mode in combination with the neck pickup.

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