How to get bridge pickup tone control on a Stratocaster
What does a Strat sound like when tone control is added to the bridge-only pickup setting? You're about to find out.
Easy mod #1 that I listed in Easy Strat mods that everyone should do is "Wiring in a tone control for the bridge-only pickup setting", and that's exactly what I did on my Squier Vintage Modified '70s Stratocaster. How to do this mod is to solder in one small wire from the open terminal on the 5-way selector to the terminal right next to it.
Did I perform this mod myself? No. I paid a guitar tech to do it because I'm no good with a soldering iron. If you're not any good at soldering or just don't like the idea of it, I suggest bringing your guitar to a tech and requesting this mod, as it's a very simple job. The total I paid to have this mod done was $20, so it's not like it's expensive.
Why do most Stratocasters not have any tone control wired for the bridge-only setting?
I've said this before in several different articles I've written, but for new visitors I'll explain it again.
Leo Fender, the man who originally invented the Stratocaster, specifically designed the Strat with no tone control for the bridge-only pickup setting; this means it is traditional to have a Strat wired that way.
"Most Stratocasters?"
Yes, most. Some made by Fender do have Tone 2 (the "bottom" tone knob) wired so that the bridge-only pickup setting has tone control.
However, I know of no Squier Strat that has Tone 2 wired for the bridge-only pickup setting.
Is there anything bad about wiring in tone control for the bridge-only setting?
There's nothing bad about it at all.
The only thing you have to get used to is actually having tone control for the bridge-only pickup setting. For those of you that have been playing Strats for a long time but never had this simple mod done, you're probably totally used to never touching the Tone 2 knob. With the mod done to your Strat, now you can for the bridge-only setting and it actually does something useful.
It is a really nice thing to have, no doubt about it.
Should Fender and Squier change the Strat so that they all have the bridge-only pickup setting work with Tone 2?
This question has been a source of large debate for years.
Some players say that a bridge-only pickup setting on a Strat with no tone control wired is totally unusable, and that yes, the standard wiring should be changed so bridge-only works with Tone 2.
Others say that tradition is tradition, and that if you don't like standard Strat wiring, mod the guitar and fix it yourself.
My opinion on the matter is this:
The Fender American Standard Stratocaster is wired so that the bridge-only pickup setting is wired to Tone 2. That is Fender's modern standard, and other Strats be it Fender brand or sub-brand Squier should follow that standard if "standard" or "deluxe" is in the model name of the guitar.
For example, the Fender Standard Stratocaster (as in the Mexico model,) Squier Standard Stratocaster and Squier Deluxe Stratocaster should have Tone 2 wired to the bridge-only setting, but don't. That's just weird; it spells out "Old Standard" and not "Modern Standard".
I don't know what Fender is planning for non-American Standard/Deluxe Stratocaster models in the future, but I do know this: If Fender introduced updated wiring that brings tone control to the bridge-only setting on the Mexico Standard, that would have Strat players jumping for joy, even if it was the only change done to the guitar while everything else remained the same.
Until that time comes, you'll have to break out the soldering iron or pay a tech a little cash to have the Tone 2 mod done.
Easy Strat mods that everyone should do
A Strat is a great guitar to mod because there are so many things you can do to it. However, some mods are good while others are not-so good.
If you look at the Fender Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster, the first thing you'll notice is that the middle pickup looks weird. That's because it's a dummy pickup. The guitar only has a rear and front pickup, but no middle. This is a mod I absolutely would not do because I do use the middle pickup quite a bit. Blackmore doesn't favor the middle pickup, so in the way Fender designed his signature guitar, they simply removed it.
What classifies as an "easy mod?"
The best way to describe this is what would be classified as difficult mods first.
Scalloping a fretboard is a difficult mod. This is a scary mod. Not only is it real easy to screw up the neck, but the moment you start taking away wood, that's the point of no return and there's no going back. Scalloping has to be done right the first time or you pretty much lose the neck. It is absolutely necessary to practice scalloping on a throwaway neck first.
Installing tuners that don't fit into the existing pegboard/headstock holes is a difficult mod because, again, wood removal is required, and again, once you start taking away wood, there's no going back. While definitely easier than scalloping a fretboard, you have to widen the holes just enough so that the tuners fit properly. If you take away too much wood, that would be bad.
Installing a preamp is a difficult mod for two main reasons. One is lack of space and the second is establishing easy access to a battery box.
To give further explanation on how difficult installing a preamp in a Strat is, if you look at the back of a Fender Deluxe Roadhouse Stratocaster (a guitar I just recently reviewed that does have a preamp in it), what Fender had to do in order to make the 9-volt battery accessible to the player was literally cut a hole in the back of the guitar for the battery box. Otherwise, the battery would have to be housed under the pick guard, meaning every time the player wanted to change the battery, the pick guard would have to come off first. Obviously, that would be very inconvenient, so a hole was routed out in the back instead.
Why can't the box be in front of the rear cavity cover? Can't do that because of the two large tremolo claw screws. Why not above the cavity cover? You run smack dab into pick guard screws from the other side. Why not behind the cavity cover? That's actually doable, but can potentially create a weak point when the tremolo system is in use and split the wood later on. The decision to place the battery box area below the cover and edged to the front to avoid running into other installed electronics was the right thing to do - if not the only way to get it in there.
If you ever want to install a preamp in a Strat, follow what Fender did with the Roadhouse Strat. They did think it through, and where they put the battery box was the best possible place it could go.
Okay, that being all said and done, let's move on to the easy stuff.
Easy mod #1 - Wiring in a tone control for the bridge-only pickup setting
Standard Stratocaster wiring for Fender, Squier and pretty much any other company that makes a Strat copy dictates that the bridge-only pickup selection has no tone control wired to it. Why? Because that's the way Leo Fender himself designed the Strat's electronics originally.
There are many players who consider the fact the Strat has no tone control on the bridge-only pickup setting to be totally stupid. I totally agree.
With a Strat's 5-way selector, there is an open terminal in the middle. Solder a small cable to that open terminal, then to the other terminal directly next to it. That's it. Now you have tone control on the bridge-only pickup setting.
If soldering is too scary for you, any reputable guitar shop with an on-site tech will know how to do this mod. It is a very, very common request. Most places will do it for very cheap.
Easy mod #2 - No-hole pickup covers
The first Strat I ever saw with no-hole pickups was in the 1990s when Fender was using Lace Sensor pickups on certain models. It looked cool, and still does.
Fortunately, you don't need Lace Sensor pickups for that cool no-hole look. You can just get the covers instead. But it should be said that if you want to put in a set of Lace Sensors, that's actually a very good pickup upgrade.
Easy mod #3 - Switching out your entire cover set for a different color
There are 7-piece sets where you can swap out every pickup cover, every knob and the switch tip with a different color. Many colors are available, including chrome, gold, green, orange, blue, and others.
Easy mod #4 - Block string saddles
The two most-used types of string saddles used on Strats are bent steel and block. Block is called as such because it looks like a block.
A search for Graph Tech string saddles brings up the most options for switching out bent steel to block.
Reasons why block is better than bent steel:
- They don't shift around like bent steel saddles do.
- On string installation, then don't flip over if the underside of them gets poked by the string.
- Even with constant play, it is very unlikely the saddles screws will ever vibrate out of place.
- Because there is more mass touching each saddle, bad vibration (as in the kind that's annoying) pretty much completely goes away.
- Extra vertical height adjustment because of the greater mass of the saddle.
Easy mod #5 - 250K linear taper potentiometer for volume control (only)
This one takes a bit of explanation, but it's not too difficult to understand.
Whether the Strat you have is made by Fender, Squier or someone else, it's pretty much guaranteed that all the knobs are 250K audio taper pots. Switching the volume control out to a 250K linear taper pot brings about some tone control you didn't have before.
The advantage to audio taper pots is that most of the treble is kept even as you turn the volume down. Audio taper pots are also really good for volume swells, should you use that style of guitar play.
Gibson guitars typically use linear taper pots. To your ear, when you turn down a linear volume pot, you will hear the treble start to cut off a lot sooner.
What happens when you install a 250K linear volume pot on a Strat? You're able to cut off a small amount of treble while keeping most of the signal just from turning the volume pot from 10 to 9 or 8.
For some players, this is really convenient because it allows a super-fast way to cut off just a smidgen of treble without having to grab a tone knob.
The disadvantage is that linear taper pots are not good for volume swells, so if you use that style of guitar play, keep your audio taper pots. But if you ever wished, "Gee, I wish I could just take off a small amount of treble without 'mudding' out and still keep my gain up," install that 250K linear pot for a volume control and you'll get it.
Should you use linear taper for all your pots, including the tone controls? No. Using linear taper for tone controls typically results in the sound 'mudding out' too quickly to be usable. It is OK to have a linear pot for volume control and audio pot for tone control...
...which is incidentally exactly how the Jaguar and Jazzmaster are set up. They use 1meg linear volume pots and 1meg audio tone pots. It's not a new idea. Some believe that linear volume/audio tone is the best combo you could use on any electric because it's the most usable.
Quick info on volume pot resistance for those not in the know
The higher the resistance number, the greater the treble response.
Strats use 250K because the skinny single-coils it uses have a high treble response, and 250K keeps the tone civilized without being "screechy".
Guitars with humbuckers, such as the Les Paul, use 500K pots because the dual-coil by nature has less treble response than the Strat single-coil does; the 500K increases treble level so the pickup doesn't "sound like mud."
1000K pots, a.k.a. 1meg pots, are used in Fender Jazzmaster and Fender Jaguar guitars, hence their "ice pick" like sound when the volume pot is turned all the way up. A common mod that Jazz/Jag owners do is switch out to 500K pots or even 250K to bring down the treble to a "civilized" level - however - since the volume pot is linear in the Jazz/Jag, a quick volume turn from 10 to 9 or 8 has pretty much the same effect.
Large single-coil pickups like the P90 vary as to what volume pot resistance is used (it changes around depending on what company made the guitar.) Some go as low as 100K, while others use 300K.
Strat single-coils typically do sound best when 250K is used, regardless if the taper is audio or linear.
Easy mod #6 - Roller string trees
These are cheap, readily available, look cool and help prevent string "kinking," but I'll give you a warning here. Watch out for the "nub".
If you have an modern American Standard Strat (anywhere from the 1990s to present,) you already have these roller trees, so anyone who installs these will do so on a Mexico Strat or Squier.
Here's the thing to know: On the bottom side of some roller trees, there is a metal nub on the underside. The reason it's there is because there is a tiny supporting hole that the nub goes into. But of course, your Strat doesn't have those supporting holes in the headstock.
If your roller string tree set has the nubs, file them off using whatever metal file you have available. But bear in mind the roller string tree is small, so you must use a small file to do the work, and do it slowly because it's almost too easy to shave off too much. All you want to do here is just shave it flat.
I also suggest doing the filing by hand. Don't use a Dremel or a power tool, because it's guaranteed you'll take off too much metal. Do it by hand.
One last thing on the trees. If your Strat headstock has two of them, it's probably true each is of a different height. If so, specifically buy a pair that has those staggered heights to them so your strings rest proper after they're installed.
Happy modding!
Vintage guitar of the week #10 - 2008 Gibson SG '61 Reissue
Yes, I know this is not technically vintage, but it's still better than the real thing.
The 2008 Gibson SG '61 reissue is now 7 years old. The price? Pretty darned low, and I'll tell you exactly why.
The '08 reissue is not a bad guitar, nor did it have any quality issues. In fact, owners of the '61 RI say nothing but glowing things about it.
So why is the selling price of the '61 SG RI so low for what it is? Two reasons.
First, it's a reissue, and reissues typically don't hold all that much resale value because it's a copy of a classic and not the actual classic itself. (Note: Perfect condition '61 SG guitars are usually north of $10,000 as the time I write this.)
Second, it's an SG, and I'll talk about that a little more.
The SG in Gibson's lineup pretty much sits where the Jaguar sits in Fender's lineup in the respect it's absolutely not the most popular guitar made by the brand, but it does have a smaller, very dedicated following.
Incredibly, Gibson prices a new USA Standard SG far below the price of a USA Les Paul Standard (the SG is literally less than half the price of the Paul!) In fact, the 2008 '61 RI mentioned above is only about $200 less than a new one.
However, the 2008 RI is the more traditional of the two. The '08 doesn't have that seriously dopey "Les Paul 100" logo on the headstock, nor does it have the dopey robot tuners either. For some, that alone makes the RI the better guitar.
Better than a real '61?
Easy answer: Yes.
A '61 SG is over half-a-century old, and the SG is not exactly known for being stable as it ages. What that means is that even if you were able to get your hands on an absolutely mint condition '61, the guitar will barely be able to hold its tune because the neck will be weak and the tuners will probably be showing major signs of disintegration due to age.
As a player's instrument, a real-deal '61 SG is an awful guitar because you have to treat it so gingerly.
The 2008 '61 SG RI on the other hand has at least 25 years to go before it starts to develop age-related issues that the real '61 does now.
Simply put, the '61 reissue is a great player's SG. It's built right, it's a bargain and it's a totally "correct" SG. A cherry red SG with the "half" black guard on the bottom is absolutely the proper look, and is a straightforward, no-nonsense electric.
I'll say it another way. The 2008 '61 SG RI is what should be the USA Standard SG now. This is the SG that fans of the guitar want more than anything else. This is the SG that gets everything right.
Does Epiphone make anything like the 2008 '61 reissue?
Yes. From time to time, Epiphone does release new SG guitars that absolutely capture the look, feel and most importantly tone of what a vintage SG is supposed to be. See what they're currently offering, and you might find a winner.
Cheap guitar of the week #26 - VOX SDC22
Very cool, cheap, collectible, and most importantly - sounds awesome.
The VOX SDC22 is one seriously cool guitar.
For most guitar players, VOX is best known for their amps, such as the AC30 and AC15. But yeah, they make guitars too. Every now and then they come out with something really good for a nice price, and the SDC22 is one of them.
You can think of the SDC22 as an SG with screaming Les Paul tone to it, which is one fine combination. The best way to describe the sound of this guitar is "all humbucker, all the time".
The pickups are called XLMTM ("Xtra Loud Mini"). They are mini-humbuckers, but wow do they pack a punch. For passive electronics, this thing screams.
It's been reported that the guitar has a thin neck to it, so for you chunky neck fans, sorry. But for those of you that like them thin (as in close to Gibson slim taper thin), that's what the neck feels like.
If you like "hot" Les Paul tone, yes. And if you want an easy collectible guitar, that's another yes. The SDC22 looks good, sounds good, has the VOX name, is well-appointed and the price is right.
Squier Vintage Modified '70s Stratocaster Review
This is going to be a roundabout sort of review because my purchase of this guitar has a bit of a story to it. Well... more than just a bit.
Okay, so.. the Squier Affinity Telecaster I bought is gone. Not traded out. Returned, and replaced with a new '70s VM Strat instead.
Was there anything particularly wrong with the Tele? No. My fret hand didn't agree with the neck, and I'll tell you exactly why.
Out of every Squier solid-body electric guitar (as in 6-string guitar and not a bass) made, the Affinity and only the Affinity series has a very skinny nut width of 1.60in/~40mm. Every other Squier solid-body electric has a nut width of 1.65in/~42mm. Being the vast majority of my chording is at the first 3 frets, I pay attention to nut width specifically.
Does just 2 millimeters really make a difference in the way a neck feels? You bet it does. I'll talk about that later.
Did I know the Affinity has a skinnier neck compared to other Squier solid-body electrics before buying one? Yes. I figured I could get along with it. I didn't. My fret hand did not like that skinny width at all. The profile thickness of the neck was just fine; I had no complaints there. But that skinny width... nope. That was not working for me, so back it went.
Why a Squier VM '70s Strat?
What I wanted this time around was a Squier Stratocaster guitar with a maple fretboard that had the 1.65in/~42mm nut width. I was done with the Telecaster because this is the second Squier Tele I've owned and returned in less than a week because I just couldn't get along with it.
Side note: There is nothing wrong with a Telecaster, be it by Squier or Fender. But for whatever reason, whenever I get one, it just doesn't work out. The guitar gods in the heavens above just don't want me playing a Telecaster. So be it.
This is every Squier Strat with a maple fretboard option:
My decision was to go with the '70s Strat. I almost considered the Deluxe because that is one seriously fine guitar, especially considering it has a satin finish on the neck just like the Mexico and American Strat models. But the '70s Strat was cheaper, I really dig the look of the large headstock, and black Strats are just cool guitars in general. At some point I may swap out the pick guard, knobs and plastics to white so I can have an Eric Clapton-esque "blackie" Strat, but for now, I'm keeping it as-is.
Is the '70s VM Strat "truly '70s?"
Answer: Mostly in appearance only.
A true '70s Strat is the Classic Series model made by Fender right now (which I have played personally.) That one is very true to the '70s original in every sense of the term. It has the 3-bolt neck plate, the SSS configuration where the middle pickup is not reverse wound by design, "F" tuners specific to the 1970s, a large-and-in-charge "U" shape neck with tall/skinny frets, "bullet" truss rod cover, the works. It's all there.
The Squier '70s Strat is mostly just an appearance package, and that is a-okay because it's really easy to deal with and a very easy player.
"Mostly?"
The slotted six-in-a-row tuners are vintage style, the 6-screw bridge is vintage-style and the 21-fret neck is vintage-style. Everything else is modern, which for me is very agreeable. The neck has a 9.5-inch fretboard radius, Modern C shape and medium jumbo frets. The pickups are the modern Duncan Designed. The electronics are what I describe as "classic 5-way." Bridge-only pickup setting has no tone control wired to it, all other pickup positions do.
The big deal with the appearance is the large pegboard/headstock with the "swoop" STRATOCASTER logo on it, and it looks cool. It just does. Some don't like it. I really like it.
This is in fact my second Squier VM Strat
The first VM Strat I had was one in Vintage Blonde with a rosewood board. Fantastic looking guitar, but it came from the factory screwed up. And I didn't notice the screw-ups until owning it for about a week, so back it went. Bear in mind this was in 2012.
This VM Strat I have now is a 2015 build (the serial number states so,) and it appears all the issues that my previous 2012 model had are gone now. Tuners are improved, bridge is more solidly installed, screws used are slightly larger, tremolo springs used seem to be just a tad larger, the "wing" string trees used appear to be slightly wider and thicker. Or maybe those are the same, but they do appear to use larger screws now.
"Screw size make a difference?"
Yes, and for a very specific reason. The body is basswood, and basswood is soft, meaning it's easy to strip a screw hole (and that includes more expensive guitars that use basswood as the body material.) Larger screws with larger thread not only more solidly connect things to the wood, but also decreases the chance of stripping screw holes. Maybe not by a great deal, but hey, any little bit helps.
Said another way in plainer English: The Indonesian factory that is building the Squier VM Strats is doing a better job and making better guitars now in 2015 compared to 2012; it is noticeable.
That thing about the 2mm of nut width...
I mentioned above the Affinity series Squier 6-string guitars use a ~40mm nut width while all the others use ~42mm as far as I know, and that I'd talk about it more, so I will now.
Two millimeters sounds like nothing, but it actually counts for a lot.
Imagine for a moment if every single key on your computer keyboard or every menu button on your smartphone was slightly shifted towards or away from each other by 1mm. What would happen? It would drive you nuts. You would feel major frustration to the point of making you want to smash something. Not only that, but it would cause hand strain from having to retrain your hand to figure out where everything is, even with just a 1mm shift in position. That seemingly insignificant shift of just a single millimeter is not only mentally painful, but also physically painful as well.
This is not to say 42mm is "good" and 40mm is "bad." Neither is good nor bad. What I am saying is that 42mm is good for me. My fret hand absolutely did not like the 40mm width...
...but there are some players who in fact greatly prefer the skinny 40mm because it feels the most comfortable for them. For some, only the Affinity feels like "the right Strat." It might be dirt cheap, but it's all about the feel. Sometimes it's just better overall to go with the correct-to-your-hand neck and just upgrade everything else around that neck.
What does the Squier '70s Strat sound like?
Pretty darned good.
The Duncan Designed pickups in the VM Strat have what I call a very "civilized" tonal character to them. They're not overly screechy and have good output without being too overbearing.
In other words, a good overall sound. Not "hot." Just good. If you want hot, there are aftermarket pickups that can do that. I don't typically switch out pickups, but if you want to, be my guest.
I'm fine with the stock pickups that came with my VM Strat. When I say "civilized," that doesn't mean "boring." It means "not barn-burning hot, not screechy as hell, works well with your existing guitar effects." That's the kind of Strat tonal character I like, and I got it.
Conclusion
Very predictable in a good way. No awful surprises (always a plus.) The Squier VM Strat is just a genuinely good Strat guitar and it looks cool. And for me, my fret hand very much agrees with the neck, so I'm a happy guy.