Because music is an extension of the soul, and stringed instruments are some of the most expressive out there. So they allow you to express yourself better--ergo, stands to reason they'll continue to be innovated upon.
@Jesse's Auditorium That could be stated about acoustic percussion instruments with strings/wires attached underneath or above the heads of the instruments. IMHO, Stringed and wind instruments were some of the first Solo Instruments, such as the Violin, Piano, Harpsichord, Guitar, and ect. In Blues, Rock and Jazz era music before the Electronic Revolution and after to present even, the Flute, Saxophone and Clarinet, Guitar to the (Banjo exclusive to America), were the first real solo instruments. The saxophone was the first non-electric Overdrive-Gain/Distortion/Fuzz toned solo instrument. (Anything In All Creation can be used as a musical instrument ! ! ! ) The innovations of woods, strings, hardware, metal alloys, all other materials and electronics have kept me amazed for their uses that I have studied back to the time of NOAH, to the Present Days AD onwards into the Future . . . , even the STAR TREK "VULCAN SPOCKTAR" was not a working model, but was a studio prop, but it was later made into a Real Functioning Electric 6-String Guitar much like the electric guitar that Pop Music Artist, Virtuoso, Legend "PRINCE" designed and played ! ! ! GOD/MUSIC/INSTRUMENTS/MY WOMAN/MYFAMILY/MY FRIENDS they are the MAJOR LIFTS IN MY LIFE, especially when any MINOR comes to Fall ! ! ! Peace & Play 🎸 On . . . 👍🤘🎸😎🙏 DDH 9-17-2020.
@@saintrhoads3375 and that's your prerogative. Between this, and Relish Guitars, along with what's going on in the pedal world, it's a pretty exciting time to be a guitarist, at least as far as I'm concerned.
Same, I love my humbuckers, and usually coil tap or split to try to get the tone of a strat. However, this might let me take a strat and get the tone of a humbucker. Definately going to do this my next warmoth build.
This was the best mod I've done so far. My 40 year old Strat was shuddering at the thought of being modded, but it had nothing to fear. OMG!!!!! I wish I would have done this years ago. I still have my standard, and amazing tones PLUS some new ones that I cannot and will not give back. They are all mine now. Thanks for letting the community know about this one.
I really like how they switched between normal strat switch mode and the mod mode itself. Instinctively I thought they were going to make you flip a switch or use a push pull to activate the mods but the fact they were able to make the switch move like that is crazy!
@@sasmitha8446 ya could...but you'd need to re wire each single pickup to a switch. Simply...a lot of screw'n around. You'd also have more combinations cause there'd be 4 single coils.
As a very long time Strat Player, I have "Wished" for a bit Thicker Sound from time to time, and never did I think of doing anything other than dropping a Humbucker into the Guitar. OK, so I am only a Guitar Player, and Not an electrical engineer or an inventor. But this 10 postion Switch is a fantastic idea, and I am on my way to the Web Site to purchse one. Can't wait to drop it into my best Strat.
@@ramencurry6672"Not really necessary" is one of the best reasons to do anything! "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" as the poet said.
@@harveycan5820 An issue with the design is that there’s a circuit board inside. With the moving parts of the switch it is more prone to break in the future . In my opinion a better solution is to find out which pickups pattern is your favorite and rewire to your liking without that product so it can be more sturdy
@WF They may, but, all I was really trying to say was that if Fender offered it as a factory option, it would have a 200% markup. They would also most likely try to just buy the patent- then a 45 dollar part that we can install in any brand guitar we wish would potentially become proprietary and inaccessible to us. Could happen...probably wouldn't, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility.
I love them so much. I have this in my Strat, a 6 way in my 335 and the 6 way blade in my Strandberg with 2 push pulls for splits. Great seeing you cover it. I personally think it should be standard on everything.
@@hamdog8872 If you have a stratocaster guitar that sounds and works properly dont touch it. With good pots you can do exactly this same 10 or 40 tone thing.
@@claudiocruzat8777 too late. Tone knobs don't cover what the sixth position does. Nobody has time to tweak an amp for an hour when you can click to next position in half a second. It's an awesome product.
Darrell always showing Something-else . . . that I have-to-have. Great idea. Enables Strat players to use Higher-gain and Reduce the Hum - "I'm In" - love this channel.
Position 2 and 4 already kill hum so long as your pickups aren't super vintage correct. Also wiring your pickups in series has been a mod pretty much since forever. Being able to get a 7-way strat mod plus the series combinations without changing anything but the pickup selector is the crazy thing lol.
Luthier here, I was actually just talking about the free-way switch with one of my colleagues a few hours ago at work. He's a die-hard traditional Strat guy and thinks this switch is fairly superfluous. I agree to a point, but for the cost of this switch, it's really a pretty awesome mod. It definitely brings SSS Strats up to the versatility of a good set of humbuckers with coil splits. I would be very interested in putting this mod on a Strat if I were inclined to deviate from my tried and true PRS's. The only learning curve I can think of is committing to memory the additional five tone options. But that is really a small price to pay to get those different tones out of a guitar.
@Jake R exactly why does your colleague think the switch is superfluous? That would mean it has no purpose or function or that the same outcome can be had more easily by other means. Baffled....
@@EricM1711 you could use a push pull to reverse the phase of, say, the middle pup. Or a couple to give you more options. But the hum cancelling would be lost (except in the bridge + neck positions, which don't have noise cancelling without a phase switch, but would have with a phase switch). I'm making some assumptions there based on my own Strat wiring experiences, so don't quote me :)
@@adiiqbal8010 To go into it further. Dont expect a signal like from a true single coil. It will be always more of a crossbreed between the two types of pickups. I for myself use "Ultrasonic" OBL pickups from the 90s. There are various other new contenders too of course.
found a Nashville Tele by Squier - basically a Tele SH Custom with a Strat Middle reverse phase pickup added... with a 5 way switch - takes a while to realize why the combos are diff than a 2 pickup in phase Tele Custom - mainly makes you wonder why Teles dont have 5 way switches with hard wired combos
This could possible be the best mod ive ever seen for a strat. No extra buttons, switches, push/pull etc. A simple flick on the 5way switch and BAM! 5 extra super useable sounds. Thnx Darren for shining a light on new "less known" products. Ordered one before even completing your vid 😂🤘
I've had the 6-way Tele switch they make for about a year now, still holding up great. It's a great way to give a Nashville style tele all the pickup combinations you want without having to add push/pull pots. Glad you finally tried one out and liked it!
I received this guidance about the two SSS wiring option from Free-Way : Scheme A is probably the most popular choice as it is hum-cancelling (assuming you have a rw/rp middle pickup as is normal) and provides a tone more similar to a humbucker. Scheme B is a higher output fat tone, not what you might expect from a Strat, but very useable in certain styles and works well with overdriven tones.
I accidently watched this video and impulse-bought the switch. I completely agree, this is the best Strat mod. £40 bought me a second guitar. Fender practically charges you $400 for that with their S1 switching system and it is not as well thought as this one. After installing it on my American Standard, I couldn't stop playing it. The guys from Free-Way are super helpful and responded my questions within hours. Six String Supplies have a great installation video.
I'm always looking for an excuse to buy another Strat in another color. This gives me a "practical" reason for doing so. Thanks! (And to anybody who suggests I mod a Start I already have, I'm sorry, but I've already left and can't hear you.)
That is a very well thought out and designed switch. I once set up my Strat so I could get 7 pickup configurations using a 5-way switch and a blender knob. I found I had to think too much to remember what position produced which pickup combination, so I ultimately went back to a simpler wiring. I don't think I'd have that problem with the Stew-Mac 10-way Switch. Good demo of its versatility and ease of use. Thanks
Lol actually in this one you have more to..remember(although its still a great mod) but a blender knob its easier,more flexible and still cheaper...cause if you think for example that the sound the bridge is a bit icepicky all you need to do is roll the knob a bit to bring a bit of the neck and its not all the neck but just the amount you need....
Hi. Many thanks again for this video. After watching it I bought 2 of the switches straight away, had to wait a few weeks for them to arrive located being down under. I just spent 3 hours installing it in my cheapest Strat first, taking the guard off at least 6 times before getting it right. It's amazing! In this guitar I run a Dimarzio tone zone in the bridge. The mod has given me all the Strat positions by automatically splitting the bridge humbucker to a singe coil (which I didn't have before), and then all the other serial and parallel combinations. Why it took me so long is modded my Strat 2nd tone to work on the bridge as well, this sent things askew. So in the end I made the 2nd tone work only for the bridge. Usually use the middle with either the neck or bridge anyway, so adjusting tone will be fine using t1 or 2. The Mother of all Strat mods. Thanks again as I would never had known about the switch without seeing your video. Regards.
Thank you so much for your insight, Darrell!! Thanks to you, I have one installed on my HSS Kramer. Lower row I use as a regular strat (all single coil sounds), The additional sounds I get from the upper row (humbucker sounds from both bridge and neck pickups, plus tele like single coil combinations and so much more!) are really nice sounding. So now (in addition to other mods I did too), my budget guitar has become a tone monster and my favorite one to play thanks to its multiple choice of pickups. Thanks!!!
I love how when switched up to series (in either 1 or 5 position) there isn't a huge volume boost as there would be un-splitting coils on a humbucker. Amazing mod, for sure!
I’d just like to say that I feel like Darrell’s videos are underrated. He does such awesome stuff in his videos and experiments with such unique brands that are unheard of. It’s awesome to see him supporting these smaller companies instead of the generic legends that everyone else uses (including myself). I’m currently waiting on a custom Body and Neck from Warmoth so that I can build my dream guitar. Although, Warmoth is a pretty big name, Darrell’s experience with them is what made me take a chance on them. If you personally don’t like his videos then you’re entitled to your own opinion, I personally just really like what he’s doing. Thanks for all your videos Darrell! I hope to see you hit 1 mil Subscribers soon my dude.
I have a 1997 Ibanez FGM400QM (Frank Gambale) that came with an HSS configuration and similar electronics setup. The single coils are "dual rail" design and the 5-way switch is the same but the volume knob pops up. It splits the rails and does so many configurations that, 23 years later, it's still the most versatile of my 20+ guitars. I might have to try one of these for one of my Strats. Stay safe everyone. Cheers.
If you're interested, I've got a Strat with an S1 switch, and when I select the bridge and neck pickup together it's surprisingly close to a Tele - truly a wonderful sound. So this Freeway selector might be a great idea if you already own a Strat.
"Just physically switch middle & bridge pickups" --> 1.) M (relocated Bridge PU) 2.) B and M (as original, except swapped places) 3.) B (relocated Middle PU) 4.) B and N (relocated M in Parallel with N) 5.) N I haven't checked recent situation, but at least traditionally stock Strat lacks Tone for the Bridge Pickup. If so, here the Middle Pickup lacks the Tone. If needed, it's relatively easy mod to either change it back, or to include Tone for all pickups. When pickup totally lacks the Tone, it sounds little bit brighter and louder. Just like with Fender No-Load Tone, when it's clicked to its max position (No load = Tone is detached from the circuit). In some Strats, all pickups are identical. While in some others, they aren't.
I recently switched out my five-way switch on my 2019 Fender Stratocaster Performer with a factory push-pull knob. It came with seven tones. Now it has 10 tones and the switch company suggested I turn the push pull knob into a phase switch which I did. Thanks for the video, it inspired me to do it. Love the addition of the humbucker tones.
I really enjoyed watching this video so much so that I decided to try one of these on a custom build. While the switch is well made, easy to install and works well, it has a serious limitation for me. You cannot double up on tone controls i.e. neck and middle on one tone control and bridge on the other. According to the manufacturer, this will conflict with the way the switch works internally. If you wire your strat so that you only have two pickups on tone controls you will be fine. That's a pretty common wiring scheme. Just remember that you cannot double up on tone controls. This is something that I wish I had known before I purchased one. I tried it with the neck and bridge pickups on tone controls and the middle without one. That was their recommendation. That was ok, but In the end, I went back to a 5 way switch and push pull pots. I'll probably end up dropping this into one of my traditional strats since it's very nice and too expensive to waste. YMMV. Kind Regards.
I was already planning out a build that included this switch. I the title of this video, and I said out loud “they’re all gonna be sold out!!! Thanks Darrell.” It was a great video, but I was right about everything selling out.
Love the channel Darrell - long time subscriber, first time commenter. I love this mod - I totally agree it is probably the best (and simplest) tone mod on the market. It's like adding a Gilmour switch+++++. And once installed it's like a secret weapon! I installed a Freeway 10way switch into a Schecter Hellcat about 18months ago,, and along with the additional parallel/series options the 10way gives, the Hellcat has Jaguar slider selectors for half output/full output per pick up - it effectively doubles the 10way tones, giving me 20 tonal options before even touching the tone or volume knobs! Mental, but so much fun! I bet when you first installed the Freeway, you thought 'why hasn't anyone thought of this before now... WHY didn't I think of this!! I know I did! Thanks for another great video, and for spreading the word about this great switch! Cheers, Luw
I just added this to my 1989 Strat Plus Deluxe with silver, blue, & red Lace Sensor pickups. The 5 new sounds are all fantastic and I'm only beginning to see what they can do. Combined with the LR Braggs piezo I put in years ago, these new sound make my Strat as versatile as any guitar you can find. My PRS 513 is jealous.
This looks like a way nicer approach than the other way I've tried using a four pole 5-way switch and a push/pull pot. Push/pull is fiddly to switch, but this looks easy. Well thought out, it looks well executed, and what a bold idea to wiggle the switch in that direction!
So, I've bought three Freeway switches so far. The first one wouldn't play in three different positions, so I installed another. That one was shorted out in three different positions. I disassembled the first one, examined it, cleaned it out, reassembled and reinstalled it. All of the alternate modes would operate; but whether I toggled the switch to normal mode or alternate, it was the same. So I ordered and installed a third switch; amd it works beautifully. Worth the bother.
Only just seen this after watching your tele Freeway switch video, cant believe Ive not heard about this mod before, its pure genius. Many thanks, off to Amazon now :)
The 10 way switch is AWESOME! Tele, Gibson, & Strat in one guitar. I have the Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot pickups and I am still discovering new sounds. It only cost me around $150.oo to have it installed. Thanks for the review.
I literally just got mine installed and no lie....this makes a HUGE difference. It literally transforms the Stratocaster! Not only do you get the extra bank with 5 additional tones, it's a whole new guitar. Literally. And new position on the second bank is different. It's literally transforms the experience and is suited for any kind of music. In short, get it!
Thanks for showing this, Darrell. It puts me in mind of a mod I copied from the 1980 Schecter Strats used by Mark Knopfler in Dire Straits. (He actually had 3 of them, I think - 2 red and one dark sunburst). Schecter used 3 small 3-position DP3T switches instead of the 5-way. Surprisingly, I had no trouble finding those from a U.S. manufacturer. When it was done, there was an amazing set of extra tones available. I did the same mod on a Greg Bennett "Malibu" strat from 2011, and added single-coil tapped-coil pickups. Those were hard to find; in the end I wound my own). With that, I also put in 1 Volume and 1 Tone pot, with push-pull DPDT switches to accessed still more sounds. It was actually not that hard to do - the most annoying part was that the 1V 1T pickguard I'd special-ordered came with a 5-way slot (although advertised as having no slot). A local trophy shop helped me out with a small rectangle of brass plate. I know most people don't want to get into wiring mods to that extent, but the result was worth it. Now, looks like I'll have to hunt up one of these. I hope that was $45 Canadian dollars . . .
Just had my Strat Plus modified with the Freeway switch (it's actually easy to get one even on this side of the pond), along with a few other bits. Huge thank you Darrell, for demoing this clever bit of hardware! It plays amazingly, definitely a worthy upgrade. The tech who did the mod for me was so impressed he immediately ordered two for his own Strats 😁👍🏻
Awesome video! It didn’t seem like it in the video but did you notice much of a volume difference when you switched between the single coil positions and the in-series positions?
@@sawyerc.6033 Oh you are talking about the HH version. I was talking about the HSS one, for me that's the best pickup combination. Your mod sound intresting but I would ad 2 more nobs so each pickup gets a volume and a tone.
awesome ! i am a huge Freeway fan. i have their 6 way toggle switch in a 2 humbucker guitar. 6 completely different sounds ! incredibly versatile. i use scheme 047(they have numerous schemes on their website...). their diagrams are very easy to follow. their willingness to indulge endless questions and help with alternate schemes is customer service of the highest order ! no they are not cheap. but man are they great. and they are tough. i am NOT skilled with a soldering iron. and the switch not only survived my initial janky soldering, but lived on after i went back in and fixed it ! no, i am not a schill for them. i just have great things to say about the product and the company. check em out, they probably have something you need... as always, great job darrel !
@@jeffsguitarrepair2498 Yes, I know. I use a "Fat-o-caster" switch on my partscaster and I believe this 10-way switch is a better alternative, but both would be better with a more advanced wiring. Using 2 single coils wired in series are very good for soloing, but doesn't work for power chords. In my next built I will try something with a 500k push/push pot and a 270k resistor. I know a HSS setting would be smarter, but I don't want to compromise the bridge+middle position, I think that's the most funky
@@juyanine So you would put the 270k fixed resistor across the 500k pot to cut the impedance in half for single coils, but only when the switch enables it?
Actually that would mean using a 500k resistor in parallel with 500k pot to get a 250k result. But why bother with that, just use the tone pot as a master tone and turn that up to reduce the treble on the "normal" positions due to the 500k volume pot.
Ordered one after seing your video, I have finally completed the installation and WOW that is awersome I feel having a brand new instrument out of my Fender Strat. Just try it you wont regret it !!
My first git was a Fender The Strat. It had all the standards, then with a switch it would do B-M series, B-N parallel, M-N series(I think) all 3 in series. It was an amazing machine.
Reminds me of Alex Lifeson's "Gibsonized" Strat - he had a Lawrence L500 humbucker in the bridge position and the middle and neck Strat p/ups wired in series with a 3-way switch. Of course, it didn't sound like a Strat at all, whereas the Freeway switch lets you access all the normal Strat tones, as well as the humbucking tones. And I really like the all three p/up position. I'm sold!
Back in stock at StewMac. Just ordered one based on this review. As, Darrell says in the video: at this price, it's a, "no-brainer." Thanks for the heads-up, Darrell.
They also offer a 6-way version as a drop-in for a Gibson-style 3-way switch, which then offers some great options for coil-splittable humbuckers (e.g. PRS-style wiring, which has outer/inner coils in series or parallel). Such a great idea!
Similar thing. I have the S1 in my strat with a preamp. But the preamp is more of a voice/tone mod, that brightens and fattens the tone. And there's also no position to activate all 3 pickups. But with this added to the preamp, it could get even more interesting :)
First time I’ve learned about this. Thanks, super informative! I love that there’s a way to get humbucker sound when needed without replacing my pickups. Definitely gonna get one of these!
Great stuff. Years ago in the late 80s, Guitar Player did the schematics for a "Super Switch" that replaced one of the tone knobs with a 4-way rotary switch that gave 8 new combinations in addition to the original 5. This is the same concept, but I like how it keeps everything looking "stock".
Super glad you showed us this one! I've been wanted to experiment with crazy strat combinations like these. Looks like this makes much of those a lot easier to accomplish 👏
just ordered the mega switch for my LP knock off. I already did the blender switch mod on my strat and I am going to put the mega switch for the strat in my Jackson dinky. The blender mod for the strat has reveled some interesting tones . position 2 gives me all 3 pick ups which to me sounds like a semi hollow body. Thanks Darrell.
Video came out on the 10th. I saw it on the 11th. That evening, I checked StewMac, and then every dealer of this product worldwide. It's now completely sold out, everywhere in the world. I guess that's a pretty good testament on the quality of the vid. I'm having a Nashville Tele built for me by Ron Kirn, and we have decided to use one (assuming that the company can restock its dealers within the next couple of months.).
In the 80's there was a model called 'The STrat' (also in walnut if you want) that have a similar idea: 9 sound with a master volume, a master tone, and a rotary 2 position knob with 4 more sound (series, tele style and all 3 pickups togheter).
Absolutely LOVED this mod!
Enjoy :)
A dream come true...a truly versatile Strat!
when is your next strat build
I wanna be able to see more on the make ur strat that's like 70 dollars into a million bucks 0art 2
with the or just guitar build w/ the glass neck? love ur vids
Cool would it work on Godin Velocity. (Super Strat) which also has a 5 way?
The way people keep innovating a piece of wood with strings never cease to amaze me.
Now what are you suggesting?
Because music is an extension of the soul, and stringed instruments are some of the most expressive out there. So they allow you to express yourself better--ergo, stands to reason they'll continue to be innovated upon.
It has definitely ceased to amaze me
@Jesse's Auditorium That could be stated about acoustic percussion instruments with strings/wires attached underneath or above the heads of the instruments. IMHO, Stringed and wind instruments were some of the first Solo Instruments, such as the Violin, Piano, Harpsichord, Guitar, and ect. In Blues, Rock and Jazz era music before the Electronic Revolution and after to present even, the Flute, Saxophone and Clarinet, Guitar to the (Banjo exclusive to America), were the first real solo instruments. The saxophone was the first non-electric Overdrive-Gain/Distortion/Fuzz toned solo instrument. (Anything In All Creation can be used as a musical instrument ! ! ! ) The innovations of woods, strings, hardware, metal alloys, all other materials and electronics have kept me amazed for their uses that I have studied back to the time of NOAH, to the Present Days AD onwards into the Future . . . , even the STAR TREK "VULCAN SPOCKTAR" was not a working model, but was a studio prop, but it was later made into a Real Functioning Electric 6-String Guitar much like the electric guitar that Pop Music Artist, Virtuoso, Legend "PRINCE" designed and played ! ! ! GOD/MUSIC/INSTRUMENTS/MY WOMAN/MYFAMILY/MY FRIENDS they are the MAJOR LIFTS IN MY LIFE, especially when any MINOR comes to Fall ! ! ! Peace & Play 🎸 On . . . 👍🤘🎸😎🙏 DDH 9-17-2020.
@@saintrhoads3375 and that's your prerogative. Between this, and Relish Guitars, along with what's going on in the pedal world, it's a pretty exciting time to be a guitarist, at least as far as I'm concerned.
My first thought was "That's stupid." My second thought was "I wonder what the point is." My third thought was "I think I want one."
Hahaha nice Mr. Braun always delivers
Me trying to sleep at 3AM
*Sneaky notification*
OH MY GOSH ITS 10 WAY SWITCH IN STRAT I'LL WATCH IT RIGHT NOW
Artur Brzozowski
Hahahaha.. yep worth watching! it's only 9 p.m. for me!
@Soilent Green Hello zonemate! Greetings from Norway! :D
Been watching this at 5:30am, thanks Darrell
Soilent Green I was at work! Late morning comments
same exact time right now smh
This mod might actually convince me to get a Strat
Same, I love my humbuckers, and usually coil tap or split to try to get the tone of a strat. However, this might let me take a strat and get the tone of a humbucker. Definately going to do this my next warmoth build.
i was going to say the EXACT same thing.
Same, I use coil split in all my guitars and I find this like the same thing but reversed, and that's amazing
As a strat player, I assure you that single coils sound much better than coil splitting! Give it a try
Wonder how it sounds with hotrails
This was the best mod I've done so far. My 40 year old Strat was shuddering at the thought of being modded, but it had nothing to fear. OMG!!!!! I wish I would have done this years ago. I still have my standard, and amazing tones PLUS some new ones that I cannot and will not give back. They are all mine now.
Thanks for letting the community know about this one.
I really like how they switched between normal strat switch mode and the mod mode itself. Instinctively I thought they were going to make you flip a switch or use a push pull to activate the mods but the fact they were able to make the switch move like that is crazy!
It’s a great mod , I love the new tones and as you mentioned a genius move in the design of the switch it looks absolutely stock.
Nicely done! Sounds great.
Wow! A comment from StewMac!
Please figure out a similar system for 10 way switch for a 2 humbucker guitar!
@@sasmitha8446 ya could...but you'd need to re wire each single pickup to a switch. Simply...a lot of screw'n around. You'd also have more combinations cause there'd be 4 single coils.
@@sasmitha8446 They have a 6 way switch for Gibson toggle switches
Dirty:
Neck: 4:31, 4:48
Neck + Middle in series: 4:12, 4:55
Middle + Bridge in series: 6:08, 6:41
Bridge: 5:58, 6:35
Clean:
Neck + Middle in series: 7:25
Neck + Bridge in series 8:08
Neck + Bridge in parallel: 7:41
Middle + Bridge in parallel: 8:27, 8:39
Neck + Middle + Bridge in parallel: 8:20
Middle + Bridge in series: 8:56
Bridge: 9:05
As a very long time Strat Player, I have "Wished" for a bit Thicker Sound from time to time, and never did I think of doing anything other than dropping a Humbucker into the Guitar. OK, so I am only a Guitar Player, and Not an electrical engineer or an inventor.
But this 10 postion Switch is a fantastic idea, and I am on my way to the Web Site to purchse one. Can't wait to drop it into my best Strat.
Now imagine it for a HSH model ... awesome.
@@stephanematis HSH calls for a different switch, the 5B5-02 for HSH / HSS / HHH
The strat is already legendary as it is! The thought of enhancing it is surreal! Awesome work
RC32 nah bro line 6 guitars are even better
This should come as a Standard Feature on all Strats!
Fender would charge $300 more.😂
It’s amazing, I will add it. However in my opinion it’s not really necessary. That said, I would add it to my guitar
@@ramencurry6672"Not really necessary" is one of the best reasons to do anything! "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" as the poet said.
@@harveycan5820 An issue with the design is that there’s a circuit board inside. With the moving parts of the switch it is more prone to break in the future . In my opinion a better solution is to find out which pickups pattern is your favorite and rewire to your liking without that product so it can be more sturdy
Me watching this after building a 7-way strat:
.......rewiring time again boys
... on a different Strat!
@@jeffsguitarrepair2498 use a blender circuit and you can get 12 tones with the ten way switch.
@@earlycuyler8719 Whoa !! Mind blown !!
I made one with 3 independent Tone and Volume control for each PUs on my cheap Strat. Sound amazing and making a lot of fun
@@GillesJFP Sounds awesome. I love guitars with tons of controls on them, they look techy
This should be the new standard Strat switch.
Why? So that they can charge us 2-3 hundred more per guitar? Lol
@WF yeah you wish lol, fender charges 50 bucks for a damn treble bleed.
David DeQuasie as much as they cost should be the norm! Marketing they want you to buy a whole new guitar. No brainer upgrade.
@WF They may, but, all I was really trying to say was that if Fender offered it as a factory option, it would have a 200% markup. They would also most likely try to just buy the patent- then a 45 dollar part that we can install in any brand guitar we wish would potentially become proprietary and inaccessible to us. Could happen...probably wouldn't, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility.
absolutely; as stated in the video, a no brainer; I just ordered one
I love them so much. I have this in my Strat, a 6 way in my 335 and the 6 way blade in my Strandberg with 2 push pulls for splits. Great seeing you cover it. I personally think it should be standard on everything.
I've got a strat I was thinking about getting one for. You think it's worth the time and effort to install? I'm handy so I'll do it myself.
@@hamdog8872 If you have a stratocaster guitar that sounds and works properly dont touch it. With good pots you can do exactly this same 10 or 40 tone thing.
@@claudiocruzat8777 too late. Tone knobs don't cover what the sixth position does. Nobody has time to tweak an amp for an hour when you can click to next position in half a second. It's an awesome product.
Six way switch kicks ass.
Darrell always showing Something-else . . . that I have-to-have. Great idea. Enables Strat players to use Higher-gain and Reduce the Hum - "I'm In" - love this channel.
Position 2 and 4 already kill hum so long as your pickups aren't super vintage correct. Also wiring your pickups in series has been a mod pretty much since forever.
Being able to get a 7-way strat mod plus the series combinations without changing anything but the pickup selector is the crazy thing lol.
This is so cool and might be the most innovative Strat mod I've seen. Thanks for introducing us to this, Darrell.
This is the solution I've been waiting for... didn't think twice about buying it. Just awesome!
Luthier here, I was actually just talking about the free-way switch with one of my colleagues a few hours ago at work. He's a die-hard traditional Strat guy and thinks this switch is fairly superfluous. I agree to a point, but for the cost of this switch, it's really a pretty awesome mod. It definitely brings SSS Strats up to the versatility of a good set of humbuckers with coil splits. I would be very interested in putting this mod on a Strat if I were inclined to deviate from my tried and true PRS's.
The only learning curve I can think of is committing to memory the additional five tone options. But that is really a small price to pay to get those different tones out of a guitar.
@Jake R exactly why does your colleague think the switch is superfluous? That would mean it has no purpose or function or that the same outcome can be had more easily by other means. Baffled....
@@chrisb8075 Colleague clearly an idjit...
Considering how unusable is the strat bridge tone in most cases, i'd sat this switch is must instead.
@@EricM1711 you could use a push pull to reverse the phase of, say, the middle pup. Or a couple to give you more options. But the hum cancelling would be lost (except in the bridge + neck positions, which don't have noise cancelling without a phase switch, but would have with a phase switch). I'm making some assumptions there based on my own Strat wiring experiences, so don't quote me :)
Committing to memory? 1, 3, 5 line up with the 6, 8, 10 series tones. Only the 7 & 9 parallel setting would be the learning curve.
I always preferred humbuckers to single coils but hated the way humbuchers look on strats so I think this is the perfect alternative!
This was exactly what I thought also
Have you ever tried humbuckers in single coils shape? I have them on one of my Strats and I love them.
@@countblue will definitely check them out thanks for letting me know
@@adiiqbal8010 To go into it further. Dont expect a signal like from a true single coil. It will be always more of a crossbreed between the two types of pickups. I for myself use "Ultrasonic" OBL pickups from the 90s. There are various other new contenders too of course.
found a Nashville Tele by Squier - basically a Tele SH Custom with a Strat Middle reverse phase pickup added... with a 5 way switch - takes a while to realize why the combos are diff than a 2 pickup in phase Tele Custom - mainly makes you wonder why Teles dont have 5 way switches with hard wired combos
The series wiring of the neck and bridge is such a cool and unique tone. It's so balanced, almost giving me slightly acoustic vibes.
This could possible be the best mod ive ever seen for a strat. No extra buttons, switches, push/pull etc. A simple flick on the 5way switch and BAM! 5 extra super useable sounds. Thnx Darren for shining a light on new "less known" products. Ordered one before even completing your vid 😂🤘
Just installed the switch. I don't love all the additional tones, but a few of them are beyond awesome! Very cool. Thanks, Darrel.
Did you lost tone control to bridge pickup and did bridge pickup sound the same as on original switch?
I've had the 6-way Tele switch they make for about a year now, still holding up great. It's a great way to give a Nashville style tele all the pickup combinations you want without having to add push/pull pots.
Glad you finally tried one out and liked it!
We literally ordered the toggle version of the freeway switch this week to try in our carbon fibre guitars, nice to see them getting recognition!
I have been using this switch for a couple of years now. WONDERFUL
I received this guidance about the two SSS wiring option from Free-Way : Scheme A is probably the most popular choice as it is hum-cancelling (assuming you have a rw/rp middle pickup as is normal) and provides a tone more similar to a humbucker. Scheme B is a higher output fat tone, not what you might expect from a Strat, but very useable in certain styles and works well with overdriven tones.
I accidently watched this video and impulse-bought the switch. I completely agree, this is the best Strat mod. £40 bought me a second guitar. Fender practically charges you $400 for that with their S1 switching system and it is not as well thought as this one. After installing it on my American Standard, I couldn't stop playing it. The guys from Free-Way are super helpful and responded my questions within hours. Six String Supplies have a great installation video.
I'm always looking for an excuse to buy another Strat in another color. This gives me a "practical" reason for doing so. Thanks! (And to anybody who suggests I mod a Start I already have, I'm sorry, but I've already left and can't hear you.)
Got this installed in my partscaster with noiseless pickups, just amazing !
That is a very well thought out and designed switch. I once set up my Strat so I could get 7 pickup configurations using a 5-way switch and a blender knob. I found I had to think too much to remember what position produced which pickup combination, so I ultimately went back to a simpler wiring. I don't think I'd have that problem with the Stew-Mac 10-way Switch. Good demo of its versatility and ease of use. Thanks
Haha I had the same concern
Lol actually in this one you have more to..remember(although its still a great mod) but a blender knob its easier,more flexible and still cheaper...cause if you think for example that the sound the bridge is a bit icepicky all you need to do is roll the knob a bit to bring a bit of the neck and its not all the neck but just the amount you need....
Hi. Many thanks again for this video. After watching it I bought 2 of the switches straight away, had to wait a few weeks for them to arrive located being down under. I just spent 3 hours installing it in my cheapest Strat first, taking the guard off at least 6 times before getting it right. It's amazing! In this guitar I run a Dimarzio tone zone in the bridge. The mod has given me all the Strat positions by automatically splitting the bridge humbucker to a singe coil (which I didn't have before), and then all the other serial and parallel combinations. Why it took me so long is modded my Strat 2nd tone to work on the bridge as well, this sent things askew. So in the end I made the 2nd tone work only for the bridge. Usually use the middle with either the neck or bridge anyway, so adjusting tone will be fine using t1 or 2. The Mother of all Strat mods. Thanks again as I would never had known about the switch without seeing your video. Regards.
Good review, Darrell. The sounds are useful for a variety of music styles, and it's hard to beat the price to get those features.
Thank you so much for your insight, Darrell!! Thanks to you, I have one installed on my HSS Kramer. Lower row I use as a regular strat (all single coil sounds), The additional sounds I get from the upper row (humbucker sounds from both bridge and neck pickups, plus tele like single coil combinations and so much more!) are really nice sounding. So now (in addition to other mods I did too), my budget guitar has become a tone monster and my favorite one to play thanks to its multiple choice of pickups. Thanks!!!
Ingenious! Makes you wonder why someone hasn't done it before now.
I love how when switched up to series (in either 1 or 5 position) there isn't a huge volume boost as there would be un-splitting coils on a humbucker. Amazing mod, for sure!
I would have loved to hear this clean.
Same! I bet the Jerry Garcia tone options just flow out of some of those settings through a little cleaner amp.
I’d just like to say that I feel like Darrell’s videos are underrated. He does such awesome stuff in his videos and experiments with such unique brands that are unheard of. It’s awesome to see him supporting these smaller companies instead of the generic legends that everyone else uses (including myself). I’m currently waiting on a custom Body and Neck from Warmoth so that I can build my dream guitar. Although, Warmoth is a pretty big name, Darrell’s experience with them is what made me take a chance on them. If you personally don’t like his videos then you’re entitled to your own opinion, I personally just really like what he’s doing. Thanks for all your videos Darrell! I hope to see you hit 1 mil Subscribers soon my dude.
Nice piece of engineering. Very well thought and implemented.
I have a 1997 Ibanez FGM400QM (Frank Gambale) that came with an HSS configuration and similar electronics setup. The single coils are "dual rail" design and the 5-way switch is the same but the volume knob pops up. It splits the rails and does so many configurations that, 23 years later, it's still the most versatile of my 20+ guitars. I might have to try one of these for one of my Strats. Stay safe everyone. Cheers.
Cool how you can get close to that Tele middle position sound
If you're interested, I've got a Strat with an S1 switch, and when I select the bridge and neck pickup together it's surprisingly close to a Tele - truly a wonderful sound. So this Freeway selector might be a great idea if you already own a Strat.
I can get that with my 5 way switch. Just physically switch middle & bridge pickups, don't rewire anything and you've got it
"Just physically switch middle & bridge pickups" -->
1.) M (relocated Bridge PU)
2.) B and M (as original, except swapped places)
3.) B (relocated Middle PU)
4.) B and N (relocated M in Parallel with N)
5.) N
I haven't checked recent situation, but at least traditionally stock Strat lacks Tone for the Bridge Pickup. If so, here the Middle Pickup lacks the Tone. If needed, it's relatively easy mod to either change it back, or to include Tone for all pickups.
When pickup totally lacks the Tone, it sounds little bit brighter and louder. Just like with Fender No-Load Tone, when it's clicked to its max position (No load = Tone is detached from the circuit).
In some Strats, all pickups are identical. While in some others, they aren't.
I recently switched out my five-way switch on my 2019 Fender Stratocaster Performer with a factory push-pull knob. It came with seven tones. Now it has 10 tones and the switch company suggested I turn the push pull knob into a phase switch which I did. Thanks for the video, it inspired me to do it. Love the addition of the humbucker tones.
I really enjoyed watching this video so much so that I decided to try one of these on a custom build. While the switch is well made, easy to install and works well, it has a serious limitation for me. You cannot double up on tone controls i.e. neck and middle on one tone control and bridge on the other. According to the manufacturer, this will conflict with the way the switch works internally. If you wire your strat so that you only have two pickups on tone controls you will be fine. That's a pretty common wiring scheme. Just remember that you cannot double up on tone controls. This is something that I wish I had known before I purchased one. I tried it with the neck and bridge pickups on tone controls and the middle without one. That was their recommendation. That was ok, but In the end, I went back to a 5 way switch and push pull pots. I'll probably end up dropping this into one of my traditional strats since it's very nice and too expensive to waste. YMMV. Kind Regards.
I can't quite think through what you mean by "double up on tone controls". I have a theory but I'm not sure - can you clarify?
@@AlanCath i think he means have multiple pickups on one tone pot
I was already planning out a build that included this switch. I the title of this video, and I said out loud “they’re all gonna be sold out!!! Thanks Darrell.” It was a great video, but I was right about everything selling out.
5:10 Canadian mode activated
great video DBG! :D
😂😂😂😂
This switch is simply perfect. Nothing gimmicky or goofy-looking; just double versatility. I will be buying one for my strat for sure.
With this mod, switching feel like switching gears on manual transmision in car!!!
Love the channel Darrell - long time subscriber, first time commenter.
I love this mod - I totally agree it is probably the best (and simplest) tone mod on the market. It's like adding a Gilmour switch+++++. And once installed it's like a secret weapon!
I installed a Freeway 10way switch into a Schecter Hellcat about 18months ago,, and along with the additional parallel/series options the 10way gives, the Hellcat has Jaguar slider selectors for half output/full output per pick up - it effectively doubles the 10way tones, giving me 20 tonal options before even touching the tone or volume knobs! Mental, but so much fun!
I bet when you first installed the Freeway, you thought 'why hasn't anyone thought of this before now... WHY didn't I think of this!! I know I did!
Thanks for another great video, and for spreading the word about this great switch!
Cheers,
Luw
I went immediately to stew Mac and bought that switch. Can’t wait!
I just added this to my 1989 Strat Plus Deluxe with silver, blue, & red Lace Sensor pickups. The 5 new sounds are all fantastic and I'm only beginning to see what they can do. Combined with the LR Braggs piezo I put in years ago, these new sound make my Strat as versatile as any guitar you can find. My PRS 513 is jealous.
Aaaaand looks like yet another project on my to-do list.
Love this! Perfect timing as I am in the middle of a Strat build! As you said, a no brainer; just ordered it!
Ordered one even before the video finished. Cures the damn strat bridge pup but you still have a full on strat.
This looks like a way nicer approach than the other way I've tried using a four pole 5-way switch and a push/pull pot. Push/pull is fiddly to switch, but this looks easy. Well thought out, it looks well executed, and what a bold idea to wiggle the switch in that direction!
Oh my, just when I thought I was satisfied.
@@sawyerc.6033 🤣🤣
One might say you were almost... stratisfied?
So, I've bought three Freeway switches so far. The first one wouldn't play in three different positions, so I installed another. That one was shorted out in three different positions. I disassembled the first one, examined it, cleaned it out, reassembled and reinstalled it. All of the alternate modes would operate; but whether I toggled the switch to normal mode or alternate, it was the same. So I ordered and installed a third switch; amd it works beautifully. Worth the bother.
7:40 is a tone I have always been curious about in a clean setting! Definitely saving my pennies for this switch just for that tone alone :)
Only just seen this after watching your tele Freeway switch video, cant believe Ive not heard about this mod before, its pure genius. Many thanks, off to Amazon now :)
You forgot to mention "Made in England" Darrell 👍
The 10 way switch is AWESOME! Tele, Gibson, & Strat in one guitar. I have the Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot pickups and I am still discovering new sounds. It only cost me around $150.oo to have it installed. Thanks for the review.
Hardly into the video yet and i already know i NEED one of these
Thank you for the Strat episodes 👍👍. As a Strat guy, this is my favorite channel, not talking about Les Paul's every video.
I'd love to see the 6-way switch installed in a double humbucker.
@@0megalul309 A video needs to be made of that!
Great video-funny how it sounds like a strat in all positions still!
I literally just got mine installed and no lie....this makes a HUGE difference. It literally transforms the Stratocaster! Not only do you get the extra bank with 5 additional tones, it's a whole new guitar. Literally. And new position on the second bank is different. It's literally transforms the experience and is suited for any kind of music. In short, get it!
Seriously can't believe its only 50 bucks
Thanks for showing this, Darrell. It puts me in mind of a mod I copied from the 1980 Schecter Strats used by Mark Knopfler in Dire Straits. (He actually had 3 of them, I think - 2 red and one dark sunburst). Schecter used 3 small 3-position DP3T switches instead of the 5-way. Surprisingly, I had no trouble finding those from a U.S. manufacturer. When it was done, there was an amazing set of extra tones available. I did the same mod on a Greg Bennett "Malibu" strat from 2011, and added single-coil tapped-coil pickups. Those were hard to find; in the end I wound my own). With that, I also put in 1 Volume and 1 Tone pot, with push-pull DPDT switches to accessed still more sounds. It was actually not that hard to do - the most annoying part was that the 1V 1T pickguard I'd special-ordered came with a 5-way slot (although advertised as having no slot). A local trophy shop helped me out with a small rectangle of brass plate. I know most people don't want to get into wiring mods to that extent, but the result was worth it. Now, looks like I'll have to hunt up one of these. I hope that was $45 Canadian dollars . . .
tempted to pop one of those in my strat, it already has the S1 switching so I think I already have those options but it looks a lot easier to use.
Same thoughts here... I need to check that diagram that came with my Strat to compare with this one here... :D
Just had my Strat Plus modified with the Freeway switch (it's actually easy to get one even on this side of the pond), along with a few other bits. Huge thank you Darrell, for demoing this clever bit of hardware! It plays amazingly, definitely a worthy upgrade. The tech who did the mod for me was so impressed he immediately ordered two for his own Strats 😁👍🏻
Awesome video! It didn’t seem like it in the video but did you notice much of a volume difference when you switched between the single coil positions and the in-series positions?
I have the same question
I have a freeway switch in My MIM Strat and I really love it.
These combinations look like the switching from the Ibanez AZ series.
@@sawyerc.6033 Oh you are talking about the HH version. I was talking about the HSS one, for me that's the best pickup combination. Your mod sound intresting but I would ad 2 more nobs so each pickup gets a volume and a tone.
awesome ! i am a huge Freeway fan. i have their 6 way toggle switch in a 2 humbucker guitar. 6 completely different sounds ! incredibly versatile. i use scheme 047(they have numerous schemes on their website...). their diagrams are very easy to follow. their willingness to indulge endless questions and help with alternate schemes is customer service of the highest order ! no they are not cheap. but man are they great. and they are tough. i am NOT skilled with a soldering iron. and the switch not only survived my initial janky soldering, but lived on after i went back in and fixed it ! no, i am not a schill for them. i just have great things to say about the product and the company. check em out, they probably have something you need... as always, great job darrel !
Almost perfect, but they still need to solve the treble roll-off when using in-series wirings due to 250k pots
I thought about that too, but there is no denying there is still ten useful sounds here.
@@jeffsguitarrepair2498 Yes, I know. I use a "Fat-o-caster" switch on my partscaster and I believe this 10-way switch is a better alternative, but both would be better with a more advanced wiring. Using 2 single coils wired in series are very good for soloing, but doesn't work for power chords. In my next built I will try something with a 500k push/push pot and a 270k resistor. I know a HSS setting would be smarter, but I don't want to compromise the bridge+middle position, I think that's the most funky
@@juyanine So you would put the 270k fixed resistor across the 500k pot to cut the impedance in half for single coils, but only when the switch enables it?
Actually that would mean using a 500k resistor in parallel with 500k pot to get a 250k result. But why bother with that, just use the tone pot as a master tone and turn that up to reduce the treble on the "normal" positions due to the 500k volume pot.
Ordered one after seing your video, I have finally completed the installation and WOW that is awersome I feel having a brand new instrument out of my Fender Strat. Just try it you wont regret it !!
Well. I know what my MiM Strat is going to have on it by year's end.
I already have a Freeway 3/6-way in a Modern Player Tele and have started a Strat SSH build with the Freeway 5/10-way. Love them!
Can't wait to leave comments like "Who was here before 1 mil?"
i was
his vids were great back then too
This comment marks my place in history.
@@ZaneDalton people will tell their children about you
1,000,000th comment! Ooh my god, I can’t believe it’s actually me.!!
My first git was a Fender The Strat. It had all the standards, then with a switch it would do B-M series, B-N parallel, M-N series(I think) all 3 in series. It was an amazing machine.
Similar to fender s1 switch, but a more clever design
Reminds me of Alex Lifeson's "Gibsonized" Strat - he had a Lawrence L500 humbucker in the bridge position and the middle and neck Strat p/ups wired in series with a 3-way switch. Of course, it didn't sound like a Strat at all, whereas the Freeway switch lets you access all the normal Strat tones, as well as the humbucking tones. And I really like the all three p/up position. I'm sold!
Darrell, tu est le meileur en fait de extravagance, :-)
Back in stock at StewMac. Just ordered one based on this review. As, Darrell says in the video: at this price, it's a, "no-brainer." Thanks for the heads-up, Darrell.
me watching the entire thing going "that's so cool" over and over
They also offer a 6-way version as a drop-in for a Gibson-style 3-way switch, which then offers some great options for coil-splittable humbuckers (e.g. PRS-style wiring, which has outer/inner coils in series or parallel). Such a great idea!
This is like the former Fender S1 switch. No?
Similar thing. I have the S1 in my strat with a preamp. But the preamp is more of a voice/tone mod, that brightens and fattens the tone. And there's also no position to activate all 3 pickups. But with this added to the preamp, it could get even more interesting :)
Never heard of this until I watched this video. 48 hours later I had one installed. It's awesome !!!
18 hrs later, they're completely sold out...
The 6 position switches for Les Paul or Tele players is still in stock most places :-)
They are back in stock! I just received their e mail notification
WOW! Just LOVE it!! Soooo much better, I think, than a push-pull knob or a mini toggle. Must. Get. One. NOW. Thank you Darrell.
u just turned your strat to a tele,a PRS 22 fret HH,and a HSS strat all in one bruh
I've just ordered a new custom strat from Warmoth. You convinced me that it needs to have this switch in it. Thanks!
First time I’ve learned about this. Thanks, super informative! I love that there’s a way to get humbucker sound when needed without replacing my pickups. Definitely gonna get one of these!
Great stuff. Years ago in the late 80s, Guitar Player did the schematics for a "Super Switch" that replaced one of the tone knobs with a 4-way rotary switch that gave 8 new combinations in addition to the original 5. This is the same concept, but I like how it keeps everything looking "stock".
Super glad you showed us this one! I've been wanted to experiment with crazy strat combinations like these. Looks like this makes much of those a lot easier to accomplish 👏
just ordered the mega switch for my LP knock off. I already did the blender switch mod on my strat and I am going to put the mega switch for the strat in my Jackson dinky. The blender mod for the strat has reveled some interesting tones . position 2 gives me all 3 pick ups which to me sounds like a semi hollow body. Thanks Darrell.
Video came out on the 10th. I saw it on the 11th. That evening, I checked StewMac, and then every dealer of this product worldwide. It's now completely sold out, everywhere in the world. I guess that's a pretty good testament on the quality of the vid. I'm having a Nashville Tele built for me by Ron Kirn, and we have decided to use one (assuming that the company can restock its dealers within the next couple of months.).
In the 80's there was a model called 'The STrat' (also in walnut if you want) that have a similar idea: 9 sound with a master volume, a master tone, and a rotary 2 position knob with 4 more sound (series, tele style and all 3 pickups togheter).
Ingenious switch. 💙 it. It has every position I've always wanted on one of my Strats.Thank you for this video.
i was just learning about 5-way telecaster wiring and now this!? love your videos!
Just dropped the Freeway in the Strat and this is a serious tone changer. 👍🎸🙌
I've just installed one on my G&L Legacy Tribute. Very happy with it!