Just finished re-wiring my Harley Benton 62-dlx strat and wow does this make a difference! Also added the dual cap mod and I'm blown away by all the different sounds. Thank you so much for making easy to follow and informative videos!
This was a very interesting mod. I never considered that you could blend the series/parallel connections of a pickup. I always figured that it was either one or the other. I have to say, I've learned more about guitar wiring from watching your videos than anywhere else. Good stuff, as always. Thanks!
Great vid. This mod is a win-win IMO. You get the standard Strat configuration plus the added benefit of tone control for the bridge P/U. Then, a Humbucker type setting and the phasing options. Can't go wrong.
I've found two diagrams on this mod that have so many wires (and one without any color to differentiate) that I couldn't keep them clear. You've made a video that is so easy to follow that I'm absolutely doing this one, plus a neck-on switch. Thanks a million!
Thank you, I’ve now gone through the experience of my first guitar mod-- soldering is definitely something of an art, once one gets used to it. Great tones, I've (or rather, you’ve) opened up new tonal landscapes. Cheers!
i put a 300k pot in the volume position,with a treble bleed cap plus 2x 250k pots for master tone and blend only last night ,its a great mod ,you still get your normal strat ,then some subtle almost infinitely variable adjustments,just for the heck of it and a bit of solder, thanks dan armstrong ,and you too breja.
One note. For everyone who has a 5 way Import switch with 7 pins (is the one that has a shared common lug - A4 and B1 are one) you wont be able to wire this mod following this instructions. I tried ;) Then I bought more common 5 way switch with 8 pins and only then was successful with this mod. THEN i have found here in the comment section that @RealRealBlue made it! And with little modifications you can still perform this mod with 7 pin switch. Great mod btw. I begun to use my bridge pickup finally ;) Thanks @Breja ToneWroks for this video :) and @RealRealBlu
Awesome video and mod!! Thank you so much Don!! I need to add this in the odd case someone else is in my situation: I was trying to accomplish this mod on my 1995 Squier Strat. This line would later become the Affinity line. This model, and some other Squiers, have what its known as the "YKE 7 terminal switch". It does not work as a "Standard 5 Way" and neither as an "Import 5 Way". Look up YKE 7 terminal switch for more on that. I was aware of the differences and how the YKE switch works, but, since I did not fully understand how this wiring does what it does, I wasn't sure if it can be accomplish with the YKE. And I'm still not sure. Sorry about that. I do get the series bridge + middle on pos 1 and series neck + middle on 5, but not the out of phase pos3 and pos4. I only get the middle pick up on those. BUT, I've found this perfect explanation of this wiring (describing this exact video) from a user of Strat-Talk called Fumbler, whom I hugely thank. I'll copy it below along with the tread link. In the meantime, I guess I'll go get myself a "Standard 5 Way" to finish the mod. Fumbler, from Strat-Talk says: "That is a VERY clever diagram that gets a whole lot done with the basic 5-way and 3 normal pots. The bottom pot is a series blend. It sends the bridge and neck ground wires EITHER to ground on the back of the pot (normal strat sounds) OR to the hot wire on the middle pickup. That puts the pickups in series in positions 1 and 5. But the really clever thing is how those red and blue jumpers function. They ground out the hot lead of the UNSELECTED pickup in positions 2 and 4 (Example: in position 2 bridge/middle parallel, the blue jumper connects the NECK pickup hot wire to ground). This does nothing . . . UNTIL you turn the bottom pot which blends those pickups in parallel and out-of-phase because the ground wire of the UNSELECTED pickups gets blended into the signal while the hot lead is grounded. So anyway: with the bottom pot fully down you get the 5 stock strat sounds. But with the blend pot full up you get: 1. Bridge+Middle in series 2. Middle||Neck parallel out-of-phase (Bridge - both leads are shorted together so not in the signal) 3. Middle 4. Middle||Bridge parallel out-of-phase (Neck - both leads are shorted together so not in the signal) 5. Neck+Middle in series (I may have misunderstood something here but I'm pretty sure I've got it right.)" www.strat-talk.com/threads/dan-armstrong-wiring-help.377902/
Great video! I love your channel. Just a quick comment: I believe you have the description backwards here 3:42. Blender pot turned down is actually the standard Strat mode (this is where the pot makes the ground connections for both the bridge and neck pickups, rendering them both in parallel), whereas Blender pot on "10" (fully clockwise) is the blender fully engaged.
I've got too many Strat-style guitars as it is. One of them just got the memo that it is going under the knife for this mod. Looking forward to the results.
A good friend turned me onto this mod almost 20 years ago. It makes a strat much more versatile soundwise, especially for covering lots of styles, and the 2 and 4 positions are great for all kinds of sounds!! Between this mod and a neck add switch on my other strat there is little I cannot cover as far as versatile tones go. Thanks to Dan and Breja for getting this info out there!
Did this mod to my black strat tonight. It's an easy mod to do (especially with the help of the easy to follow wiring diagram in this video). No parts needed, just a couple of wires and a bit of solder, and hey presto ... a whole new pallet of tone. Thanks for the video and the inspiration to try it.
I have followed the instructions step by step. It still don't work well with a middle RWRP single coil... substantially the bridge single coil becomes so low in output and it's difficult to hear it in every position. I'm so angry.
I think there may be something not quite right with your pick ups combination, or perhaps two of the wires are reversed. If there is a big drop in output then it might be that the middle PU has a significantly lower output than the other two. I'd check it with a multi-meter or check the manufacturer specs to see. I don't think doing this mod should affect the output in any way. I've only tried it one of my guitar so far (I might try another later) and mine is the same as it was before I modded it, i.e. no drop in output in any of the positions. I'd start by checking you have all the wires the right way around and use a multi-meter to test the resistance of the pick ups to see if the outputs are all roughly the same. Don't be angry, it's fixable, you just need to work out whats wrong first. If you can't work it out, give it to a friend that knows electronics OR visit your local friendly luthier. Good luck.
I installed this great Dan Armstrong mod on a SSS Strat, and really enjoy the NB and MB series sounds I obtain when the blender is fully counterclockwise. I do have one question, though: how can the sound of positions 2 and 4 when blender is fully engaged be improved? It seems that what I'm getting are NM and MB in parallel and OUT OF PHASE in those positions, which yields a very, very thin, almost unusable sound. Would anyone have any suggestions? Thank you!
You should get much more useable sounds if you don't turn the blender all the way counterclockwise in positions 2 & 4. I found some good tones about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down. It might vary depending on what pickups you have. I found that lower settings, whilst not much use with a clean sound, did weird and wonderful things to the tone when putting the guitar through a tube-screamer, bringing out harmonics almost like a cocked wah-wah pedal effect.
Hi. This video, like the others, is an amazing source of knowledge and understanding of how guitar circuits work. Thank you for that. I am currently using the Dan Amstrong mod on two Stratocasters. One has custom shop fat 50's (the stock pickups from an American standard guitar) and the other has Dimarzio single coils. In both of them I have found the same issue: When is in classic strat mod (blender pot in 0) everything sounds perfect. But when you blend the pickups (blender pot in 10) the series positions (5-way switch on 1 and 5) the sound is the one of a muddy and dark humbucker, with quiet less resonance and harmonics than the other way (quite more than expected). I am currently using two 250K pot for Volume and Tone and 500K for the blender, 0.47 cap. I have tried a 0.223 cap (a bit less crisp sound, but very good still) and a 1 M pot on the blender (did not work for me, too harsh). The best solution I have found, but not yet what I am looking for, is to connect a 0.473 cap in series between the hot cable of the middle pickup coming from the 5-way switch (from the A2 lug to the L2 lug of the blender pot). Any advice to obtain more clarity and high end from two single coils connected in series will be highly appretiated. Thank you Best Mario
I think that you have the right idea, but use the wrong value. Try .0033μF (code 332) or even .0022μF (code 222). The first will give you the same amount of bass cut as the "strangle switch" on a Jaguar, the last even more bass cut. These will both make the series combinations less bassy, with the added benefit of less bass cut on the out of phase options.
I would use a 500K pot for volume and a NO LOAD pot (they're usually 250K) for tone. A NO LOAD pot disengages itself from the circuit when turned fully clockwise, thus giving you a brighter sound. I think it's well worth it when using a Strat with series mod. And also, I agree with you, "0" is standard Strat and "10" is Blender mode. He describes it backwards here 3:42.
I have this mod on my two strats done few years ago by a guitar tech. Is very useful, even in intermediate positions of the blender. The only thing I would like to add is the possibility to have a 250/500K volume pot. Sadly, haven't found one on the market yet.
I have a question. I have a Fender custom shop guitar. The pots aren't grounded to each other and the grounding wire from the claw is connected directly to the output jack, instead of the volume pot.. It works perfectly fine. Can you make sense out of this please?
Great Explantion! But i have a question: does that work with the middle pickup RWRP too, or does it work with same polarita same direction only? Best regards and many thanks - Tom!
It will work with or without a RWRP middle pickup, the only difference being that RWRP will be noise cancelling in the series modes, but not on the out of phase settings.
I don't understand the use of jumping the lugs connected to the neck and bridge pickup (A1 to B4 and A3 to B2). Wouldn't that just add the two pickups in parallel when switch is at positions 1 and 5, regardless of whether or not the blend pot is turned up or down?
Great Vid. I must have done something wrong. For Position 4, there is no output at all. By checking on the connection diagram, position 4 connects A2 & A3 to A4 and also B2 & B3 to B4. If we have B3 conects to GND, which actually makes A1 and A3 to GND. Therefore A4 is also GND, which makes no output. PLEASE HELP~
Thanks man, my 93 mexican strat single coils has the same two wires coming from each. Haven't used this mod on only your Blender strat mod with an extra capacitor. I'm getting another strat, that I'll try this mod on.
Very nice video! I only have one question. You said that the only difference when using a 250k pot instead of the 500k is that you have to ground the lug and I thought that applied to the 250k, but in the diagram the blend pot is a 500k with a grounded lug so I didn't understand which one you meant. I want to use a 500k linear pot for the blend, so do I have to bend the lug and ground it?
I bought a strat with this mod, though they wired it with the bottom tone control as the master tone, but one thing is odd about it. With the blender control know at 10 (or off), the neck pickup is way brighter than the middle pickup. it doesn't sound right in relation to the middle p/u which is a little darker and with less output. I suppose it could be that the wiring was switched for those two p/u's. The blender works as normal so to speak, but otherwise a little odd.
It was not clear from the video what do I suppose to do if I use 500k pot for the blender. Do I wire it the same way as the 250k? Has any benefits of the 250k or the 500k? Really nice and informative video, thanks for it.
One thing not mentioned here that I was wondering about, is it best to use an audio or linear taper pot as the blender? I found information on another site that recommends using a linear pot. Link below ... ashbass.com/AshBassGuitar/armstrong/versatilestrat/armstrongstratvers1200AB.jpg
Would it be possible to use a push/pull to switch the middle pickup in and out of phase in addition to this wiring? Would I run the middle pickup to the switch, then out to it's appropriate destinations?
No. That is what I have on my strats right now. This one blends either the neck/middle or Bridge/middle depending on what position your selector switch is in.
@@johnevans6631 So my question is...does that make your strat noiseless on positions 1 and 5?I have the blender mod like you have on most of my guitars that either have dimarzios or kinman noiseless pickups...but recently i got a squier that i dont really want to change the electronics just buck the hum on positions 1 and 5...does this Armstrong mod here solves the issue?
@@blindrunkwilly Thx for the reply...i have seen a mod where a guy had the second tone as a blender for the sole purpose to buck the hum in those positions but i cant understand what the mod was...it was either a variation of the blender mod or this one....
@@Dreamdancer11 Sorry, I didn't see your question till now. The short answer is no, it doesn't make positions 1 & 5 on my strat noiseless, but it's well shielded and I don't play with high gain so it doesn't bother me much.
I tried this mod but I had run accross several issues. - When blend is 0, only the pos 5 and 1 are working. The other 3 pos are useless, they don't have any output - When blend is 10, it is the same as the above. Does anyone has a solution for this? I redo the wiring but I'm just running in circles
Hi Kier I have successfully completed this mod and then also been unsuccessful with later attempts. I believe this is more than likely the 5 way switch in question on these unsuccessful mods and these having contact between the control lugs or only actually having only one control lug. I have seen pcb type 'import' single row switches which ACTUALLY ONLY HAVE ONE CONTROL POINT.. I am working on it currently and also an alternative if I can find one. The issue you have with positions 2,3&4 being useless is due to B3 being connected to ground. To restore these positions cut or remove the jumper connecting B3 to ground (or B2 as it should be actually labelled as control should be A0/B0) B3 is basically a duplicate of A2 when control lugs are in contact and therefore you are connecting the mid pickup hot to ground. Doing this when the control lugs are linked or otherwise connected causes the signal to be killed. Hope this helps I have been unable to fully test the resulting effect on the series / blender without these jumpers but will hopefully have time for this tomorrow. You may also find that neck and bridge switch positions are giving you both these pickups ? Again the jumper between A1 (Bridge pup) and B4 (neck pup) is causing these positions to be linked, again I believe this to be an issue with inferior / limited switches and again, cutting it removing this jumper will restore function in that you will be able to select the neck or bridge as usual with selector switch. I have a scratch plate that is at this point now and will be running tests tomorrow to see if there is a way round the jumper / ground out issue or if changing out the 5 way will remedy this, again I have been successful with this but am reluctant to open said completed partscaster and have been unsuccessful with two later attempts which have been exactly by the book which I do believe is the switch in question. I will be looking at alternatives and also possible additions to the original mod to see what is possible when time allows so will post results as I can, feel free to message if I can help. Also if anyone else on here reads this and can give some input then by all means please do 👍🤘🤓😁 And as a last note, anyone who has an SSS guitar and just really wants that straight humbucker tone in bridge position to flip to - Dropping a hotrail in is a more straight forward procedure 😁 Cheers EDIT: where I refer to control it should say common - I learnt all this trial and error and always referred to common as control...
So I have completed the adapted mod on the pickguard I have which has a Chinese 7 lug switch. This switch has only one control / common lug and this will apply to similar switches or 8 lug that have a connection between commons I completed all steps but found middle positions were silent and 1 and 5 were both neck and bridge together (due to the reasons noted in previous answer) The solution: Complete all steps: Master tone L2 to L1 of volume Ground all pots to back of volume Ground blender pot same as you would volume pot. Bridge and neck ground to L2 of blender Hot jumper from A2 or switch to L1 of blender. Now DO NOT run jumpers on the switch. Everything else the same as the vid / diagram but do not add the switch jumpers. This will give you a standard strat with the blender pot on zero. This will give the series selections as desired for neck and bridge with blender pot on 10 The phase options are unavailable (I did not personally care for these much anyway) Position 2,3&4 will only give you to middle pup in parallel when then blender pot is turned up due to reasons stated in previous reply. I then made an addition of a neck on/off 'gilmour' switch to allow neck to be switched on in any position. This gives you standard strat plus neck and bridge or all 3 pickups in parallel and you can also switch then neck pickup on when in series with bridge (both neck and bridge run in series into middle pup as the grounds are on same connection of blender) this does give a sound similar to H H guitar eg Les Paul etc So in short Kier if you remove the switch jumpers from A1 to B4 and A3 to B2 and you should have the blender working with the series selections for neck and bridge. To add a gilmour switch you just have a simple on off switch (SPST)which one outer lug connects to A1 and the common connects to the common OR L1 of the volume pot. This is not necessary but adds very useful tones. Hope this helps Kier - or anyone who has been unsuccessful in this mod. I believe the reasons in my previous answer will help with the understanding of why etc A standard strat wiring scheme involves connecting the commons where as this mod does not, this is why jumpers are needed. As I have found out some import type switches do not have two commons and this is where issues arise. I will post a demo video of the guitar with single common 5 way switch I completed this mod on ASAP Cheers
Hi Neil. I haven't had any time to post a video but if you follow my instructions in the previous post it will work, the issue is the import switch not truly having seperate 'sides' and connecting to one common which in turn grounds out position 2 and 4... basically: Complete the mod as in vid but do not add the switch jumpers and you will have series options without the out of phase sounds. Hope that helps
@@RealRealBlu Thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated. I'd played around and discovered the same results with removing the jumpers, but I wanted the out of phase tones. I have installed a phase switch push pull on the tone knob. I'm very happy now with the tones. It was just very frustrating trying to get the original schematic to work. I feel a bit better now knowing that it wasn't just me having these issues! I'm just a beginner at wiring, but I've been very successful doing a lot more complicated mods than this, so this one brought me back down to earth! All good fun and very satisfying when you get it right.
Thanks! Question - with this mod could I also add a dpdt switch to toggle the neck (or bridge) on/off (getting the 7-sound strat which gives you a neck-bridge option like a tele)? Would adding that switch mess anything up in the Dan Armstrong Mod? Thanks!
Hi I did add a gilmour switch for neck as you have asked and no it did not mess with anything and this also means you can have both neck and bridge on at the same time running into mid pup in series so basically H+H sound ! I did however find that when the switch was engaged position 2 doesn't work at all (mid and bridge) which I believe is basically due to circuit 'grouding out' as the jumpers applied to the 5way switch connect bridge (A1) to neck (B4) and neck (A3) to bridge (B2) so in position 2 you have middle pup on, bridge pup on then engage neck which on mine seems to kill all which I guess is due to this (I really feel should understand more by now with the number of guitars I've worked on but I'm not quite there yet !). This did however turn out to be sort of useful as a kill position ! So I left it in. This is my experience and it's possible that ymmv or other people can shed some light. Hope this helps and I see your question has been posted awhile but for others reference I thought I'd post my results Cheers
I did the same thing, added a button switch for operation of N plus B when blend pot is in parallel, which does cut out sound in position 2 and 4, and it also works in both position 1 and 5. The series setting works on it as well. Funny, my fave setting on it now is position 2, volume at 8, tone at 7 and blender at 7, really cool sixties thinned-out tone for ska.
Thanks for making this video! I love the mod QUESTION: my blend knob is acting more like a switch than a potentiometer blender; it goes from parallel , straight to inbetween, straight to series. So really just has 3 setting and not really blending between parallel and series Is there a way to fix this so that it transitions smoothly between both?
Hello Breja. I did this mod and I found that the pickups in series produces lots of noise when I´m not touching the strings. What can it be? Does inverting the middle pickup polarity helps?
I did the mod and reversed it. I can honestly say to anyone else considering it, don't waste your time. On the surface it's an ingenious idea. You reap the addition of a bridge and neck humbucker without spending a dime. And you don't outwardly change the appearance of your instrument. You have a secret weapon, a wolf in sheep's clothing. The reality is what you get are not your daddy's PAFs. Though they are truly in series humbuckers they don't sound like them. They sound like what you are used to in the normal 2 & 4 positions, only louder and a little thicker. And not in a good way. Lifeless and dull, they won't inspire you. You are way better off with the stock configuration. It has soul and sounds natural.
Just finished re-wiring my Harley Benton 62-dlx strat and wow does this make a difference! Also added the dual cap mod and I'm blown away by all the different sounds. Thank you so much for making easy to follow and informative videos!
Could you tell us more about the dual cap mode? Thanks
This was a very interesting mod. I never considered that you could blend the series/parallel connections of a pickup. I always figured that it was either one or the other. I have to say, I've learned more about guitar wiring from watching your videos than anywhere else. Good stuff, as always. Thanks!
+joeguitargod :) Thanks. I'm glad people find these videos helpful or useful. Happy Modding. Don
Great vid. This mod is a win-win IMO. You get the standard Strat configuration plus the added benefit of tone control for the bridge P/U. Then, a Humbucker type setting and the phasing options. Can't go wrong.
Too good. The diagrams and chart made this so easy!
I've found two diagrams on this mod that have so many wires (and one without any color to differentiate) that I couldn't keep them clear. You've made a video that is so easy to follow that I'm absolutely doing this one, plus a neck-on switch. Thanks a million!
+Rob Zambrana Glad it helped. Happy Modding... Don
Thank you, I’ve now gone through the experience of my first guitar mod-- soldering is definitely something of an art, once one gets used to it. Great tones, I've (or rather, you’ve) opened up new tonal landscapes. Cheers!
i put a 300k pot in the volume position,with a treble bleed cap plus 2x 250k pots for master tone and blend only last night ,its a great mod ,you still get your normal strat ,then some subtle almost infinitely variable adjustments,just for the heck of it and a bit of solder, thanks dan armstrong ,and you too breja.
Creating a master tone is achieved by using the schematics in this video or did you need to alter it?
One note. For everyone who has a 5 way Import switch with 7 pins (is the one that has a shared common lug - A4 and B1 are one) you wont be able to wire this mod following this instructions. I tried ;) Then I bought more common 5 way switch with 8 pins and only then was successful with this mod. THEN i have found here in the comment section that @RealRealBlue made it! And with little modifications you can still perform this mod with 7 pin switch. Great mod btw. I begun to use my bridge pickup finally ;) Thanks @Breja ToneWroks for this video :) and @RealRealBlu
Thanks Dan it looks good I’m wiring my Strat and watching you at the same time thanks for all your info and help you got a great channel
Awesome video and mod!! Thank you so much Don!!
I need to add this in the odd case someone else is in my situation:
I was trying to accomplish this mod on my 1995 Squier Strat. This line would later become the Affinity line.
This model, and some other Squiers, have what its known as the "YKE 7 terminal switch". It does not work as a "Standard 5 Way" and neither as an "Import 5 Way". Look up YKE 7 terminal switch for more on that.
I was aware of the differences and how the YKE switch works, but, since I did not fully understand how this wiring does what it does, I wasn't sure if it can be accomplish with the YKE.
And I'm still not sure.
Sorry about that.
I do get the series bridge + middle on pos 1 and series neck + middle on 5, but not the out of phase pos3 and pos4. I only get the middle pick up on those.
BUT, I've found this perfect explanation of this wiring (describing this exact video) from a user of Strat-Talk called Fumbler, whom I hugely thank. I'll copy it below along with the tread link.
In the meantime, I guess I'll go get myself a "Standard 5 Way" to finish the mod.
Fumbler, from Strat-Talk says:
"That is a VERY clever diagram that gets a whole lot done with the basic 5-way and 3 normal pots.
The bottom pot is a series blend. It sends the bridge and neck ground wires EITHER to ground on the back of the pot (normal strat sounds) OR to the hot wire on the middle pickup. That puts the pickups in series in positions 1 and 5.
But the really clever thing is how those red and blue jumpers function. They ground out the hot lead of the UNSELECTED pickup in positions 2 and 4 (Example: in position 2 bridge/middle parallel, the blue jumper connects the NECK pickup hot wire to ground). This does nothing . . . UNTIL you turn the bottom pot which blends those pickups in parallel and out-of-phase because the ground wire of the UNSELECTED pickups gets blended into the signal while the hot lead is grounded.
So anyway: with the bottom pot fully down you get the 5 stock strat sounds.
But with the blend pot full up you get:
1. Bridge+Middle in series
2. Middle||Neck parallel out-of-phase (Bridge - both leads are shorted together so not in the signal)
3. Middle
4. Middle||Bridge parallel out-of-phase (Neck - both leads are shorted together so not in the signal)
5. Neck+Middle in series
(I may have misunderstood something here but I'm pretty sure I've got it right.)"
www.strat-talk.com/threads/dan-armstrong-wiring-help.377902/
Great video! I love your channel. Just a quick comment: I believe you have the description backwards here 3:42. Blender pot turned down is actually the standard Strat mode (this is where the pot makes the ground connections for both the bridge and neck pickups, rendering them both in parallel), whereas Blender pot on "10" (fully clockwise) is the blender fully engaged.
Tested and true,still great
Thank you Werther, I was going to go crazy until I read your comment 🤣🤣🤣
@@robertruamps5680 Well, I'm very glad to hear that. 😏
yes and it's an easy to do and great mod, no need for push pull pots or toggle switch add !
I've got too many Strat-style guitars as it is. One of them just got the memo that it is going under the knife for this mod. Looking forward to the results.
A good friend turned me onto this mod almost 20 years ago. It makes a strat much more versatile soundwise, especially for covering lots of styles, and the 2 and 4 positions are great for all kinds of sounds!! Between this mod and a neck add switch on my other strat there is little I cannot cover as far as versatile tones go. Thanks to Dan and Breja for getting this info out there!
Did this mod to my black strat tonight. It's an easy mod to do (especially with the help of the easy to follow wiring diagram in this video). No parts needed, just a couple of wires and a bit of solder, and hey presto ... a whole new pallet of tone.
Thanks for the video and the inspiration to try it.
Did you have a RWRP middle pickup?
I did.
I have followed the instructions step by step. It still don't work well with a middle RWRP single coil... substantially the bridge single coil becomes so low in output and it's difficult to hear it in every position. I'm so angry.
I think there may be something not quite right with your pick ups combination, or perhaps two of the wires are reversed. If there is a big drop in output then it might be that the middle PU has a significantly lower output than the other two. I'd check it with a multi-meter or check the manufacturer specs to see. I don't think doing this mod should affect the output in any way. I've only tried it one of my guitar so far (I might try another later) and mine is the same as it was before I modded it, i.e. no drop in output in any of the positions. I'd start by checking you have all the wires the right way around and use a multi-meter to test the resistance of the pick ups to see if the outputs are all roughly the same. Don't be angry, it's fixable, you just need to work out whats wrong first. If you can't work it out, give it to a friend that knows electronics OR visit your local friendly luthier. Good luck.
I have no Idea of the context of this
I installed this great Dan Armstrong mod on a SSS Strat, and really enjoy the NB and MB series sounds I obtain when the blender is fully counterclockwise. I do have one question, though: how can the sound of positions 2 and 4 when blender is fully engaged be improved? It seems that what I'm getting are NM and MB in parallel and OUT OF PHASE in those positions, which yields a very, very thin, almost unusable sound. Would anyone have any suggestions? Thank you!
You should get much more useable sounds if you don't turn the blender all the way counterclockwise in positions 2 & 4. I found some good tones about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down. It might vary depending on what pickups you have. I found that lower settings, whilst not much use with a clean sound, did weird and wonderful things to the tone when putting the guitar through a tube-screamer, bringing out harmonics almost like a cocked wah-wah pedal effect.
Thanks man, you're awesome. Videos are great and concise instruction. Brilliant and, just what I needed. Cheers
Excellent Tutorial ! Bravo. I'll put a link on my next video to your channel. Thx.
Hi. This video, like the others, is an amazing source of knowledge and understanding of how guitar circuits work. Thank you for that. I am currently using the Dan Amstrong mod on two Stratocasters. One has custom shop fat 50's (the stock pickups from an American standard guitar) and the other has Dimarzio single coils. In both of them I have found the same issue:
When is in classic strat mod (blender pot in 0) everything sounds perfect. But when you blend the pickups (blender pot in 10) the series positions (5-way switch on 1 and 5) the sound is the one of a muddy and dark humbucker, with quiet less resonance and harmonics than the other way (quite more than expected). I am currently using two 250K pot for Volume and Tone and 500K for the blender, 0.47 cap. I have tried a 0.223 cap (a bit less crisp sound, but very good still) and a 1 M pot on the blender (did not work for me, too harsh).
The best solution I have found, but not yet what I am looking for, is to connect a 0.473 cap in series between the hot cable of the middle pickup coming from the 5-way switch (from the A2 lug to the L2 lug of the blender pot).
Any advice to obtain more clarity and high end from two single coils connected in series will be highly appretiated.
Thank you
Best
Mario
I think that you have the right idea, but use the wrong value. Try .0033μF (code 332) or even .0022μF (code 222). The first will give you the same amount of bass cut as the "strangle switch" on a Jaguar, the last even more bass cut. These will both make the series combinations less bassy, with the added benefit of less bass cut on the out of phase options.
I would use a 500K pot for volume and a NO LOAD pot (they're usually 250K) for tone. A NO LOAD pot disengages itself from the circuit when turned fully clockwise, thus giving you a brighter sound. I think it's well worth it when using a Strat with series mod. And also, I agree with you, "0" is standard Strat and "10" is Blender mode. He describes it backwards here 3:42.
Another great video well explaned but can you still use a treble bleed on the volume pot with this mod
I have this mod on my two strats done few years ago by a guitar tech. Is very useful, even in intermediate positions of the blender. The only thing I would like to add is the possibility to have a 250/500K volume pot. Sadly, haven't found one on the market yet.
The only thing you can do is use a 500k pot and resistors
Thanks for the easy to follow video. Looking forward to trying this mod.
yep, works great. Best strat mod i've heard.
I have a question. I have a Fender custom shop guitar. The pots aren't grounded to each other and the grounding wire from the claw is connected directly to the output jack, instead of the volume pot.. It works perfectly fine. Can you make sense out of this please?
Great Explantion! But i have a question: does that work with the middle pickup RWRP too, or does it work with same polarita same direction only?
Best regards and many thanks - Tom!
It IS not funny how he never answered you on this one! I need to know also
I would think it works with rwrp since most strats are wound like that. I have my tele in series and the neck is RWRP.
It will work with or without a RWRP middle pickup, the only difference being that RWRP will be noise cancelling in the series modes, but not on the out of phase settings.
I don't understand the use of jumping the lugs connected to the neck and bridge pickup (A1 to B4 and A3 to B2). Wouldn't that just add the two pickups in parallel when switch is at positions 1 and 5, regardless of whether or not the blend pot is turned up or down?
Great Vid. I must have done something wrong. For Position 4, there is no output at all. By checking on the connection diagram, position 4 connects A2 & A3 to A4 and also B2 & B3 to B4. If we have B3 conects to GND, which actually makes A1 and A3 to GND. Therefore A4 is also GND, which makes no output.
PLEASE HELP~
Thanks man, my 93 mexican strat single coils has the same two wires coming from each. Haven't used this mod on only your Blender strat mod with an extra capacitor.
I'm getting another strat, that I'll try this mod on.
+DALE97DSM Why get only 1 more Strat - I'm sure you have room around the house for 5 more. Go BIG!
excellent work! In blend pot turned down: Is there any possibility of using 2, 3 or 4 to work Bridge and neck in parallel?
regards
what do you recommend for the capacitor? I'm assuming a ceramic capacitor, but I'm not sure what value I should do
And is it also possible to combine this with the 7 sound mod? Tq
Very nice video! I only have one question.
You said that the only difference when using a 250k pot instead of the 500k is that you have to ground the lug and I thought that applied to the 250k, but in the diagram the blend pot is a 500k with a grounded lug so I didn't understand which one you meant. I want to use a 500k linear pot for the blend, so do I have to bend the lug and ground it?
I bought a strat with this mod, though they wired it with the bottom tone control as the master tone, but one thing is odd about it. With the blender control know at 10 (or off), the neck pickup is way brighter than the middle pickup. it doesn't sound right in relation to the middle p/u which is a little darker and with less output. I suppose it could be that the wiring was switched for those two p/u's. The blender works as normal so to speak, but otherwise a little odd.
It was not clear from the video what do I suppose to do if I use 500k pot for the blender. Do I wire it the same way as the 250k? Has any benefits of the 250k or the 500k?
Really nice and informative video, thanks for it.
Attila Vaczi wiring will be the same with either value, 250 or 500.
One thing not mentioned here that I was wondering about, is it best to use an audio or linear taper pot as the blender? I found information on another site that recommends using a linear pot. Link below ...
ashbass.com/AshBassGuitar/armstrong/versatilestrat/armstrongstratvers1200AB.jpg
Linear 500k makes blending more accurate and user friendly!
Would it be possible to use a push/pull to switch the middle pickup in and out of phase in addition to this wiring? Would I run the middle pickup to the switch, then out to it's appropriate destinations?
Would you use a 500K or 250K volume pot, When you have a humbucker in the bridge position?
I'm going to try this. Looks like fun.
Using the schematics in this video the tone knob is a master tone for all p.u or does it require alterations?
Would this mod work the same on an American Original ’50 or ‘60s Strat, whose middle pickup isn’t RW/RP?
I hope someone knows.
This mod blends the neck and the bridge pickups right?
No. That is what I have on my strats right now. This one blends either the neck/middle or Bridge/middle depending on what position your selector switch is in.
@@johnevans6631 So my question is...does that make your strat noiseless on positions 1 and 5?I have the blender mod like you have on most of my guitars that either have dimarzios or kinman noiseless pickups...but recently i got a squier that i dont really want to change the electronics just buck the hum on positions 1 and 5...does this Armstrong mod here solves the issue?
No it doesn’t make them noiseless. My guitar is shielded well and I don’t notice it much.
@@blindrunkwilly Thx for the reply...i have seen a mod where a guy had the second tone as a blender for the sole purpose to buck the hum in those positions but i cant understand what the mod was...it was either a variation of the blender mod or this one....
@@Dreamdancer11 Sorry, I didn't see your question till now. The short answer is no, it doesn't make positions 1 & 5 on my strat noiseless, but it's well shielded and I don't play with high gain so it doesn't bother me much.
Hi. If I reverse the wires on the blend pot. Will 1 become the standard strat sound and 10 be the blend sound?
Thanks
I believe he described it backwards on the video! I'm pretty sure the way he has it wired is actually "1" = standard Strat and "10" = Blender mode.
@@wertherellerbrock bruh 3 years ago..thx anyways
@@PV48 Yeah I know, but what can I say... I saw it just yesterday. If it makes you feel any better, no one had answered you. ;-)
@@wertherellerbrock appreciate your help :)
Should I bend lug 3 onto the pot for the volume and blend pots?
My grounds are not insulated how do I close the gap from the switch to the pot I would just run it but I'm worried about static what can I do
How do you deal with a 5 way switch where all of the lugs are in a single line as opposed to 4 each side ?
I think they would be numbered A1, B1, A2, B2, A3, B3, etc.
Look here: th-cam.com/video/Md9Ai1YIdn0/w-d-xo.html
I tried this mod but I had run accross several issues.
- When blend is 0, only the pos 5 and 1 are working. The other 3 pos are useless, they don't have any output
- When blend is 10, it is the same as the above.
Does anyone has a solution for this? I redo the wiring but I'm just running in circles
Hi Kier
I have successfully completed this mod and then also been unsuccessful with later attempts. I believe this is more than likely the 5 way switch in question on these unsuccessful mods and these having contact between the control lugs or only actually having only one control lug. I have seen pcb type 'import' single row switches which ACTUALLY ONLY HAVE ONE CONTROL POINT.. I am working on it currently and also an alternative if I can find one. The issue you have with positions 2,3&4 being useless is due to B3 being connected to ground. To restore these positions cut or remove the jumper connecting B3 to ground (or B2 as it should be actually labelled as control should be A0/B0)
B3 is basically a duplicate of A2 when control lugs are in contact and therefore you are connecting the mid pickup hot to ground. Doing this when the control lugs are linked or otherwise connected causes the signal to be killed. Hope this helps
I have been unable to fully test the resulting effect on the series / blender without these jumpers but will hopefully have time for this tomorrow.
You may also find that neck and bridge switch positions are giving you both these pickups ? Again the jumper between A1 (Bridge pup) and B4 (neck pup) is causing these positions to be linked, again I believe this to be an issue with inferior / limited switches and again, cutting it removing this jumper will restore function in that you will be able to select the neck or bridge as usual with selector switch. I have a scratch plate that is at this point now and will be running tests tomorrow to see if there is a way round the jumper / ground out issue or if changing out the 5 way will remedy this, again I have been successful with this but am reluctant to open said completed partscaster and have been unsuccessful with two later attempts which have been exactly by the book which I do believe is the switch in question. I will be looking at alternatives and also possible additions to the original mod to see what is possible when time allows so will post results as I can, feel free to message if I can help.
Also if anyone else on here reads this and can give some input then by all means please do 👍🤘🤓😁
And as a last note, anyone who has an SSS guitar and just really wants that straight humbucker tone in bridge position to flip to -
Dropping a hotrail in is a more straight forward procedure 😁
Cheers
EDIT: where I refer to control it should say common - I learnt all this trial and error and always referred to common as control...
So I have completed the adapted mod on the pickguard I have which has a Chinese 7 lug switch.
This switch has only one control / common lug and this will apply to similar switches or 8 lug that have a connection between commons
I completed all steps but found middle positions were silent and 1 and 5 were both neck and bridge together (due to the reasons noted in previous answer)
The solution:
Complete all steps:
Master tone L2 to L1 of volume
Ground all pots to back of volume
Ground blender pot same as you would volume pot.
Bridge and neck ground to L2 of blender
Hot jumper from A2 or switch to L1 of blender.
Now DO NOT run jumpers on the switch.
Everything else the same as the vid / diagram but do not add the switch jumpers.
This will give you a standard strat with the blender pot on zero.
This will give the series selections as desired for neck and bridge with blender pot on 10
The phase options are unavailable (I did not personally care for these much anyway)
Position 2,3&4 will only give you to middle pup in parallel when then blender pot is turned up due to reasons stated in previous reply.
I then made an addition of a neck on/off 'gilmour' switch to allow neck to be switched on in any position.
This gives you standard strat plus neck and bridge or all 3 pickups in parallel and you can also switch then neck pickup on when in series with bridge (both neck and bridge run in series into middle pup as the grounds are on same connection of blender) this does give a sound similar to H H guitar eg Les Paul etc
So in short Kier if you remove the switch jumpers from A1 to B4 and A3 to B2 and you should have the blender working with the series selections for neck and bridge.
To add a gilmour switch you just have a simple on off switch (SPST)which one outer lug connects to A1 and the common connects to the common OR L1 of the volume pot.
This is not necessary but adds very useful tones.
Hope this helps Kier - or anyone who has been unsuccessful in this mod.
I believe the reasons in my previous answer will help with the understanding of why etc
A standard strat wiring scheme involves connecting the commons where as this mod does not, this is why jumpers are needed. As I have found out some import type switches do not have two commons and this is where issues arise.
I will post a demo video of the guitar with single common 5 way switch I completed this mod on ASAP
Cheers
@@RealRealBlu Did you get round to posting the video? I've had a lot of unresolved issues trying to get this mod to work with import switches.
Hi Neil.
I haven't had any time to post a video but if you follow my instructions in the previous post it will work, the issue is the import switch not truly having seperate 'sides' and connecting to one common which in turn grounds out position 2 and 4... basically:
Complete the mod as in vid but do not add the switch jumpers and you will have series options without the out of phase sounds. Hope that helps
@@RealRealBlu Thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated. I'd played around and discovered the same results with removing the jumpers, but I wanted the out of phase tones. I have installed a phase switch push pull on the tone knob. I'm very happy now with the tones. It was just very frustrating trying to get the original schematic to work. I feel a bit better now knowing that it wasn't just me having these issues! I'm just a beginner at wiring, but I've been very successful doing a lot more complicated mods than this, so this one brought me back down to earth! All good fun and very satisfying when you get it right.
Is it possible to adapt this MOD with an S-1 switch? And could I also do a Blender pot MOD to that same guitar?
Thanks! Question - with this mod could I also add a dpdt switch to toggle the neck (or bridge) on/off (getting the 7-sound strat which gives you a neck-bridge option like a tele)? Would adding that switch mess anything up in the Dan Armstrong Mod? Thanks!
Hi
I did add a gilmour switch for neck as you have asked and no it did not mess with anything and this also means you can have both neck and bridge on at the same time running into mid pup in series so basically H+H sound ! I did however find that when the switch was engaged position 2 doesn't work at all (mid and bridge) which I believe is basically due to circuit 'grouding out' as the jumpers applied to the 5way switch connect bridge (A1) to neck (B4) and neck (A3) to bridge (B2) so in position 2 you have middle pup on, bridge pup on then engage neck which on mine seems to kill all which I guess is due to this (I really feel should understand more by now with the number of guitars I've worked on but I'm not quite there yet !). This did however turn out to be sort of useful as a kill position ! So I left it in.
This is my experience and it's possible that ymmv or other people can shed some light.
Hope this helps and I see your question has been posted awhile but for others reference I thought I'd post my results
Cheers
I did the same thing, added a button switch for operation of N plus B when blend pot is in parallel, which does cut out sound in position 2 and 4, and it also works in both position 1 and 5. The series setting works on it as well. Funny, my fave setting on it now is position 2, volume at 8, tone at 7 and blender at 7, really cool sixties thinned-out tone for ska.
Thanks for making this video! I love the mod
QUESTION: my blend knob is acting more like a switch than a potentiometer blender; it goes from parallel , straight to inbetween, straight to series. So really just has 3 setting and not really blending between parallel and series
Is there a way to fix this so that it transitions smoothly between both?
I'm a bit late but I think you used a linear potentiometer instead of a logarithmic one.
The original mod suggests a linear taper B250K for smoother blending.
Hello Breja. I did this mod and I found that the pickups in series produces lots of noise when I´m not touching the strings. What can it be? Does inverting the middle pickup polarity helps?
Same problem - did you find a solution?
@@spanium I really don´t remember what I have done but it worked (I don´t have that moded Strat anymore).
DO YOU USE THE BLENDER POT # 2112367***OR A STANDARD LOG POT???
It uses a regular pot (not sure whether log or linear). Confusing, I know, but it doesn't involve a blender pot at all.
My strat has three hot rail humbuckers. I did this wiring as recommended but have no volume control. I know this is unique...".can it work so eww
thanks
I did the mod and reversed it. I can honestly say to anyone else considering it, don't waste your time.
On the surface it's an ingenious idea. You reap the addition of a bridge and neck humbucker without spending a dime. And you don't outwardly change the appearance of your instrument. You have a secret weapon, a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The reality is what you get are not your daddy's PAFs. Though they are truly in series humbuckers they don't sound like them. They sound like what you are used to in the normal 2 & 4 positions, only louder and a little thicker. And not in a good way. Lifeless and dull, they won't inspire you. You are way better off with the stock configuration. It has soul and sounds natural.
You gave to use a 1meg pot for volume.
Is it necessary to change the tone capacitor from 05 to 01? Bcz i read on the google and he said that he suggest to change it.