Fender Standard Stratocaster v.2.0 Since I wrote up the original entry on this guitar, I performed a complete overhaul on it, turning it into a close approximation of Eric Clapton's famous "Blackie." The original Blackie was on the cover of a several EC albums including Timepieces.  In reality, that guitar was retired long ago.  In the last decade or so, Clapton began using a new Strat with Gold Lace Sensor pickups.  Eventually, a signature model was commissioned and modeled after the original Blackie, but with all the electronics of the modern era.  I wanted to get the look a little closer to said signature model, I would have had to replace the tuners, and I'm in no rush to do that.

These have a really classic sound yet give off no 60 Hz hum like most single coil pickups.  I highly recommend these pickups in any Strat.

Control: n/a

Function: Placing a very low value capacitor (.001 microfarad) across the appropriate lugs of your volume knob (or knobs) will keep your tone from loosing the high frequencies (i.e. getting "muddy").

Control: Push-pull pot under the middle (tone) knob.

Function: Throws the middle pickup electrically out of phase with whatever other pickup it is combined.

Control: Middle (tone) knob.

Function: This is an unusual passive (no batteries required) tone control that will cut either the treble or bass frequencies depending which way you turn it (middle position equals bypass).  The standard tone control only cuts treble.  It gives you an extra degree of brightness.  I have this set up as the master tone knob; the other tone knob was commandeered for mod #6 below.

Control: Push-pull pot under the volume knob

Function: This is a switch that selects the bridge or neck pickup to combinations when it isn't otherwise selected.  This allows you to have all three pickups on at the same time or the bridge and neck, which sounds like a Telecaster.
 

5-way output with the Parallel selected:

Neck (+ Bridge) Neck + Mid (+ Bridge) Mid (Neck +) Mid + Bridge (Neck +) Bridge

*I say "selectable" because this is done with a switch rather than a potentiometer... as opposed to the alternative below....

Control: Push-pull pot under the middle (tone) knob.

Function: This is accomplished though a potentiometer instead of a switch.  Normally all combinations of pickups in a Strat are in parallel.  However, series combinations give an altogether different sound, much more like a Les Paul.  In this case, this option allows the middle pickup to be combined in series with either of the other two.
 

5-way output with the Series fully selected:

Neck + Mid in series Mid Mid Mid Bridge + Mid in series

*I say "graded" because this is "dialed-in" with the potentiometer.  You can do this mod with a switch as well, but then it's all-or-nothing.

Control: Who knows?  Something's going to have to give; I'm out of knobs!

Function: This is a mid-range boost featured in the Clapton signature Strat and represents the only thing separating this guitar from his (in terms of the electronics).  This boost gives that thick tone that is superhuman or (dare I say it?) God-like.

*Available at Guitar Electronics.  If anyone has tried this model, let me know what you think of it.

Depending on the manufacturer, different 5-way switches have different configurations of contacts.  This diagram doesn't specify which way is "up" or which direction is forward (i.e., position #1 vs. position #5, not that anyone is ever consistent in using these designations anyway).  When you prepare to assemble your own circuit, use a multi-meter to test the continutity between the common of each pole and the other lugs so you can determine which position selects the neck pickup, etc.

In this diagram, the gray wires go to ground... except where the ground symbols from the neck and bridge pickups combine in parallel, then eventually meet up with the middle pickup ground from the phase switch (assuming the phase has not been reversed, that is).  Other colors were chosen arbitrarily.  Different pickups will have different color codes for the wires.  If you wish to add a 4-conductor humbucker, consult the manufacturer's website for which wires feed from which coils.

The cap (orange circle) associated with the TBX is 0.02 µF and the fixed resistor (orange rectangle) is 82k Ohms.

This schematic covers all the mods listed on this page except for the EC pre-amp which was installed later.

Components  pictured: 3 Gold Lace Sensor pickups 2 push-pull pots (250k Ohms) TBX control 0.001uF hi-pass cap (not pictured)  standard 5-way switch Output jack

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