Conference napalm::guitar

    I can't answer your question specificly, beats me what does what.
    But from whappin ( excuse me, playing ) it and twiddlin the knobe you
    can best tell what sounds like what. About a year ago got a guitar
    with 2 humbuckers, 6 knobs, 6 switches. Some are pretty easy to make
    out ( preamp on/off ) but some I'm still not so sure about, that is the
    tone knobs seem to act unlike tone, and as volume when the Amps are
    lit.  Beats me...
    
    
                                                           

<<    I just bought a left handed Strat, and unlike computers and software,
<<    there is no documentation as to what switches enable which pickups and
<<    so forth.  Could one of you folks educate me as to what pickups are
<<    enabled by which switch positions, and how these switch positions are
<<    used (example:  switch position 1: enables nth pickups, used for bright
<<    lead) or something like that.  
    
    Easy...
    
    Generally Strats, and strat copies) have a five way switch.
    
    Position 1 will give you the front pickup.  (Position one is the
    selector switch is all the way 'up' or closest two the strings.)
    
    This is the wamrest sound.
    
    Postion 3 is straight up, and thats the middle pickup.
    
    Warm sound..
    
    Position 5 is all the way down, rear, or bridge pickup.
    
    Brightest sound.
    
    Postion 2 is between 1 and 3, position 4 is between 3 and 5.
    
    
    Depending on the sound you want, you can use any setting
    for any style of play. 
    
    The volume control is set across all three.
    
    The first tone knob is for the front pickup, the second tone
    knob is for the middle pickup.
    
    the bridge pickup has no tone control.

    
    Re: .2
    
    On the odd chance you have an older Strat with a 3-way switch, it has
    the settings that Ray called positions 1, 3 and 5 only.
    
    							Brian
    

    Hmmm.. Even an older start, (I had a late 60s back some years ago...)
    had a 5 way, and wot you had to do was find the 'sweet' spot in
    between....  Later on, the newer ones came out with a 'real' five
    position switch.
    
    Now I could be wrong,,,, ("I'm really not a Strat. Authority... I don't
    think owning three or four makes you one..) but all the ones I've
    played (even some early 60 strats) had the ability to do this. wether
    or not they were modified I can't say....
    
    I *DO* know alot of copies didn't have the 5-way till a few years ago
    when copies were being made more authentic...
    
    Wot say you Brian?

    Correct me if I'm wrong here, cuz it's been a long time since I
    had a strat...
    
    Switch pos.			Pickups
    -----------			-------
    
    1				1   		(Closest to the neck)
    2				1 and 2
    3				1, 2 and 3
    4                           2 and 3
    5                           3               (Closest to the tail)
    
    I think thats all of it...
    
    jc (Who always had a hard time with that switch. Three toggles would
        be more rad and hip)
                          

    Replacing a (3) position switch with a (5) position switch is probably
    one of the easiest modifications you can make to any older strat.
    
    I think the (5) position switches were standard equipment on strats
    starting back in the mid-seventies.
    
    cheers/mike

    re .6
    
    Yup. Starting in 1977 strats came stock with a 5 position switch.
    
    -Tom

    re:5..
    
    position three (striaght up) is just the middle pickup.
    
    
    

    Re:  .2....
    
    Correction regarding 1989 American Standard:
    
    The tone control furthest from the volume control on my strat is for
    the BRIDGE pickup. (RE: "there is no tone control for the bridge
    pickup")
    
    Steve
    
    

    
    re: .9
    
    Steve, I agree that the farthest tone knob is for the bridge pickup
    only, but I *thought* the closest tone knob controlled both the middle
    and neck pickups...  I need to keep a spare strat in the office for
    these probing questions.
    
    signed,
    -puzzled in the piedmont

    
    re: all
    
    The real story of the strat pickup/tone control mystery is revealed
    below, or at least true for my '89 strat.  Now this strat is right
    handed, so all you lefty's be careful...  :^) 
    
    first, for the tone controls...  Ie; which tone knob works with what 
    positions on the pickup selector.
    
    lower tone knob		bridge (pos 5)
    lower tone knob		pos 4
    lower tone knob		middle (pos 3)
    
    lower tone knob
    		    >-----------pos 2
    upper tone knob	
    
    upper tone knob		pos 1
    
    
    
    
    second, for the pickup selector...  Ie; which pickups work with what 
    pickup selector position.
    
    pos 5			bridge pickup
    pos 4			middle + bridge pickups
    pos 3			middle pickup
    pos 2			middle + neck pickups
    pos 1			neck pickup
    

    re: last few
    
    just to stray from the topic a bit, I have a question:
    
    Do any of you other strat owners even bother with the tone knobs?
    I never even touch them; I leave them cranked up all the way, all
    of the time.
    
    jest curious,
    
    cheers/mike

    Mike,
    
    When I had my strat (up until last week), I occassionally used a tone
    setting on the bridge pickup with the tone knob just "leaked" open,
    and the selector in position 5 (bridge pickup only), and as much
    gain/distortion as I could get.  By leaked open, I mean turn the tone
    knob all the way off, then turn up until you hear the first hint of
    tone change (about 1 to 1 1/2 on the knob).  This gave me a "fatter"
    sound with the tube screamer....sorta Gibson-ish.  Then I swapped my
    strat for a Les Paul.

Sttttrrrranngge,, I have an 89 strat, and the bottome tone control
doens't effect the sound when using the bridge pickup.

I'll double check 'Red tonight...


Niether did my 69, nor the 73!!! (Go figure!)

re:11...

I use the tone controls, not a lot but enough to say that I use em...

    The bottom tone control alters the tone on the bridge pickup of
    my '88.
    
    
    
    Don 

Gee Dunno,, I think it's a standard..


No matta,....  Is O.k. da way tis.

    
    Ray is correct about older Strats.....the traditional wiring gives no
    tone control for the bridge pickup (you use it when you want some
    *treble* right?).  
    
    It's certainly likely that Fender has finally addressed this.  There
    have been quite a few home-brew rewire setups to give you tone control
    over the bridge pickup that I've seen over the years.
    
    							Brian

    Come to think of it, in the little manual that came with my '89
    standard, the tone knob controlling the bridge pickup is listed as
    NEW feature.  Interesting.....
    
    Steve

matta-o-fact, my strat is more likely an 88,, I bought in Feb of 89, but
it's very likely it's an 89.

One of the sounds I kinda dig is when you use position 4, and cut the lower
tone control back a little past half way...

Nice and lowgy....  just too cool...

    > Nice and lowgy...
    
    Lowgy??? Is this a typo Ray or a term you forgot to teach me?? Can
    my jap-o-strat do lowgy??? If lowgy is cool I want it...;^)
    
    Edd

Lowgy is ahhh,, something you experience, and ahhh can't be ahh, taught,,,

(low watt blue lights help...)

>One of the sounds I kinda dig is when you use position 4, and cut the lower
>tone control back a little past half way...

    Position 4 starting the numbering at which end?
    
    Greg (who doesn't want to seem stupid, but simply must try for the lowgy
          sound)

    Not at all an authority on strats but.....
    
    Do the tone controls relate directly to the pickups, or to the "Sort
    of output" of the machine, ie do they not work like those on audio
    equipment, where the top (or bottom) tone control, affects "Treble"
    and the other "bass" ?  
    
    And don't the new strat +'s have a tbx tone control, which is a
    half-hearted active system or somthing ?
    
    Juju
    xxxx
    

    
    
    	Well I can answer the first part.. the tone controls do relate to
    the pickups in that they determine the amount of high freq tones that
    are routed to ground.  Strats use what's called a passive tone or
    treble bleed tone control (until of course these TBX thingies, which
    sound like active devices to me but I don't know) cos they allow more
    and more highs to be "bled" to ground (ground meaning no output) as the
    pot is opened up.  Am I gettin' hip to this stuff or what??

    
    Here is my 2 cents.  Play right handed guitars upside down ala
    
    either freddie king or albert king.  That way you can buy a lot
    
    more varity.  It is a hassel to find good left handed guitars and
    
    making or buying custom axes gets very expensive.  
    
    imo, jim mckinnon@seo
    orcas::mckinnon_ja
    
    

    
    adding to .25 
    
    keep the strings in the right handed players position. 
    
    It is not that difficult to get used to.
    
    thanx, jim mckinnon@seo
    orcas::mckinnon_ja
    

    
    Hi all, since no-one has answered the "Lowgey" question I'll try to.
    
    I have a Lefty strat with the switch in position #4 (#1 being close to
    the strings #5 farthest away..) #4 with tone about 5-6 gives lots of
    sustain,and kind of dirty...in pos #2 it sounds alittle happier...I
    guess you would call it,so that's my experience with lowgey...
    any other comments..?
    
    
                                  Kevin

    I have occasionally thought of trying to play guitar like a lefty
    would.  How did it get started that we use the more co-ordinated hand
    for strumming and the other for forming chords and such?  Are there
    people who just prefer to play "backwards"?  Does it have to do with
    gross vs fine co-ordination?
    
    						Bill

    Hi,
    
    re:-1
    
    for me that is the case there are things I can do with my right hand
    that I can't with my left..like getting in a tight place and put a nut
    on a bolt I *have* to use my right hand because of it being the more
    dextrous of the two...and that's why there's a stor here in the springs
    I will never go back to cause I was shopping for a used lefty..
    and the guy sez:"Why don't you just play like normal people..."
    my response was "Get Fu%^ed..."
    
    
                        and that the truth...ttpphhhhhh.....
    
    
                           Kevin

             <<< Note 1572.29 by CSC32::MCCLOSKEY "I'm the NRA" >>>

>    and the guy sez:"Why don't you just play like normal people..."

	It's obvious, you play guitar, that disqualifies you as normal.
	At least that's been my excuse for years...

							Wooo Wooo
								Jens

    
    
          I hear that......That's what I say when I'm asked if I do
    illiect pharmicuticals.I tell 'em I'm into all natural things......
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    like insanity......
    
    
    
    
                            Kevin