Some Nice Strat Mods…

[Chiliwailer]

Been modding my Strat recently, thought I’d share in case helpful…

 

First off - as I’ve not got the best technique, and don’t play that often, I was sometimes hitting the selector switch and volume knob, which is a nightmare for recording. So I took out one of the tone controls, and now have one volume and one tone and a nice gap where the original placed volume knob was, and the ‘F’ from a Lindy Fralin sticker to cover the hole. The switch was easier, just gave it a bend to stop me knocking it

 

Next up - put in a ‘Gilmour Switch’, the best thing for me being you can have the neck and bridge pups on together, almost like a Tele. You can also have all 3 pups on together. Very simple mod if you can solder. 

 

That with a new bridge pup (Dimarzio FS-1) and I think my  ‘61 AVRI2 is doing good

[Kiwi]

I use a Seymour Duncan 'semi' super switch, I can change position 3 from middle pickup to bridge and neck. 

[EdwardMarlowe]

I like the idea of a Gilmour switch. You can of course now buy a seven-way selector switch to add the extra two options without changing the guitar visually, though (aside from not needing to drill an extra hole in the guard and make sure you position the extra switch correctly to fit) I don't think it's any simpler an installation - just a question of preference. 

I'm intrigued by the idea of wiring a Strat as MV/MT with the third pot as a blender switch that sweeps across the pick-up settings, essentially doing what the five-way switch does with a sweep rather than in steps. I've not had the chance to try one, but I suspect (extrapolating conceptually from having a two-pickup P bass with two volume knobs and no selector switch) it would lead me to actually make more use of the different pick-ups for tonal selection. Then - partly in order to have the Neck  / Bridge option - I would hope I could have a regular (pre-77 style) Strat three way switch added to have 1=> standard (as per the sweep pot), 2=> add neck pickup to sweep pot position, 3=> mute all. I have no electrical skills so I don't know if this is possible, but I think that would be the dream if it was. In Custom Shop Dream World, I'd also have a version of this Strat with a three-saddle Telecaster bridge. As is, when the disposable income situation improved in a year orf two, I have my eye on a blue Player 2 that I'll be looking to have at least some of this idea put on. 

If and when HB bring out a vintage-specced guitar (SSS) to the standard of the ST Modern Plus, I plan to buy one and experiment with having the switch pulled for a three way, wire to give 1=> bridge and middle, 2=> bridge and neck 3=> neck and middle. Effectively the only two sounds I really have ever used on my old American Standard, plus the one sound that owning a Telecaster has always made me wish a Strat had. 

[EdwardMarlowe]

On 21/07/2025 at 07:15, Kiwi said:

I use a Seymour Duncan 'semi' super switch, I can change position 3 from middle pickup to bridge and neck. 

This set-up (though whether SD provided the hardware I couldn't say) was on the MiM Jimmy Vaughn sig model Strat. five way with the middle position giving neck and bridge instead of the middle pickup. Tone pots were also rearranged, with the middle-tone pot redirected to the bridge instead. As memory serves, the other one remained on the neck alone per vintage spec (by the time of the American Standard from 1988 on, the version I have, Fender were wiring the first tone pot to cover neck and middle both, with the second pot being a passive TBX circuit designed to cut/boost bass / treble as directed, though habitually I've always kept mine in the middle-notched 'off' position....). Lovely, soft V neck on them too. I'd have bought one of those like a shot if they'd done them left handed, but of course no dice from Fender.