50s Series Mim Strat Pickup Config Options

[steenamaroo]

Hi folks,
I recently bought a classic series 50s MIM strat and was hoping someone could advise about the pickup config.

As I understand it the three single coil pickups are identical.

The selector switch is standard:
1 bridge
2 bridge/middle
3 middle
4 neck/middle
5 neck

The bridge pickup is RWRP meaning that position 2 is noise cancelling, but position 4 is not.


I'm thinking, if the above is all true, I could physically swap bridge + middle pickups and swap their wiring points too, giving me the more conventional RWRP in the middle and noise cancelling on positions 2+4.

Can anyone confirm this is right, or tell me why it's not?
Is there any disadvantage or reason I wouldn't want to do this.

The guitar is exclusively for studio use so having the two noise cancelling positions would be a real benefit.
Many thanks in advance.

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This post has been edited by steenamaroo: Nov 10 2015, 04:41 AM

[klasaine]

On modern Strats (regardless of whether they say 50s or 60s style), the neck and middle pkup (though RWRP) are usually the same as far as alloy and output are concerned.
Bridge will usually be different. Generally slightly hotter with either more windings or even a different alloy (A5 as opposed to A2 or A3 or maybe even ceramic). Also, the bridge pkup, most of the time, is not wired to a tone control.
Both positions 2 and 4 should be hum-cancelling as the middle pkup is RWRP.

*A 'real' 50s (and 60s) wired Strat only has 3 positions - neck, middle, bridge.

**A really common mod on a Strat is to wire the bottom tone control to the bridge pkup and let the middle and neck pkups share the middle tone control.

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This post has been edited by klasaine: Nov 10 2015, 03:32 PM

[steenamaroo]

Both positions 2 and 4 should be hum-cancelling as the middle pkup is RWRP.

Hi there,
Thank you for the reply.

I don't think this is true of the classic series 50.
I read before buying, and proved upon purchase, (although it could be modified) that the bridge pickup is the odd one out in terms of winding and polarity.

As such, only the bridge/middle position cancels hum.
The neck/middle position is a blend of two pups of the same winding and polarity.


I suppose the important piece of info is with regard to the bridge pickup specs.
Is the pup going to be the same design and type as the other two, or is it going to follow the trend of being slightly hotter as you describe.

You're correct about the the bridge pickup not being wired to a tone control in my case.

Thanks.

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This post has been edited by steenamaroo: Nov 10 2015, 07:07 PM

[klasaine]

I believe you, but that's bizarre. Good to know.

As I said, in the 50s and early 60s there was no position 2 or 4 (you could place the toggle in between and sometimes get that in-between sound, Hendrix did this a lot). When Fender started wiring to get 2 and 4 (in the 70s) they very quickly reversed the middle pkup.

Classic 57/62s that are in the MIM classic 50s strats, are all A5 mags. Bridge is usually 'slightly' hotter.

*I've never played a Strat with a 5-way that had the bridge pkup reversed - ?

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This post has been edited by klasaine: Nov 10 2015, 07:20 PM

[steenamaroo]

I believe you, but that's bizarre. Good to know.

As I said, in the 50s and early 60s there was no position 2 or 4 (you could place the toggle in between and sometimes get that in-between sound, Hendrix did this a lot). When Fender started wiring to get 2 and 4 (in the 70s) they very quickly reversed the middle pkup.

Classic 57/62s that are in the MIM classic 50s strats, are all A5 mags. Bridge is usually 'slightly' hotter.

*I've never played a Strat with a 5-way that had the bridge pkup reversed - ?

Thank you again for the reply.
To eliminate any confusion here is a link to the instrument.

It's modern production instrument made in the style of, or influenced by, 50s strats, I believe.
The selector switch seems to be an exception to that.


If the pups are the same but the bridge is slightly hotter, it sounds like it'd be worth the switcheroo, even if only to see how it sounds.

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This post has been edited by steenamaroo: Nov 10 2015, 08:00 PM

[klasaine]

Thanks for the link. I think a switch is worth a try. If your bridge pkup is only a little hotter it shouldn't affect the classic in-between tones too much.

*Fender does some weird stuff. It says "period correct from the the 50s, 60s and 70s".
In none of those eras did Fender ever RWRP a bridge pkup. Go figure - ?

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[steenamaroo]

Thanks for the link. I think a switch is worth a try. If your bridge pkup is only a little hotter it shouldn't affect the classic in-between tones too much.

*Fender does some weird stuff. It says "period correct from the the 50s, 60s and 70s".
In none of those eras did Fender ever RWRP a bridge pkup. Go figure - ?

Cool, thank you.
The previous owner fitted a coloured scratchplate so I'll order up an original and do all the work at once.
I'll post back and let you know how it goes.

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[steenamaroo]

Hi again folks,

I got my replacement scratch plate and had a look at the pickups.
It looks like maybe two are original and one is aftermarket -the RWRP bridge one.

I took a chance and just popped in the middle to see how it would play and it all seems good to me.

Thanks for the advice.

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