Series/Parallel Stratocaster Wiring Mod

Here's another Breja ToneWorks DIY wiring mod. This time I'll go over adding 1 switch to your guitar to gain three different Series/Parallel combinations to your Stratocaster style guitar

[@prosql]

These are some of the best "teach a lot in a short amout of time and still have it be clear"videos I've found anywhere on guitar circuits. It actually makes me sad to see that you apparently stopped doing new videos long ago. On one hand, you seam to have covered your core topic well, but I watch these and keep thinking how much other stuff you probably could teach us well with such great illustration and discussion. Thank you so much for these!

[@themagnetc]

Thank you Don-I watched the video about a hundred times until I had everything wired up like the video. Plugged it in and everything worked as expected. I really appreciate you taking the time to help others with your great videos!

[@michaelpham5146]

Neat wiring scheme. I recently tried this mod and it sounds great. My favorite position for this mod is the Neck and Bridge in series. I've been wanting to try this for awhile now, but couldn't find a proper wiring diagram online until now. Thanks!

[@rvalladares]

Just finished wiring this mod , as this is only my second project restauring guitars I just go for a little more complicated wiring mod. And just worked on the first attempt!!!! mainly because you explain it very well. Thank you very much for all these videos!!!!

[@najmihakimkhairi1210]

do you need to rewire everything ?

[@johndunson8630]

Thanks for the info you put on here did this mod and added a shadow kill volume pot love it keep up the awesome videos

[@liam421]

Very good tutorial as usual thank you for taking the time.

[@pauljohnson8016]

Just done this to my strat today. Brilliant. Thanks for the video its great.

[@MyStarPeopleExperiences]

I recommend the ten way switch. 5 tones for regular strat. 5 extra tones. pickups wired in every configuration.

[@74dartman13]

Thanks for the great tips! I'm planning a Strat build and I'm definitely going to use one of your wiring diagrams. I like all the options and that you can also have tone control on the bridge. I could never understand why they're originally wired without it!

[@ivanetenete]

4 years late but there it goes: the bridge pickup in the strat is wired like that because you don't loose some high frequencies by conecting it to a tone knob, giving you a brigther sound. Same idea is used in the Fender Esquire.

[@74dartman13]

@@ivanetenete Nice!👍😎🎸🎶

[@baltayoshi]

Thank you! It worked! Very good mod this is. I really dig the in series sound - it's a fat humbucker sound with a strat feel. Love it. And thanks again! I appreciate your efforts of sharing your knowledge.

[@baltayoshi]

Oh and the pickups - neck bridge in series finally sound great with a distortion pedal

[@RenatinhoStauros]

Awesome!! Thank you for the great video!!

[@keithsa41]

I thou nominate Don for the "KZbin Best Instructional Video Award". Cheers

[@51MontyPython]

@Ryan Plethra "..and thinking that the lead is from the pickup not the input jack" What do you mean?

[@51MontyPython]

@Ryan Plethra "this D/C schematic" Actually, I believe it's technically A/C (albeit, low voltage). I'm in the U.S. myself. Out of curiosity, what problem are you having exactly with your guitar?

[@51MontyPython]

@Ryan Plethra So do I take it you're using active pickups? And have you taken the pick guard out to look at the wiring they did?

[@StratMatt777]

@Ryan Plethra If your buzz happens when you get close to computer monitors or lights... that happens with single coil strat pickups, but not with humbuckers. When a guitar buzzes it is typically from a bad ground. If it buzzes when you're not touching the strings, and then stops when you touch the strings, that is a bad ground. You want to make sure that all of the ground wires are securely soldered to the guitars grounding point (generally the volume pot). Especially check the ground wire from the tremelo claw (on a strat). When the string vibrates within the magnetic lines of flux of the pickup, electricity is induced. This electricity is AC by definition. If it weren't AC, it wouldn't be making sound. Active pickups use DC batteries for power because small consumer grade AC batteries do not exist. Business jets and airliners have AC batteries though... AC can be changed (rectified) into DC with a rectifier. Every time you charge your phone the rectifier inside your charger is converting AC to DC. Tesla is responsible for EVERYTHING AC- especially motors and generators. It is unlikely that "the rest of the world uses DC" because the reason that AC was adopted is because DC has severe power losses when sent down the line, requiring DC power stations every couple of blocks. This was the situation in New York City, with Edison's setup for a time... until Edison robbed Tesla of his AC ideas. Actually, Tesla signed the paper when Edison asked him to, so he robbed himself.

[@miroslavfejt3483]

Thanks a lot! It added next dimension to my strat.

[@yvonguntz1851]

I just did that mod on my strat and this is really cool ! Brings some fatter tones !

[@theweazel]

Awesome video, thank you!

[@user-gg5ti6lq5m]

I wired this up for a master tone pot and master bass cut pot. When in series the bass cut is helpful.

[@Fingertipsable]

What would be really cool is if you can make a combination of the Brent Mason switching with the 2nd vol pot being able to blend in mid pup. Can I combine this to your series parallel switching with push pull pot. Just athought.

[@clustercrash2995]

Could be possible to have this and the 7 way mod? I thought, having the series/parallel on a push pull, and the 7 on a toggle/spdt switch

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

A strat with 1 vol, 1 tone and 3x dpdt on off on switches. Can i wire this to have series and parellel while i can still switch each pickup on and off ?

[@ahall3823]

Hi Breja ToneWorks. I want to add one simple modification to my stratocaster with standard wiring. All I want is a 'blower' switch (push-push) that directly wires the bridge and middle pickups directly to the output jack, bypassing the volume and tone pots. How would I do this?

[@sologuitarra]

Very good video, in position 4 how can I put the bridge in series with the middle one in series only, not in parallel, like the Dan Armstrong configuration

[@radugoldis1008]

Thank you Don for the great lesson. I have a question; I have a 1971 Strat with original single coil pickups. First I've changed the switch from 3 position to five and thae I did the 2 capacitors diagram learned in the video. There is an issue when I use neck/middle and middle/bridge switch position, the sound is 1/2 volume vs single/neck, single/middle and single/bridge and is nasal. Is it anything that i can do so all 5 switch positions sound equal in volume? Thank you again, Radu

[@2bikemikesguitartopics145]

cool. I like it. thanks

[@bbinford100]

With DPDT Switch ON, would it be possible to wire Position 2 with Neck / Middle in Parallel or Middle Only? Thanks for the vid.

[@dogmatronic]

I’m looking to add a phase dpdt switch to one of the pick ups, I thought the middle would be best. Is it just a matter of treating the outputs from the switch as you would the pick up outputs (regardless of phase) or is it more complex than that?

[@alessiograziani6355]

Thanks for this video and for all the others that you did. I would like to add a series/parallel switch to my Strat only to add series switching in position 2. Do you have a video for this mod? Or can you suggest to me a wiring diagaram? I already made some searches, but it is full of different versions more complicated. Many thanks

[@matinico08]

I have a, ask how would it apply if my guitar circuit has phase inversion switches? Because it has 3 mini switches that are responsible for reversing the polarity of each pickup, but I want to add the parallel series system

[@Adiaf8oros]

Would this work if I put a phase switch with another DPDT exactly after the neck pickup? The combinations would be even more..

[@markroberts8369]

I have tried this wiring with burns trisonic pickups. With the DpDt switch up, the neck pickup goes dead in both positions 1 and 2.Anybody have any ideas why this should be?

[@davidegaravaglia190]

Great wiring! Thanks a lot! Do You have a solution to have less dark series Combination?

[@daniellacatton]

Cool video ... x - Daniella.

[@garyadams6780]

Hi I'm trying to do this but with master volume, master tone (push pull),5 way switch (import). Amy help would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards Gary.

[@nmssis]

as always, thanks!

[@michaelcraig9449]

Is this the same as a blender Strat wiring thing? Can you buy this set up by itself without having to buy a custom shop guitar?

[@edgarrodriguez8920]

Hello , i did all and not work the configuration but with a mini toggle switch ¿ anyone knows why ? I've a fender Stratocaster with Dimarzio DP407, 408 and 409.

[@che6446]

what a scheme it would be to have bridge and middle in series ?

[@tanguydelooz2881]

HumBucker need a 500K volume pot instead of a 250K. So can't you add some resistors to that effect ? Because without it, the Neck+Bridge in series will sound like a HumBucker with a certain amount of tone off (like maybe -25%). With some resistors it could be great.

[@jannawithrow4067]

I have a 2013 fender standard Stratocaster I'm having problems getting the volume to work had a wire to break several months ago and a friend of mine sultered it but not sure if he sultered it in the right location I'm confused but the tone knobs works fine does anyone have any ideas it would be appreciated thank you ❤

[@whssy]

For some reason I can't get this to work properly. The alternative setting leaves me with all 3 pickups on in 3 of the settings.

[@pablom5150]

How should I do if I wanna have bridge/middle in series?

[@Ottophil]

Get a humbucker lol

[@pablom5150]

@@Ottophil not

[@Izya__]

So you got it? Maybe solder on push pull middle, no neck?

[@bluesguitarist7773]

​@@Ottophilgood one

[@FreshBagelz]

This is a great video! I'm curious, is there any way to add another switch and access B + M in series and all 3 in series as well as the positions in the video?

[@alexandrecosta2567]

You could, probably, with a super 5-way switch. Alternatively, the easier way would be to make the middle pickup be the one that gets added to the other pickups. You would get N+M and B+M in series.

[@JensHappe]

very helpful thx

[@golosa009]

How I can get this mod using a fender S-1 switch?

[@oskarileikos]

Could you please make the same instruction video but just for master vol and tone?

[@eduardomejia3987]

Excellent video. I wonder if this can be done with just one tone pot, using the push/pull pot as a master tone?

[@alexandrecosta2567]

It would be possible! 1 - in the 5-way switch, connect jumper cables uniting the 3 lugs: B2, B3 and B4; 2 - Connect B4 of the 5-way switch to L2 of the master tone pot; 3 - Connect L3 of the master tone pot to a leg of a capacitor; 4 - Connect the other leg of the capacitor to ground; And that's it!

[@RaulDipeas]

Do You know a mod to avoid the pop noise on the pickup switch?

[@miidlytoxic1641]

do any of yall know if its the same for a HHH strat?

[@antoniorinaldi784]

you are the best.

[@fuzzyloomchannel]

But isn't it backwards? To me position 1 is traditionally where the bridge is, so I'm kinda confused. Position one should be neck and bridge in series, pos 2 bridge/middle in parallel with neck in series, pos 3 middle/neck in series and the neck only in pos 4 and 5. Or am just completely wrong here?

[@christianr.8885]

Hi Sir , can I use a push pull 500k pots on this?

[@chrism.6371]

I’ve followed the instructions to the letter as far as I can tell, but I’m having a MAJOR problem with the bridge pickup, since it’s a Bill Lawrence L250C stacked humbucker with three colored wires and one bare wire. I’ve looked all over and can’t seem to find how this can be done.

[@Ottophil]

One color wire is hot. Two of the wires will be the ones that get grounded for coil tap. And bare is ground

[@ChrisStauderMusic]

hey don, i could use a little of your knowledge haha im going to put a series/parallel-switch in my project strat(2 pickups/3-way selector), is there any way to wire it, so when the switch is engaged, i just have the series signal to my volume pot, no matter which position is selected on the selector?

[@BrejaToneWorks]

+Sven Stauder I'd have to try working it out but I believe you could if you used a 3P3T switch because you'd need to cancel the connection from the 5-way selector switch when the series parallel switch is active.

[@jeromewagschal9485]

@@BrejaToneWorks Dear Sir Thank you so much for all your videos they make my life as a guitar tech so much easier... I really enjoyed the strat series/parallel video... I have one question though...Maybe you can help me with that : How would I re-wire my strat for series/ parallel if I only had one tone control ? And where would the capacitor go ? Thank you for your help :)

[@yunyun508]

Can I out of phase position3/5 ?

[@poinkero]

Is there a way to do it so that when the switch is engaged the 2 and 4 positions becomes in series instead of parallel and nothing else is affected.

[@kylebennett4196]

I want to know this as well

[@lupuslumbecker6333]

Thanks for all the great mod tutorials, Don. What I’d very much like to see is a mod based on the standard Strat wiring-with one substantial difference: selector position 3 should activate neck and bridge pickup in parallel (with no signal whatsoever from the middle pickup). Do you think this is possible (without having to add more than a push/pull or a toggle switch)?

[@BrejaToneWorks]

Nope - need an additional switch to accomplish it. Check out my video on the 7-Way Mod. Adds that combination along with Bridge/Middle/Neck

[@timfireblade]

That's called Nashville wiring as that's the way Nashville teles are wired. You'll need a super switch though, as the standard start switch won't allow for this.

[@timfireblade]

*strat switch

[@pokalexis]

Hi, do this series conection eliminate te buzz or hum that have the single Coils?

[@themagnetc]

Alexis Mendoza it should

[@npc-op1wx]

is there diagram with a strat series in 2 & 4 pos? thanks in advance

[@cuentatube]

This is the same mod Im looking for.

[@xsundae]

Hi, did you found that diagram?

[@cuentatube]

@@xsundae No, i didnt

[@StuBiddyBop]

Hey there are you still active on this channel, I’d really like your advice on quite a complex wiring setup I’m attempting in a strat that includes a sustainer pickup, dual coil ‘smokestack’ pickups with coil taps from irongear, and was hoping to include series/parallel switching as well as a phase flip for the middle pickup… let me know if you are interested by the challenge and I would be happy to pay for your time, Stuart

[@kendrick6511]

Is it possible to re-wire a strat where in positions 2 & 4 - you have the pickups in series, but you don't add a switch? I can not find this information anywhere!

[@sebastiangamezgodoy3172]

I found on a forum that it is not possible, I also want to do this. Brian may has his guitar in series always, I don't know how he did it

[@kendrick6511]

@@sebastiangamezgodoy3172 I just found tonight (on another Breja Toneworks vid) a different mod using the tone knob to do the exact same thing essentially. One tone knob acts as master tone, and the other blends in or adds fully the other pickup in series. So that's basically what I was looking for. I'm going to try that wiring setup for sure - no modifications needed, just a wiring fix.

[@kendrick6511]

@@sebastiangamezgodoy3172 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooipYn9tfKeMnLc This basically does what we want with just the tone knob.

[@MyJimjack]

I've got a jazz bass who's pot doesn't work very well making one pickup much quieter And a strat who's tone pot acts like a volume pot Any pot trouble shooting videos?

[@BrejaToneWorks]

+MyJimjack Well - the first suggestion is to determine how the Guitar or Bass is supposed to be wired and verify if it is wired that way. The Strat sounds like it's wired wrong. Can't tell from your description on the bass. Many times it's easier to rip things out and start fresh. You get the wiring you want and you know it's done right. Don

[@figojustice]

what kind of DPDT switches is this,on/on/on or on/off/on?

[@TheForce_Productions]

Those you mentioned are an 3PDT. The switch used here is a DPDT wich has only two (dual) circuits or positions, we could say like an on\on only.

[@fredvanderheiden]

Is the push/pull a 250 or 500 kOhm

[@ramencurry6672]

You can purchase either a 250 or 500 push-pull pot. I prefer the 250 k for my taste

[@ymelfilm]

are you sure a single DPDT switch is going on? not a 6 legs one?

[@ymelfilm]

@@giuliorosa8547 a six leg one. 2 independent switches that can operate at d same time. And you can combine them into one circuit

[@ymelfilm]

@@giuliorosa8547 oh, no problem, I ve done it long ago. Yes, the switc must have 2x3 legs

[@mmmeye_YT]

I have a SSS strat with a 5 way switch wired for dual capacitors. Tone 1 actuates the neck and middle pickups. Where tone 2 actuates the bridge. I want to be able to keep the current wiring while adding the ability to have the neck and middle, and middle and bridge in series. I saw in this video it's a single capacitor design. How would I wire it for my goal while keeping stock appearance?

[@BrejaToneWorks]

Well - you'd need at least one switch (could be a push/pull)

[@mmmeye_YT]

+Breja ToneWorks Thank you. I figured it out a few days ago. I know I needed a push/pull. I just wasn't sure on how to wire it for series on the push/pull. I got it squared away though. Your videos on how pots, selector switches, and push/pulls helped me figure out the flow of electrons.

[@raulherrera560]

Can anyone help me understand why Position 2 is 'Neck Only'? I cannot figure it out :/

[@estebanbi87]

Hi. Because when the DPDT is engaged, in that position the "+" and ground of the middle pickup are connected to the "+" of the neck pickup that goes to the volume pot, so the middle pickup is in short circuit. (Sorry if my english is not great).

[@raulherrera560]

Esteban BI That makes sense. Thank you!

[@fuzzyloomchannel]

@@estebanbi87 But isn't it backwards? To me position 1 is traditionally where the bridge is, so I'm kinda confused. Position 1 should be neck and bridge in series, pos 2 bridge/middle in parallel with neck in series, pos 3 middle/neck in series and then neck only in pos 4 and 5. Or am I the one who has it backwards?

[@estebanbi87]

@@fuzzyloomchannel actually yes. To me position 1 is also for the bridge and position 5 for the neck. In this video it's named the other way (position 1 is for the neck pickup and position 5 for the bridge pickup).

[@fuzzyloomchannel]

@@estebanbi87 Thank god. I was thinking I'd lost every bit knowledge I thought I had.

[@breakingthroughinside]

Does this have hum cancellation in series?

[@ramencurry6672]

Yes I just tested it. There is hum cancellation. However depending on your rig you may still hear some noise anyway but the hum does get reduced. Also shielding the guitar cavity can help too depending on your environment