Strat ash build

[Freakystyley]

Yeah but I need to lose height. Added the shim is only a guide as to how much to remove at body end of the pocket from what Simon says


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[Andy40]

That height of the neck heel protruding up from the pick guard looks pretty normal although on a slight angle giving it an angle.

I would agree with Simon that the finish on the heel and/or where the neck screws in most likely are putting it ever so slightly out.

Your nut is way too high as well.

I would start by de-stringing the guitar and checking that there is no back bow in the neck - you can use a notched straight edge, If you don't have one use a long metal ruler - if so, adjust by the truss rod

Then I would check all the frets, you will have more than one sitting high especially at the heel end - If you don't have a fret rocker - use Stanley knife blades as fret rockers. Level the frets if you need too - You will, on every kit.

At that point you'll have a straight neck with good frets but that nut will be too high and it will interfere with tuning. You can sand the bottom of the nut to bring it down uniformly if you like but there are many methods to chose.

If that does not fix the height and you have to monkey with the neck pocket area, I would only take material off the neck heel and not the neck pocket of the body.

Good luck mate

[Freakystyley]

Thanks for the advice Andy40. There are only the 2 E strings on just to check things. I have levelled the frets and the neck is definitely straight. The nut is definitely too high but it is a bone but upgrade and just sitting there for now. It will be sanded down but I would like to sort out this pocket problem first.
I haven’t had a chance the past couple of days but I reckon I will sand the finish off the neck heel first and see how that goes first, then as Simon suggests, sand a bit of the neck pocket. Will keep you’d updated.
Thanks for all the help


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[Freakystyley]

Any wiring experts?
I am trying to wire this strat to a 3 way switch. Seems like all 3 pickups are on all the time when I move the switch lever. Can’t work out what I have done




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[McCreed]

You haven't mentioned what you want to achieve with the tone controls, but here is a link to a '57 AMERICAN VINTAGE STRAT pdf manual that shows the vintage 3-way wiring.

The way you have it wired now is a quasi tele configuration that's confused by having a middle pickup.

edit: If you want a different tone control configuration, that will require some changes in the tone circuit.

Scroll down to page 4 of the pdf to see the switching/tone configuration.

[Freakystyley]

This is the wiring diagram that I have originally used. I think everything is correct apart from my switch wiring. My actual switch looks a little different but it is a 3 way switch.


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[nitroburner1000]

Any wiring experts?
I am trying to wire this strat to a 3 way switch. Seems like all 3 pickups are on all the time when I move the switch lever. Can’t work out what I have done




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Could of got some solder where it shouldnt be and its shorting or joining two or three solder lugs where it shouldnt be.
I would remove all wiring, cleanup all lugs, use sheilded earth wire and start again slowly. Dont solder just wrap the wires around the lugs to start, only doing one at a time and checking to see if each one works.
Once youve got them all working, then solder.
If it doest work then, its the soldering, if they dont work when you wrap around its your wiring, or pots or switch as a last resort.

[McCreed]

Try this:
(open in new tab & zoom)



Presuming your other wiring is correct, I think this will work.
The contacts are offset differently on your switch, but their functions are the same as the diagram.

[Freakystyley]

Try this:
(open in new tab & zoom)



Presuming your other wiring is correct, I think this will work.
The contacts are offset differently on your switch, but their functions are the same as the diagram.

I’m only getting around to this now. I will let u know how it goes


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[Simon Barden]

That wiring diagram is a bit strange.

Your pickup selections on the switch will give you a) bridge B) neck+ bridge and c) neck.

Then the middle pickup is on what would be a tone pot as its volume control. So if that volume control is anywhere but fully off, you are blending it in with the main pickup selection, so you get a) bridge+middle, b) bridge+middle+neck and c) middle+neck with various levels of middle pickup. These will all have the slightly phasey Strat mixed-pickup sound, with b) sounding thinnest of all.

You need to have the main volume off and the middle volume turned up to get just the middle pickup.

So for bridge pickup on its own you need the bridge pickup only selected on the switch, the main volume on and the middle volume off.

For middle pickup on its own, the middle pickup volume is on and the main volume is off (regardless of switch position)

For the neck pickup on its own you need the neck pickup only selected on the switch, the main volume on and the middle volume off.

It all seems overly complex to me and it would be a lot easier to get all the possible pickup combinations with a 5-way switch and a switched pot to always link the neck or bridge pickup to the selector switch output. I know I'd always get it wrong!

If you just wanted bridge, middle or neck pickup only selections, then this is not the way to do it.