best pots and switch for a strat?

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axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
edited August 2018 in Making & Modding
I want to get some top quality stuff. I seem to have bought so many pots and switches over the years that haven't been that good, I'm just wondering what is the best to buy? The best pot I've had was from a PRS.

Also, I want to replace the 2nd tone with a blend pot to mix bridge and neck pickups - would one use a no load pot for that?
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  • poopotpoopot Frets: 9098
    axisus said:
    I want to get some top quality stuff. I seem to have bought so many pots and switches over the years that haven't been that good, I'm just wondering what is the best to buy? The best pot I've had was from a PRS.

    Also, I want to replace the 2nd tone with a blend pot to mix bridge and neck pickups - would one use a no load pot for that?
    CTS pot are more than fine...

    no, you cant use a no load pot as a blend, it’ll just kill the sound in the no load position...

    wire the strat up like this:



    If you don’t like it it’s not too far from standard that it can’t easily be put back.
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    CRL for the switch.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71955
    CTS pots, CRL switch.

    You can (actually should) use a no-load pot for the blend if you’re using it as a simple parallel link - as long as you want it to be standard wiring at 10 and blended at 0. Just connect the centre and CCW terminals to the two pickups.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Megii said:
    CRL for the switch.
    £20! they had better be good at that price!
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71955
    axisus said:

    £20! they had better be good at that price!
    There’s nothing else as good. Even Oak Grigsby have quality issues these days.

    Shop around though, you may be able to find them a bit cheaper.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    axisus said:
    Megii said:
    CRL for the switch.
    £20! they had better be good at that price!
    They are good, but can also be found for less than £20 e.g.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-CRL-5-Way-Switch-With-Spring-Action-USA-Fender-Stratocaster/302778950832?hash=item467f0824b0:g:tVkAAOSwORtbLXP9 :) 
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  • poopotpoopot Frets: 9098
    edited August 2018
    ICBM said:
    CTS pots, CRL switch.

    You can (actually should) use a no-load pot for the blend if you’re using it as a simple parallel link 
    Didn’t realise that, but I’ve only ever used the blend circuit above... I know it doesn’t work in that!

    axisus said:
    Megii said:
    CRL for the switch.
    £20! they had better be good at that price!
    Worth it tho!... the other alternative is to pop into your local guitar shop and raid their parts bin.
    For the shedocaster build I blagged a crl switch for a quid!... just needed a bit of cleaning!

    axesrus do compleate parts kits if you look on their website. Fairly certain there will be others on here that do the same @Alegree etc...

    buy a loom or just the bits in one go!...

    edit**** just seen this...exactly what you are after.

    https://www.axesrus.co.uk/Stratocaster-Wiring-Loom-with-Neck-Blend-p/stypeloomblend.htm
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  • FelineGuitarsFelineGuitars Frets: 11495
    tFB Trader
    ICBM said:
    axisus said:

    £20! they had better be good at that price!
    There’s nothing else as good. Even Oak Grigsby have quality issues these days.

    Shop around though, you may be able to find them a bit cheaper.
    £20 is about the right price ...cheaper switches turn out to be junk (quality usually lasts the course)
    There are 50s and 60s strats with their original switches (CRL ones) still going strong.

    Every time a manufacturer tries to make their product cheaper or even maintain it's price in the face of material costs rising  they have to compromise on quality. It is what is wrong with much of the world today.
    I'd rather go with quality every time....

    Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
    Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.

    Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.

      Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com.  Facebook too!

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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    poopot said:
    Actually I was (for once!) going to save myself the hassle of wiring and buy a kit like that from Northwest guitars, but they were out of stock. I checked again and they have totally removed it from the site! I feel less inclined to get the Axesrus one as it is £11 more!
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  • poopotpoopot Frets: 9098
    axisus said:
    poopot said:
    Actually I was (for once!) going to save myself the hassle of wiring and buy a kit like that from Northwest guitars, but they were out of stock. I checked again and they have totally removed it from the site! I feel less inclined to get the Axesrus one as it is £11 more!
    They do the component parts for about £35 as a bundle... get that and wire it up as per the Pic I posted.

    have to say I’m not affiliated to them in anyway, just have had good service from them.

    im sure there are other places... ask @gavin_axecaster if he can do you a kit, just noticed he had the crl 5 way for a fair bit cheaper than £20!!!!!
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71955
    poopot said:

    Didn’t realise that, but I’ve only ever used the blend circuit above... I know it doesn’t work in that!
    That's a series blend, to give pseudo-humbucker sounds combining the bridge and neck pickups with the middle, and you're right that a no-load pot won't work.

    I assumed that axisus is wanting a Tele-like neck and bridge blend, which needs to be parallel and is much simpler. You can do it with a normal pot, but you always get a tiny bit of bleed-through of the other pickup. A no-load pot will fix that.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    ICBM said:
    poopot said:

    Didn’t realise that, but I’ve only ever used the blend circuit above... I know it doesn’t work in that!
    That's a series blend, to give pseudo-humbucker sounds combining the bridge and neck pickups with the middle, and you're right that a no-load pot won't work.

    I assumed that axisus is wanting a Tele-like neck and bridge blend, which needs to be parallel and is much simpler. You can do it with a normal pot, but you always get a tiny bit of bleed-through of the other pickup. A no-load pot will fix that.
    Yes, that's what I am looking to do. Thanks
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  • poopotpoopot Frets: 9098
    axisus said:
    ICBM said:
    poopot said:

    Didn’t realise that, but I’ve only ever used the blend circuit above... I know it doesn’t work in that!
    That's a series blend, to give pseudo-humbucker sounds combining the bridge and neck pickups with the middle, and you're right that a no-load pot won't work.

    I assumed that axisus is wanting a Tele-like neck and bridge blend, which needs to be parallel and is much simpler. You can do it with a normal pot, but you always get a tiny bit of bleed-through of the other pickup. A no-load pot will fix that.
    Yes, that's what I am looking to do. Thanks
    Ah ok...

    in that case just buy buy an Oak Grigsby six way switch and do away with the blend circuit!...
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  • ChalkyChalky Frets: 6807
    You said you want "top quality stuff" but then complain its pricey.  Which is more important to you - "top quality" or medium price?
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  • GoldenEraGuitarsGoldenEraGuitars Frets: 8820
    tFB Trader
    @axis go and get the parts from @gavin_axecaster , he should have what you need.
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  • GagarynGagaryn Frets: 1553
    axisus said:
    Megii said:
    CRL for the switch.
    £20! they had better be good at that price!

    This is why switches are all getting shitter. People grudge paying the cost of good ones so manufacturers drop quality to cut costs. Applies to everything; everything is shit. We are all doomed!
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9980
    tFB Trader
    axisus said:
    poopot said:
    Actually I was (for once!) going to save myself the hassle of wiring and buy a kit like that from Northwest guitars, but they were out of stock. I checked again and they have totally removed it from the site! I feel less inclined to get the Axesrus one as it is £11 more!
    All of us who make wiring harnesses are feeling the pinch from UK parts suppliers, who have raised their wholesale prices and kept their retail prices the same. If someone buys a CTS pot from me now (separate or in a harness) I'm lucky to make a quid in profit. Same with switches etc. All we make really is the cost of wiring up, and making up harnesses properly is time consuming , sadly it's getting less and less attractive to do.
    I can buy at proper wholesale prices from the US on CTS, CRL etc, but then I get silly carriage costs and have to hold punishing amounts of stock. 
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • gavin_axecastergavin_axecaster Frets: 526
    tFB Trader
    CRL switches are ridiculously expensive to buy from any suppliers these days. In fact as Ash says above, all decent electronics have increased in price to dealers recently even from the US suppliers.
    Look at the bulk prices from mouser etc and you'll see they charge as much or more than I do for a single CRL switch. They are supposedly official distributors!
    The profit margin on CRL, CTS is bugger all these days. It's not even worth going direct to the manufacturer - CTS no longer take new customers in territories that have an official distributor (and the distributor price is more expensive than I can buy from other unofficial sources) and the minimum order quantity from Electroswitch to make a bulk purchase worthwhile is 1000pcs of each switch and they have just increased their prices significantly too!
    Don't get me started on Orange Drop prices and availability since CDE bought the brand!

    TLDR - quality electronic components are only going to get more expensive.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Chalky said:
    You said you want "top quality stuff" but then complain its pricey.  Which is more important to you - "top quality" or medium price?
    It's a good point! I am getting the expensive one
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9980
    edited August 2018 tFB Trader
    CRL switches are ridiculously expensive to buy from any suppliers these days. In fact as Ash says above, all decent electronics have increased in price to dealers recently even from the US suppliers.
    Look at the bulk prices from mouser etc and you'll see they charge as much or more than I do for a single CRL switch. They are supposedly official distributors!
    The profit margin on CRL, CTS is bugger all these days. It's not even worth going direct to the manufacturer - CTS no longer take new customers in territories that have an official distributor (and the distributor price is more expensive than I can buy from other unofficial sources) and the minimum order quantity from Electroswitch to make a bulk purchase worthwhile is 1000pcs of each switch and they have just increased their prices significantly too!
    Don't get me started on Orange Drop prices and availability since CDE bought the brand!

    TLDR - quality electronic components are only going to get more expensive.
    If this continues you will not be able to buy pre made harnesses with premium components from the likes of myself or any of the little guys any more ... we are being squeezed out of that market. I won't fit Alpha pots or cheap far eastern switches as they are really a waste of money ... so either my prices go up to reflect the true cost of parts and labour or I stop doing them. 

    Example ... my trade price on a CTS 250k premium pot 'trade': £5.56 ... retail £6.95 my profit £1.39 
    CRL 5 way Strat switch trade: £14.36 ... retail £17.95, my profit £3.59

    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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