Wiring Diagrams

BluesboyMitch

Hi All,

Looking at building a monterey start  as a southpaw i am going to use a right handed body i brought from Dr Bob, I am planning on using a left handed mighty mite neck and then but i would like to have a go at wiring and setting up the guitar i will be armed with the haynes fender stratocaster manual so can someone recommend a good wiring diagram and if you have any advice i would love to here it

Many thanks,

Mitch

guitarcookie1

There's loads on both the Seymour Duncan & Di Marzio sites.

koneguitarist

Everything you need here, easy to follow wiring diagrams. https://sites.google.com/site/phostenixwiringdiagrams/strats However a word of warning, are you wiring it rh or lh ?

BluesboyMitch

It's weird because i am planning on buying left handed pickups from klein but i will be wiring right handed as it is a right handed body so i  would imagine  i would just follow the wiring diagram

koneguitarist

If you normally use a LH guitar when you turn volume up, you will be turning it down with RH wiring !

Ianpdq

Some here     http://www.axesrus.co.uk/category-s/2017.htm

ThePrettyDamned

Also, you'll need left handed log pots, otherwise the taper is messed up and it's just an on/off switch.  

Learnt that the hard way wiring my pots backwards on the jazzmaster.  ¬_¬

ICBM

And left-handed knobs, or the numbers read backwards…

It's actually much easier to wire it up exactly as a right-handed guitar. The knobs then turn the opposite way from a 'proper' left-handed guitar, but at least they work properly and the numbers are right.

It really pisses me off that even large manufacturers like Fender for who the extra cost of ordering reverse-log pots and left-hand knobs would be peanuts at most, don't do it right. And they still charge more for lefties!

BluesboyMitch

The pretty damned i didn't realise that I have had a quick look online and i found that they only make two pots a 250k (which i will need for this) and a 500k do they not produce log and linear models? Would i be ok just using three left handed audio 250k pots?

or should i just use the left handed ones for the volume and right for the tone controls?

Thanks,

ThePrettyDamned

I think left handed assumes log, as a linear pot is identical in each direction (@icbm may be able to correct me?).

So 3x250k left handed pots should be fine, which will let you use them the normal way. If you got right handed pots, you'd need to wire back to front and use them the 'wrong' way (which I quite like) to get the correct taper.

ICBM

Linear pots work the same both ways, yes. You can use a linear for volume and it will work well. The problem is that you need a log for tone - if you use a linear it won't work well, although still better than a log wired backwards. This assumes that you do use the tone controls in any other setting than full up or full down though - if you don't, you can use a linear anyway.

If you really want the controls to work properly and in the left-handed direction, you do need reverse log (reverse audio) pots.

GuitarMonkey

ICBM said:

And left-handed knobs, or the numbers read backwards…

I have been able to source left handed amber and black "speed"/"hatbox" knobs (and seen Epiphones factory-fitted with them) but never Stratocaster style knobs. 

Do you know a supplier?

ICBM

GuitarMonkey said:

I have been able to source left handed amber and black "speed"/"hatbox" knobs (and seen Epiphones factory-fitted with them) but never Stratocaster style knobs. 

Do you know a supplier?

I did see some a while ago, but I can't remember where, sorry!

Headphones

Left handed pickups?  Is this a transplanted Physics A level question?

BluesboyMitch

Headphones these will be left handed pickups and does anyone know where to get a left handed wiring diagram

ICBM

Headphones said:

Left handed pickups?  Is this a transplanted Physics A level question?

Left-handed Strat pickups have reversed polepiece stagger.

BluesboyMitch said:

Headphones these will be left handed pickups and does anyone know where to get a left handed wiring diagram

It's the same as the right-handed diagram but with the pot connections mirrored, if you want the pots to turn in the 'left handed' direction (back edge up for up). The switch needs to be the same as for right-handed.

BluesboyMitch

sorry i am confused how the pots are backwards ICBM i will try and edit the diagram previously and upload it to see if i have got it correct 

Thanks,

ICBM

BluesboyMitch said:

sorry i am confused how the pots are backwards

Swap the two outside connections and leave the middle one the same, as if you were looking at it in a mirror.

BluesboyMitch

cheers i think i understand now thanks for your help ICBM

frankus

ICBM said:

Linear pots work the same both ways, yes. You can use a linear for volume and it will work well. The problem is that you need a log for tone - if you use a linear it won't work well, although still better than a log wired backwards. This assumes that you do use the tone controls in any other setting than full up or full down though - if you don't, you can use a linear anyway.

If you really want the controls to work properly and in the left-handed direction, you do need reverse log (reverse audio) pots.

I wholly concur with this man's opinion, it has informed so much of my rewiring!

As a lefty I've become thoroughly confused with which way the controls should work - not to mention how to wire them (I have to go back to crocodile clips and testing every time).

I prefer the volume to increase as I roll the volume clockwise and tone to roll off as I roll the tone clockwise..

Staggered pole-pieces on a Hendrix strat would have been right handed stagger - but I've not found it makes a difference.

I like the Rothwell HLK (for that extra James Bond vibe) and because it's a good reason not to have the bridge pickup with a tone control.