Fender S1 Soldering advice

BlueStrat

I'm about to replace the bridge single coil in my strat with a SC sized humbucker.

The strat is the US Elite which has the S1 switch, but the SSS one.

How would I solder the new humbucker pickup in to make use of the S1? I don't think I can split the coils which I'm ok with but it would be cool if I could wire it into the S1 if anyone knows how to?

ICBM

First, if it has a four-conductor cable then you need to connect the two coil junction (split) wires together - the colours vary depending on the manufacturer, eg red and white for Duncan, black and white for DiMarzio. Insulate the connection.

Then, find a ground connection on the S1 - that will be a (usually black) wire that goes to the pot body somewhere, it doesn't matter exactly which one if there's more than one. The bare wire on the new pickup always goes there.

Finally, the remaining two wires go to where the two wires from the single coil went - one of these may be another ground connection, depending on what the S1 does in this circuit. If the bridge and middle setting with the S1 in 'normal' mode ends up thin-sounding then it's out of phase and you need to reverse these two wires.

That's it.

BlueStrat

Thanks a million @ICBM I'll give this a go!

At some point I'd like to add a mini toggle for a coil split and perhaps a second switch like the Fender passing lane or Tom Anderson Switcheroo to jump straight to the bridge HB but that would be one to get done professionally

ICBM

BlueStrat said:

Thanks a million @ICBM I'll give this a go!

At some point I'd like to add a mini toggle for a coil split and perhaps a second switch like the Fender passing lane or Tom Anderson Switcheroo to jump straight to the bridge HB but that would be one to get done professionally

Mini-toggle coil split is also very simple - you connect the coil split wires to one terminal of the split switch, and the other one to either the pickup hot or cold depending on which coil you want to switch off.

The 'jump'/'blower' type switch is a little more complicated but if you can manage the first two you shouldn't have too much trouble.