Taming the Strat single coils

BabyFrankReborn · May 2023

I like the sound of the single coils in my self-built HSS Strat best when the tone control is backed off to around 7. What component changes (Pot value? Cap value?) should I make so that my new 10 sounds like the existing 7?

Danny1969 · May 2023

A longer guitar lead is the easiest solution.

250K pots will sound less bright than 500K's

Clecko · May 2023

^^ White, coily cable.

LastMantra · May 2023

Why not just roll it off then you have extra brightness if you need it?

Or can you not adjust your amp to suit?

LastMantra · May 2023

Or is it in comparison to the humbucker? If that's the case then a longer cable will effect all pickups.

stickyfiddle · May 2023

BabyFrankReborn said:

I like the sound of the single coils in my self-built HSS Strat best when the tone control is backed off to around 7. What component changes (Pot value? Cap value?) should I make so that my new 10 sounds like the existing 7?

Take your tone pot and turn it to 7.... then leave it there...?

Funkfingers · May 2023

Try @ICBM 's resistor in circuit trick. This done, the humbucker "sees" 500k but the single coils "see" 250k. That should smooth things out somewhat.

elstoof · May 2023

lower the pickups

BabyFrankReborn · May 2023

Funkfingers said:

Try @ICBM 's resistor in circuit trick. This done, the humbucker "sees" 500k but the single coils "see" 250k. That should smooth things out somewhat.

That sounds interesting, where can I find out more?

ICBM · May 2023

What pots and caps does it have now?

One tone control or two, and if two which pickups are they assigned to?

BabyFrankReborn · May 2023

ICBM said:

What pots and caps does it have now?

One tone control or two, and if two which pickups are they assigned to?

One volume, one tone, 250k pots, .047uF cap

Dave_Mc · May 2023

Funkfingers said:

Try @ICBM 's resistor in circuit trick. This done, the humbucker "sees" 500k but the single coils "see" 250k. That should smooth things out somewhat.

Yep that works perfectly, and as it's automatically applied, there's no faffing around fiddling with knobs either. Rolling the tone down to 7 will do the job, but it's fiddly on the fly.

EDIT: Oh flip you've already got 250k? I just assumed you'd have 500k lol. I'll let @ICBM suggest values since you probably don't want to go too low or things will get murky. Would a 470k to ground do enough? That's the usual value you use with a 500k pot to make it into a 250k pot for the singles. Presumably (?) a 250k resistor (can you get 250k? 220k is easily available I think and that'd be even worse!) would drop the pot to more like 125k and I would be worried that would be too dark. I would guess you'd want to be just below a 200k pot, I know @ICBM says 20% is basically impossible to hear any difference so anything that gets you above 200k is basically pointless.

FWIW one volume and one tone makes it very easy to accomplish. Again I'll let @ICBM field that one since pretty much anything I'm telling you, he's told me in the past!

ICBM · May 2023

If you're already using 250K pots, then to make the singles darker relative to the humbucker you're going to need to either add a preset 'turned down tone control' for the singles, or change the pots to 500K, add a resistor and a cap for the single coils only, and set the amp brighter. Or use darker pickups...

Some guitars are just inherently very bright - it's not always the pickups that are the cause, my friend has a Strat which is just naturally like that.

Littlejonny · May 2023

What about disconnecting the bridge HB from the tone control completely. Then you can just back off the tone control to match the SCs closer to the HB tone.

Littlejonny · May 2023

Also, then the HB can just be connected to a single 250K which is the same load as usual (500K + 500K)...correct me if I'm wrong @ICBM ;

ICBM · May 2023

Littlejonny said:

Also, then the HB can just be connected to a single 250K which is the same load as usual (500K + 500K)...correct me if I'm wrong @ICBM ;

Sorry, a bit wrong. The usual load is 500K - the tone control doesn’t load the pickup in the same way, because the cap only allows it to roll off highs. Even with no tone control it will still be duller than with two 500Ks.

However, it will be closer, and it will allow you to turn down the tone for the singles without affecting the humbucker - this is why traditional HSS guitars modified from old Strats with no tone control for the bridge pickup are usually left with the stock 250K pots.

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Taming the Strat single coils

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