Grateful Dead Music Forum

I have a Fender Strat and a strat knock-off. The Strat has terrible pickups but the knock-off has great pickups. I was thinking of taking the pickups from the knock-off and putting them on the Fender. Would this be hard to do? Could I just snip the wires in the middle between the "control pots" and the pickup it's self? What is a "control pot" in the first place? Does thay effect the sound any? Thanks.

Get the soldering iron out.
If you like the sound of the knock off, do a complete
swap. Pots andd all.
First mark where the wires are located, on the existing controls.
Then desolder the connections one at a time.
simply resolder to the previous locations.
The reason I suggest a total swap, is the "control pots", Tone and Volume controls, might also affect the sound.
There are many variables which affect sound, the changing of the pickups may not help.
T

Another option ....
count the number of holes that hold the Pick guard on to the guitar. If the holes appear to match then you can simply replace the whole pick guard. I have this set-up on a Carvel Strat copy. I use this method to chage from 3 sigle coil pickups up to three humbuckers and every thing in between. I have "Quick Disconnects" (Careful of the quality of the quick disconnects, it does matter) to the output jack on the guitar. It only takes a few minutes longer than changing strings as you are only removing a dozen or so screws.

I also have different configurations for different pick ups, if I feel the sound is not "Full" enough for me, I will temporarily glue a block of wood on the body of the guitar and have it eith touch or at least come in contact with the bottom of the pick-up. Many things you can experiment with.
Have fun.
Peace,
Phil

There is some strat wiring info at stew mac, if it helps.
here>>
http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/I-3192.html

and here is some info with PDF files for the wiring as well from guitar electronics
>>
http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/cate ... resources/

I have as yet to play with such things, but it is on my list of things to do. I have a humbucker I want to change out soon.

Good luck

How do you disconnect the Control Pots from the pickguard? Also I did find a website on how to change Strat pickups, it's called projectguitar.com. there's a whole section about changing pickups.

b weird wrote:How do you disconnect the Control Pots from the pickguard? Also I did find a website on how to change Strat pickups, it's called projectguitar.com. there's a whole section about changing pickups.

First you remove the Vol and Tone knobs, which should be push-on type but some have an Allen screw. That exposes the post nut (5/16"? 7/16"?) which you remove and then the post come right out of the pickguard. Might as well keep the wiring intact if you are switching everything.

So... I'v begun my pickup swap and I've hit a snag. I'm just taking the electronics and leaving the pickguard, but the 5 way swich is where I'm stuck. If I could get the little white cone off the top I could move along. Does anyone know how to remove the little cone WITHOUT wrecking it? Thanks.

So... I'v begun my pickup swap and I've hit a snag. I'm just taking the electronics and leaving the pickguard, but the 5 way swich is where I'm stuck. If I could get the little white cone off the top I could move along. Does anyone know how to remove the little cone WITHOUT wrecking it? Thanks.

If you are swapping the whole pickguard you'd leave the pick up selector on and just unsolder the cord jack connections (and maybe a ground from somewhere, mine is on the tremelo anchor). If you are removing the electronics from the pickguard, yes, you will have to rassle that thing off. You probably already have while waiting. I took one off sucessfully but it never wanted to stay back on.

the white knob on the pickup selector comes off by pulling it... it is just slipped on to the top... on gibson style selectors; it is screwed on.