Wiring or rewiring a Fender Stratocaster (how to wire an electric guitar, a Strat)

Рет қаралды 403,550

Күн бұрын

How to wire or rewire a Fender Stratocaster (soldering up a Fender strat)
In this video I wire up a scratch plate on a Fender strat with all new components. I decided to rewire this guitar because of the limited tones available on the Fender Yngwie Malmsteen signature series Stratocaster. The 3 way pickup selector switch and the DeMarzio pickups leave the guitar with a serious lack of the sort of tonal variations I use to write music, so I completely rewire the guitar so it better suits my needs. I leave the original wiring attached to the original scratch plate and replace the whole scratch play with the guitar wiring attached so I can put the guitar back to original condition if I decide to sell it.
The results are great and using the five way switch I can now get from light almost electro-acoustic tones right the way through to a descent drive on an 80s/90s high gain distortion. I have posting a PDF of this tutorial and the circuit diagrams if anyone is interested.
The PDF eBook with all the information on this tutorial can be downloaded here, however there are lots of alternative ways to wire and rewire a Fender Strat on the internet.
www.guitar-academy.co.uk/youtu...
pickups www.ironstone-pickups.co.uk
wiring www.rcguitars.com/
scratchplate www.guitarselectric.co.uk
knobs & switch tips www.cdguitars.co.uk
circuit diagrams www.seymourduncan.com/support/...
For lots of FREE guitar lessons and a complete guitar course go to;
www.ebooks4guitar.com
If you want to visit my Amazon store please go to;
www.amazon.co.uk/shop/gchguit...
#guitar #guitars #fenderstrat

Пікірлер: 564

@sweptinblack 2 жыл бұрын

I've watched like 20 videos on guitar wiring and this is by far the best one. Feeling pretty confident about doing this myself, I tried once when I was a teenager and failed miserably lol

@guitar-academy 2 жыл бұрын

You can do it! I think I did it first as a teenager and failed as well . . lol 😃

@KaydenceBernard 6 ай бұрын

13 year old me ruining my dads spare humbuckers memories

@Melik1100 Жыл бұрын

I am grateful that there are people like you who can offer this kind of helpful content totally free

@guitar-academy Жыл бұрын

no problem . . thank you for your support 😊

@WaxRune 11 жыл бұрын

Great tutorial, this is exactly what I needed! My girlfriend's dad gave me old pieces for a guitar that I can put together, and I have no clue about the wiring part so this is very good. Thank you very much!

@fallout101s 10 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the excellent video. I've been searching youtube for strat wiring vids and this one is, by far, the best and easiest to understand. Thanks again and you now have a new subscriber.

@guitar-academy 10 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, every subscriber is important.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching . . . I hope your rewire goes well.

@claudioolivares1937 3 жыл бұрын

Where do you ground ona hardtail without a tremolo?

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

@@claudioolivares1937 Usually to the hardtail itself. If the guitar body was designed for a hardtail you should have a hole leading up underneath the hardtail. You have to get a wire up between the hardtail and the body so it is held in place, or better still a small copper plate. It's very hard to explain without pictures I'm afraid.

@raulgrangeiro 3 жыл бұрын

Man, you video is awesome! I’ll do it this week!

@raulgrangeiro 3 жыл бұрын

God bless you!

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

@@raulgrangeiro Thank you . . 😊😊

@LewisBlackwellMusic 8 жыл бұрын

Incredibly helpful tutorial, the graphics and thorough explanations at each stage make perfect sense, and very clear. I am about to completely re-wire a guitar of mine, and this video has given me the confidence to give it a try! Many Thanks.

@guitar-academy 8 жыл бұрын

+Lewis Blackwell Thank you and good luck . . :-)

@TheChiMolly 11 жыл бұрын

i'm building a strat at the moment, and this really helps me ge the wiring correct! Thanks man!

@scke3717 Жыл бұрын

Most clear Strat wiring tutorial on YT; wow still works many years later

@guitar-academy Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much . . 😊😃

@EM-df6mo 10 жыл бұрын

This is a most excellent tutorial. Nothing left to chance. Thanks for keeping it clear for those who are just getting started in modding. Keep em coming as your time allows.

@guitar-academy 10 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much . . . your comments are greatly appreciated. . :-)

@questone2715 5 жыл бұрын

Worked perfectly for a cheap loaded pick guard. The tone pots were wired differently then this setup and I redid it to this spec and it worked out great. Strat I had, had copper tape in the entire cavity and the pick guard was participial done around the pickups and controls/switch. Wiring was fantastic, cheap pickups not so much! Thanks for the video!

@guitar-academy 4 жыл бұрын

🙂

@ryanllewellyn3472 11 жыл бұрын

Great informative tutorial! I'm currently working on a custom strat and this video has definitely helped! Many thanks

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

You've given me an idea for some new tutorials. Subscribe, so you know when they are ready ( a couple of weeks ish) . . . I will be doing some tutorials on basic guitar electronics, so you can design and repair your own circuits.

@juanziegler1471 2 жыл бұрын

This sorted out my my flea market strat that someone poked around inside .. Thank You again for great videos

@guitar-academy 2 жыл бұрын

That is awesome! thank you 😊😃

@JaySuschrist 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video! Super helpful and give me the confidence to do all of this myself. You're the man!

@luisangelsmusic 7 жыл бұрын

Very clean work. I suspect my guitar of having some faulting ground and now with your video I can clearly see how it needs to be done. Thank you.

@guitar-academy 7 жыл бұрын

thank you :-)

@MarkReimers 10 жыл бұрын

Super clear instructions. I'm about to switch out the factory installed pickups on a Fender Affinity Strat for a set of Rose Heritage Pickups. This video eliminated any guesswork. Thanks so much.

@guitar-academy 10 жыл бұрын

cool . . It would be nice to hear what you think of the new sound when you have finished your project.

@PMJugwunth 4 жыл бұрын

Whilst removing the scratch plate it slipped off my hand and three of the cables came off their soldered positions. Your video proved very useful for me because I didn't know for certain correct soldering points. It was also easy to understand. Many thanks.

@guitar-academy 4 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped, thank you very much 🙂

@shane2609 5 жыл бұрын

As your humble student, I’m giving YOU an A+++on this. I learned so much from this video and I thank you so much 😊

@guitar-academy 5 жыл бұрын

thank you . . . great comment . . . 😊

@HandelOp6No5 4 жыл бұрын

Shane Mahpar great comment

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much . . that's a really glowing response to the video.

@WCuneo 7 жыл бұрын

very helpful as an introduction to wiring, particularly the graphics. thanks for taking the time!

@guitar-academy 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment . . :-)

@JEDIF0X 11 жыл бұрын

Awesome PDF, thanks for the clarity

@timnoble4137 5 жыл бұрын

Best, straight forward explanation I have seen. Cheers.

@guitar-academy 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much . . . 😊

@BboyEklypse 6 жыл бұрын

This video is excellent. Very nicely done has helped me a lot. You are an amazing instructor

@guitar-academy 6 жыл бұрын

Wow . . . Thank you very much :-)

@jojodoes580 11 жыл бұрын

a very comprehensive tutorial , thanks

@guitar-academy 12 жыл бұрын

Wow, that was quick. I will get it done and put the link in the description as soon as I can.

@guitar-academy 12 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the help. that will be addressed in the final version.

@sighfactor 2 жыл бұрын

Beautifully explained and paced! Thank you!

@guitar-academy 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊😊

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. Sorry it wasn't very clear with the second capacitor, but it is fitted. If you pause the movie at about 14:30 you can just about see both capacitors.

@TheJulianga 11 жыл бұрын

I have an old Squier strat and it needs an updating! thanks dudes! And apreciate the time you gave to do this video. Thanks Suscribed!

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, and thanks for the comment my friend . .

@sgyamera Жыл бұрын

Thumbs up bro... That's 10yr ago but still helpful.... Thanks bro

@guitar-academy Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much . . appreciated . . 😊😃

@mikedwiles 2 ай бұрын

I know this is an older video. I just wanted to say thanks for the help. I had built a loaded pickguard and installed it. It was very noisy and buzzy. Could not find the issue. So I bought a loaded pickguard thinking I must have spoiled something. The new one was just as noisy. The noise was worse when I touched the strings. At this point, I knew it had to be something else. Guess what! I had the output jack wired backwards the whole time! What a goof! Fortunately, I needed a second pickguard for another strat that I'm building. Such and easy mistake can cause huge problems!

@guitar-academy 2 ай бұрын

I've done exactly the same thing, and that was after I'd done the same job lots of times. It is indeed very easy to do with a momentary lapse in concentration. Well done working out the problem and fixing it. 😊😀

@kdirty1448 11 жыл бұрын

very well done man, nice video for the amateurs out there!

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching

@marcrwno1 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for replying so quickly much appreciated!!!

@PatrickBatty 5 жыл бұрын

Great video and also a super PDF. Crystal clear. It's pretty amazing that some people give this a thumbs down. (There's some in every crowd, I guess.)

@guitar-academy 4 жыл бұрын

haters will hate . . . thank you 🙂

@RICKRATT1 11 жыл бұрын

Very good video, very well presented and organised. Thanks

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you .and Hugs back you Brazil, from Wales.

9 жыл бұрын

Great Tutorial!

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

I'm really glad they were useful to you . .

@PeterJRadomski 11 жыл бұрын

Thorough, concise, clear, and great pacing, too. Much obliged. My Stratocaster sounds great! (Actually, it sounds better than I can play it)

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

This diagram and tutorial is using a 5 way switch. That's the main reason I did this rewire, the original Malmsteen strat has a 3 way switch which I don't like.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching :)

@guitar-academy 12 жыл бұрын

I hve done the diagram PDF the link is in the description.

@malsamuel1636 3 жыл бұрын

That's excellent and very informative. Thank you.

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

Very welcome, thank you . . 😊

@davidsillars3181 3 жыл бұрын

So clearly explained. I screenshoted the diagrams and saved this. Sticking all new vintage pups and parts, pearloid plate, into a cheapo kit. Thanks. 👍

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you . . you can get the diagram here www.guitar-academy.co.uk/youtube.htm

@davidsillars3181 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for the link.

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

@@davidsillars3181 no problem . . 😊

@Gabriel-ie3sw 6 жыл бұрын

Nice detail, you're a pro.

@guitar-academy 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks :-)

@rayboish 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent tutorial

@guitar-academy 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it. Thank you 😊😃

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting on the video . . it helps me . .

@OLBA1963 11 жыл бұрын

Excellent Video, thanks to you, I got rid of the buzz, cheers

@criticalmass04 11 жыл бұрын

Thank You very, very much for that tutorial, now I`ve the right connections - wiring, most of the similar videos show`n up "How to .." but Yours is the first that I`ve found with using the same pickup selector switch that I have too. I mean the not oryginal round strato switcher. Thak`s and take care.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

That's really appreciated, thank you . .

@300leothelion 8 жыл бұрын

I'ts a good thing Prof Brian Cox has taken time out from his busy physics lectures to show us how to wire a guitar or I'd still be struggling! ;-)

@soulvaccination8679 5 жыл бұрын

You ain’t lien

@anthonyskellern5970 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent video! After upgrading all electronics and pickups in my old semi (all through just the one 'F' hole!) I feel confident about tackling a pickup change for my S type... thank you!

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

that's great . . thank you. The Strat is easier than a semi 😊

@anthonyskellern5970 3 жыл бұрын

@@guitar-academy I would hope so, haha!

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

@@anthonyskellern5970 🤔

@user-ox7xv5ji8h 5 ай бұрын

Thank u sir for the guide my guitar is working now😊

@guitar-academy 5 ай бұрын

That's great to hear . . . thank you 😊😀

@AdamSmith-ib7rh 3 жыл бұрын

Bloody brilliant video. Thank you 🙏🏼

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it . . thank you 🙂🙂

@AdamSmith-ib7rh 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Also do you have a video of the soldering itse? I’m a beginner a guitar building and a bit apprehensive about the soldering! Many thanks

@guitar-academy 3 жыл бұрын

@@AdamSmith-ib7rh No I don't now . . however, brilliant . . thank you, that would be a good video to do, so I will do one soon 🙂🙂

@nehemiahzo_ 4 жыл бұрын

Was changing my pickguard and got scared shitless when I saw that there was a loose wire. Thought I broke my whole shit. Glad I found this

@guitar-academy 4 жыл бұрын

great that it was helpful . . 🙂

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

thanks for watching and taking the time to comment . .

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Good suggestion floating trem. tutorial, I will do that.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much . . thanks for watching . . .

@MemoriesRR 11 жыл бұрын

Very well presented. Thank you.

@mikestroud9969 Жыл бұрын

Thanks buddy. Great info and video. Take care 😎👍👌💯🎸🎸. Note Zip ties work good. 👍💯

@guitar-academy Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much . . yes, good tip 😊😃

@mikestroud9969 Жыл бұрын

@@guitar-academy welcome let's Rock 👍🎸✔️

@guitar-academy 12 жыл бұрын

good observation. The more common one is 0.022 uF but I use 0.010uF to the middle pickup tone.

@guitar-academy 12 жыл бұрын

One complication when looking at the selector switches is that they have no standard setup. Some 5 way switches connect up differently because of the way the switch itself is set up. But saying that . . the connection between 6 and 7 means that the bridge pickup shares a tone control with the centre pickup. Interestingly, you can also put a switch in that connection loop to make that mod switchable.

@carlthetruthwilliams9447 19 күн бұрын

Very good lesson. TY. subbed.

@guitar-academy 19 күн бұрын

Awesome, thank you! 😊😀

@CannonfireProduction 11 жыл бұрын

Hi - Thanks for your help. I went for a new push/push pot (might as well turn a crisis into a Gilmour mod opportunity if I've got to change the pot). Took a look inside my disassembled pot and the little filaments were a mess, like a feather when you can't get the barbs to knit together again. Love the idea of a troubleshooter vid if you're up for it. I'd subscribe for that alone and think of the restless nights and brain ache you'll be protecting the world from. Cheers.

@Alezzeiah 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks sir! and thanks also in your video, big help for me 'cause i'm also gonna rewire my strat.. (y)

@rounakr94 11 жыл бұрын

this helped me alot thanks for sharing the video

@bizarrefruit 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to make such a fantastic video, I feel loads more confident going into my first rewire project now, really appreciate it! I'm doing a full rebuild of my frankenstrat next week, new pots, wire, switch, caps and 3 coil splits but being left handed brings up an issue. Can I ask how you would wire if you wanted two different capacitors for the two tone controls please?

@guitar-academy 7 жыл бұрын

The wiring diagram at 8:23 shows a 2 capacitor circuit, you just need to decide what capacitors you want to use. I hope I understood your question correctly. :-)

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

I would go with the 0.022µF capacitor, but you can experiment with various values between 1200pF to .1uF. But I find the difference is slight.

@VulcanBoy Жыл бұрын

Very useful, thank you for this

@guitar-academy Жыл бұрын

You're welcome! thank you 😃

@caolanpolgar9190 5 жыл бұрын

This is acc a good demo you saved me

@guitar-academy 5 жыл бұрын

thank you . . 😊

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

If you mean 'humbucking' . . They are a kind of pickup that removes mains hum (background noise) from the signal.

@guitar-academy 12 жыл бұрын

This is a common problem on all Fenders and Fender copies. When you have fixed it, you might try putting a tiny drop of super glue on the nut to stop it coming loose. The red wire connects to the piece of metal that connects to the tip of the jack plug and the black wire connects to the outside of the socket. You can see the picture in the PDF that can be downloaded from the description.

@guitar-academy 12 жыл бұрын

In the circuits I use the pot used for the volume is used as a true potentiometer, which means the + output is always the middle. You could use one of the other pins instead if you wire the guitar appropriately but it wouldn't be as good. So basically Yes use the middle pin.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

That would be a nice tidy way of doing it and it wouldn't have any negative effects on the sound (as far as I know).

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Yes, there are lots of different changes you can do to the knobs and selector switch with are dead cheap and easy to do. The first thing I do on most of my guitars is change the knobs . . .

@DetroitDogTrainer 11 жыл бұрын

fantastic video, thanks so much!!

@slackers_unite 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome vid.

@guitar-academy 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks :-)

@musikk83 5 жыл бұрын

wow, thx a lot for this super tutorial!

@guitar-academy 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you . . . . 😊

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks you . . much appreciated .

@ToolsAreToys 3 ай бұрын

I followed this exactly, It worked, apart from the fact I somehow managed to instal the selector switch backwards!

@guitar-academy 3 ай бұрын

That's interesting, I sometimes get this wrong because when you wire the guitar you're looking at the back of the controls so everything is back to front. You can either turn the switch or swap the connection from the neck pickup and the bridge pickup. 🤔

@ToolsAreToys 3 ай бұрын

Yeah, luckily I left plenty of extra wire so I had enough slack to just turn the switch around. @@guitar-academy

@guitar-academy 3 ай бұрын

That was a sensible decision . . Good man . . 😊😊 @@ToolsAreToys

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

on a les paul or strat style with standard knobs just pull them slowly whilst wobbling them from side to side slightly. Some ibanez and none standards strats and less pauls have a tiny grub screws that have to be loosened, look around the knob first to see if there is a screw before pulling.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Good question . . but no easy answer. This video is for a Strat which is why this isn't mentioned. But basically it is different for every guitar and some guitars don't even have a separate earth wire to the metalwork on the guitar. The general rule is to work with what's already there. If you are rewiring a guitar connect it to the existing point, and it it is a new build follow the pre cut body hollows. The earth wire (if the guitar should have one) connects indirectly to the strings.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Both the tone and the volume are 'potentiometers' or 'pots' for short. The volume pot is 'logarithmic' or 'log and the tone is 'linear' or 'lin'. The capacitor is essential as that is what make the tone changes, the pot controls how much electricity goes through the capacitor.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

I would recommend it . . a good earth is essential to keeping you guitar free from hum and background noise.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

thanks for watching

@robspringer8084 2 жыл бұрын

You made it super simple

@guitar-academy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks 😃

@achillesgomia1505 Жыл бұрын

Very helpful. As an American it took me a sec to realize "Earth" means ground .

@guitar-academy Жыл бұрын

Thank you . . I've learned something new today . . . 😊😃

@Midlanflyguy 4 жыл бұрын

Great video. Thank you

@guitar-academy 4 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it! thank you

@crosstimbers2 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks. The schematics are excellent.

@Bassever 10 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. All I could find was les paul wiring so I'd be screwed with out this

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

The pots are a pain because you need to balance the heat, not enough heat and the solder want flow but too much heat will damage the pots. I use a 30 watt soldering iron on the pots with no problems. However soldering the earth to the back of the tremolo system is a real pain and can take a lot of heating, I still use the same iron, but more power would be nice.

@claytonmoss1 8 жыл бұрын

great tutorial thanks

@guitar-academy 8 жыл бұрын

+Fishpigg Thank you for watching :-)

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

I see you found the answer. But, as an additional note, the tremolo earth can be soldered onto any of the earth points on the main circuit (ie any pot body), but eventually they should all connect to the jackplug earth.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

No, the difference if any is impossible to hear, but I like to use to capacitors because the circuit looks more balanced and is easier to follow for a learner, which helps with this tutorial.

@WilsonMelzi 11 жыл бұрын

tnx for reply, sorry for ask ! good job and good luck ! hugs from brazil

@antejelic5992 Жыл бұрын

I decided to rewire my whole strat, its not original, but im putting original fender strat parts. Im kinda anxious because i've never done anything like it and i wonder will it work later. Thanks for the video it's helping me to understand some things. Hope ill manage somehow haha

@guitar-academy Жыл бұрын

Take you time and you'll be fine . . thanks for watching and commenting . . 😊😃

@antejelic5992 Жыл бұрын

@@guitar-academy i've just rewired my fenix by young chang strat and changed old pickups for Seymour Duncan fury yjm thanks to this vid Thank you man

@Wi66pro 11 жыл бұрын

Absolutely agree with you, I have two Strat's, a MIM and a MIK. No snobbery here. Just being practical. A decent 5 way would last longer and not run the risk if failure at the most inappropriate situation.

@guitar-academy 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Wow . . that's real stroke of luck . . Great though that the video seems to be tailor made to your needs.