Strat Wiring? Odd question (three volumes)

[badgermark]

So I'm happy with my Strat, for now. Holydiver and Slowhand in the neck, with the stock fender in the middle (doesn't get used anyway). However, the neck pickup is a bit jangley, and I recon this is due to the 500k pot I'm using. Now I have a plan, here comes the science bit.

Would it be possible to wire this bad boy up like a pseudo-les paul? What I mean is the neck and bridge pickups will have dedicated volumes, a 500k for the bridge humbucker and a 250k for the neck single. Wired so that the hot from the pickups go to the pot then out from the pot to their usual switch positions. Then the output from the switch goes the jack. Middle pickup will go either straight to the switch, no volume control or to a THIRD volume knob, to keep everything uniform. I rarely use the other positions, at least for this guitar, so positions 2 and 4 are optional...

Would this work? Or have I overlooked something? Don't have a pretty picture to show you people, it's late and I can't sleep and Paint isn't available for Macs... Also would the humbucker be split with the middle in positon 2?

Ignoring the tone controls, as I find them pretty much useless.

[WezV]

it will work just fine.  personally i would want a neck adder pot instead of the 3rd volume.  The neck adder will let you have the bridge and neck combo

i did a thread in this section that shows how to make a neck adder pot but you can buy one easily as well.

http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/neck_adder.html

some people will miss having a volume control for the middle pickup but if you dont use it anyway its not a problem.

[badgermark]

Say I don't wire up the middle to a pot, will it sound out of place when flicking through the switch?

Don't think I'll go with an adder though, want to keep this guitar a simple rock beast.

[WezV]

you will notice a slightly different sound from the middle if it doesnt have a volume.  If you do use the middle regularly its definately better to have 3 volumes

still think a switch or pot to add the neck would suit you.... neck and bridge is a great combo thats lacking on strats

[Twinfan]

What about:

Volume for bridge pup
Volume for neck and middle pups
Master tone control

I reckon that would be a great combination.  A bit like a Flying Vs controls?

[badgermark]

What about:

Volume for bridge pup
Volume for neck and middle pups
Master tone control

I reckon that would be a great combination.  A bit like a Flying Vs controls?

I'm interested, would need to see a schematic for how to wire the neck + middle controls.

To be honest, I don't use the middle pickup, but I don't want it to be unusable... Annoying I know. I'll research a little more before busting out my soldering iron. Luckily locking tuners mean i can slacken the strings enough without taking them off to get into the scratchplate. Score.

[badgermark]

Ok so busted this out real quick, done what I said I would in the first post (Bridge volume 500k, neck volume 250k and no tone control/middle volume) and it works. Hurray! The neck single is actually usable now, was a bit too twangy before. Now it's nice and fat like I like them. Booya.

Thanks for your help peeps, this is very much a "change as it's needed" guitar, nothing seems to be set in stone for it... I'm happy for now though.