[ozboomer]

Howdy, all...

I've been trying to find both a "layout" diagram and a circuit diagram that show how to install/use a Blender pot... but they seem to be a bit thin on the ground.

Certainly, the layout of the connections required is available at the Fralin web site (see http://www.fralinpickups.com/images/blendschem2.jpg )... and the description of the pot they supply works the way I want it to (see Welcome to Lindy Fralin Pickups: FAQ's about The Finest Guitar Pickups Available Today! )... but any of the real explanations I've found only seem to talk about fading in/out the neck pickup, when the function is supposed to work on both the neck and bridge pickups. This is why I'm also trying to find a circuit diagram showing how the blender pot is installed/used.

I understand that many people make their own blender pots, by dismantling a pot and scraping away the conducting material that the wiper slides over.. and they remove it entirely near one lug... however, they often only describe blending the neck pickup in/out.

For example, http://www.deaf-eddie.net/drawings/strat-blender.jpg shows that a single pot is used but it has no details about how the pot works, although it looks like it could be a "simple" blender pot.

Callaham also describe the blender pot (see Callaham Vintage Guitars and Parts ) but what they describe is more-or-less a two-way switch with no incremental blending of the pickup signals.

Hmm... I can sort-of imagine that a dual-ganged pot could be used to fade in/out the bridge/neck pickups in a contrary fashion... but I'm not that sure about how it would be wired into the normal circuit.

The other issue is that I'm thinking of making this mod to a Squier Affinity Stratocaster, which is a couple of mm thinner than a normal Stratocaster... so maybe I'll have to rout out some more space in the cavity to accommodate the pot...?

Anyway, if anyone could provide some clarification on how these things work and need to be set-up, I'd appreciate it

[ozboomer]

I've been scratching around various books and more web sites and finally decided on something I might try...

I have a Squier Bullet Strat (with tremolo) that I'm intending to use as a "test bed" for some modifications for my "real" Strat.

As the first cut, I'm going to have a go at a combined Neck pup blender and parallel/series select -type of mod and see how it goes. I've attached a copy of the "stock" Strat wiring, my circuit for the modification and my best guess at a wiring diagram for the new circuit. Note that I'm not using any so-called 'Blender pot', rather just re-wiring the existing pots... EXCEPT that I'm replacing the Volume pot with one that includes a DPDT switch.

I'd appreciate it if you'd have a look and let me know about any glaring errors... I don't want to blow myself up

Also, a couple of side issues:

• In most of the circuit diagrams I've seen, no mention is made of dealing with grounding in a decent way. I mean, I have ground wires from the pups to various places... but what's this I sometimes read about a ground wire from the bridge or something? Why don't any of these diagrams ever show these connections if thery're that critical?
  
  
• I was going to do something about changing the pup covers ( aesthetics is important, too )... but I found the pole spacing on these pickups is different; actually, the pole spacing in the pickups of each of the 3 Strat-style guitars I have are ALL different. The overall width of the pickup covers are all 70mm... but the centre-to-centre measurement between the outer poles is 48mm (Monterey Strat), 50mm (Squire Bullet Strat) and 52.5mm (Squier Affinity Strat). I guess this means I should really get some pups WITH covers, eh?

Anyway, thanks for any forthcoming thoughts, suggestions, etc