Wiring ! when is an upgrade an upgrade?

The pics are the wiring in my 61 Replica strat . These choices where for accuracy more than anything but I always use high end electronic parts when quality pickups are fitted. I also avoid solder less connections as far as possible .
One big consideration is there are hardly any actual manufactures of the parts and most are rebranded at a huge premium . Some have custom specs but most are very similar to others marketed under different brands.

This gives you the opportunity to find out exactly what you like and then find who offers this at the best price. CTS 450 series pots are sold in branded forms from $6 to $30 for almost identical offerings . The things that matter are; friction, value K, Log or custom taper. Some also have a small C clip that protects the back from pushing off when pressing the knob on ( useful on Gibson with crappy fitting knobs).
All these features are on pots over the whole range of cost (CTS).

Bourns pots for instance sell an EVH and YJM branded pot which you can buy the exact same spec (from them) for 1/3 of the price with only the Bourns logo.
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And the branded one;
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Push pull pots is easy ONLY buy the new CTS version the others are ALL garbage.
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Alpha.
These used to be universally garbage but now the full size version that they make is as good as the Bourns and close to the CTS.
Avoid the mini pots and the push pulls though
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Many top builders have started using these recently.
 
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Strat switches;
The CRL (the original strat switch from 54);
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Another one that gets bagged up and sold between $15 and $35 for the same thing and they are all IDENTICAL.
Fender now fit these in US std, Oak Grigsby;
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These are good too but there is a near identical Chinese (slightly different colour PCB) copy used in Chinese Fender. The copy falls in half.
Alpha; the best cheap switch;
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Mega 4 pole switches;
The Oak is the standard quality offering.
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You can do almost any configuration on these.
Schaller make some alternative wiring switches but are more limited . You buy the one you need for the wiring you want.
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This in a high quality item but other brands of mega switches should probably be avoided.
UNLESS you have limited space particularly depth.
This it why you see this in Ibanez S series (and Ibanez in general for 4 pole wirings).
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Otax branded and good quality.
 
Bookmarking this. Was thinking about pot replacements for a couple of guitars and love the low friction EVH pot. The Bourns looks like the logical way to go instead of over paying for the EVH. I believe Fender sells their treble bleeds for around $50. I recall getting an email back from Charvel when I asked for a recommendation. I bought a handful of them from StewMac after a recommendation on this board. Now the repair shop that I had install it stocks them from StewMac. I still can't get it to work on my Les Paul's neck p/u volume pot though. I'm not 100% positive the guy followed my instructions and I hardly play it.
 
After
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Before
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A bit of restoration done on this 64 , before and after .The non functioning 3 way was replaced by a CRL 5 way and original materials use to replace the non stock wire. (yes that should have been an original CRL3 way). It needs to work and the original was carefully removed and stored.
Just a bit of vintage wiring porn to keep people interested.
 
Gibson switches;
Three way toggle, open.
Switchcraft is the choice end.
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The long one is common in LP guitars with a recessed nut (so it fits) If your just wanting a fit anything 3 way the short one is the way to go, it even fit in most fender routs . Although the right angled one is a safer bet with limited depth.
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Avoid all copies, mainly because they are a similar price and most have no proper contacts ,instead relying on a stamped indent in the spring.
You can see it here;
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Box switches are also garbage.
These are unfortunately finding themselves incorporated in to some quite expensive wiring kits. (Obsidian.)
In fact an Obsidian wiring loom for a Fender Mex or US and Gibson US is almost always worse than the stock parts.
 
Components such as micro switches are a problem these days but my preference is C&K brand, these used to be standard on quality builds but not anymore.
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There are many others that look the same but these last well.
These are also the original brand for the pickup selector on Music Man (large metal 3 way toggle.) Ibanez and Parker also used it. now they have a cheaper one.
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Kill switches for those who like that sort of thing;
These are momentary push to make switches. The best of the best is a Sanwa arcade machine button , It is designed for over 1,000,000 actuations..
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These are easy to get and not expensive . (Buckethead uses these.)
The other type that is easy to install and quality is the Switchcraft 201 momentary push to make.
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This one is great to fit if your not sure as it is a direct replacement for a CTS pot (tone that you never use maybe).
I see all sorts of really stupid wirings for kill switches but the best by far is one contact to the master hot and the other to ground. The signal is then grounded on contact and if it fails nothing else stops working.
Edited; I posted the wrong pic, the one that was here was push to break .
 
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Caps.
I favour higher voltage old PIO caps or 200V+ orange drops as a cheapo.
Old big PIO with higher values tend to have a really musically useful taper with the right value Log pot.
Buy NOS from non guitar related supplies as it will be a fraction of the cost for the exact same parts.
Physical size has a effect on how they taper IME so high voltage versions are way better for tone caps.
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If you doubt the difference wire in some croc clips and test a bunch they need not be expensive and you will hear the difference in the usability of the tone control.
 
Wire;
In a guitar 18 awg is fine and the nicer versions are tinned already and the cover is cloth on vintage style or teflon for modern.
These are both great to work with . You can use vintage Gibson pickup wire for the output to keep everything screened without needing shield paint or totally useless copper or aluminium foil.
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I still use lead solder in the principal that it's not going in to landfill anytime. This is why Sire and Eart need to use lead free :tearsofjoy:
 
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