What's wrong with this guitar ?

[edwinhong]

I'm thinking about getting this guitar from private party,
Strat with 5 way switch has a very very nice tone with neck, middle,and bridge pickup position,
but when I put it on neck+middle or middle+bridge position tone become dull,
The owner says it is easy fix by just put a different switch in,
But since the owner will not take the guitar back after I change the switch I want to know for sure it because of the switch,
Seems like it is some kind of boutique pickup in there & lite weight body,
nothing wrong with tone pots or the volume pot.
Help !

[Carbohydrates]

I highly doubt it's the switch's fault. More likely the pickups, pots, or caps.

[Frankee]

What's wrong with this guitar ?

A: It's a Strat.... :stir :hide

[mc5nrg]

That's pretty much normal. If you feel like playing around with pickup heights you can fine tune the combination tones, but the so called "out of phase" positions tend to be a bit darker. If you check out the Voodoo Pickups/Pete Florence site, there is some info on adjusting stratocaster pickups.

[Big White Tele]

The pickups are most likely wired out of phase, reverse the wire on the middle pickup and try it.

[12guitdown]

The first thing I'd try is flipping the hot and ground on the middle pickup. This will change the relation between the bridge and neck on positions 2 and 4.(switch)

[12guitdown]

The pickups are most likely wired out of phase, reverse the wire on the middle pickup and try it.
Oh, you beat me to it.:dude

[edwinhong]

So it is fixable,

[12guitdown]

So it is fixable,
Well, flipping those two wires will yield a different sound. Whether it's a sound you like is up to you. If the current sound is less output and out of phase, then it'll sound nasally and thin, in which this is normal. Think, intro to "Sweet Home Alabama". That's a #2 or 4 position on a Strat. If you flip them, it might sound more even to the other settings but, you won't have any noise cancellation.(I think)

There are other alternatives to wiring a strat too. But for the most part it just sounds like a pickup wiring issue to me. I doubt it's the switch.

[mc5nrg]

Nothing is wron with the guitar. Leave the wiring alone. What you have noticed is pretty typical. This post brought to you by the Squad Squad aka the Department of Redundancy Department. ;)

If the pickups were wired out of phase you would notice an extremely skinny, thin, bright tone at the in between positions. The 2 and 4 positions on a stratocaster are mechanically or physically out of phase because the pickups are close to each other, not electrically out of phase unless the wiring is ****ed up. The common use of the term "out of phase" is somewhat of a misnomer.

[Big White Tele]

Well does it sound any different than any other strat youve played? If its thin and weak in 2 and 4, its a wiring issue. If it just sounds quacky (like a strat is supposed to in 2-4) then I guess it would be normal.

[Memorex]

If it sounded thin like an open wah pedal in the 2-4 positions, I'd say the middle pup was out of phase. But if it sounds full (bass-wise) and just dull on top, listen to the middle pup by itself. If it isn't bright and quacky on its own, it's a crappy pup. If it is bright by itself, it's probably a height adjustment issue.

[DrumBob]

So it is fixable,

It is, so if the price is right and you can justify the cost of repair, buy it and get it repaired.

[edwinhong]

Well does it sound any different than any other strat youve played? If its thin and weak in 2 and 4, its a wiring issue. If it just sounds quacky (like a strat is supposed to in 2-4) then I guess it would be normal.

Middle pickup by itself in the middle position is fine but in 2 & 4 tone gets dim,
by middle position itself has bright strat tone must be a some kind of boutique
pickups.