Fender Vintage Noiseless Pickups Installation

[Mike Costelloe]

I am installing a set of VN pickups into a Strat, but cannot distinguish the middle pickup from the neck pickup. The bridge pickup is distinguisable because it has a yellow wire. The other two both have black and white wires. Does anyone know how to tell them apart?

Also, any thoughts on whether it is worth the trouble to install the 1-meg tone pots, or is it better to just leave the 250k pots in place?

[Joshua Levin-Epstein]

Mike,

On single coil sets, the middle pick-up is reverse wound/reverse phase for noise reduction. Your set is noiselsss so there is no difference between the middle pick up and the neck pick up. The bridge pick up is a little hotter to compensate for it's position.

You will get more high end if you install the 1 meg pots. You might need that with these pick ups.

Joshua

[Mike Costelloe]

Joshua,

Thanks so much. I truly appreciate your reply.

All the best,

Mike

[Len Biglin]

Yes Joshua is right , neck and bridge are same , They use one Meg pots to try and save some brightness in the sound , you can easily try with the originals but I'd go with one meg.Len

[Mike Costelloe]

Thank you Len. Great to have two conurring opinions.

All the best,

Michael

[Donald A. Fortune]

Hi Mike Here is another way to wire a strat, and it's the way I do it weather it is a new axxe
or a re wire job....
considering that you have "SSS" configeration
A 500K volume pot, and 2/500K pots for tone with a 047 ceramic capacitor for the tone.
if you have a schematic for the setup then go by it and this should work out just fine.
Best to you on your wire job-- (neatness counts)
Peace,
Donald