I would like to know more about electric guitar settings but I am talking about that tone knobs, volume, what does single coil mean, are there more coils? Humbaka coil word? Why isnt guitar cleany clean while plugged?
I checked Justins page and found only truss rod adjusment and actions… things like that. I would like to know much more how to use that “lever” it has 5 levels. To me feels best middle, so why are there different what are they good for and how it works?
I got Squier Sonic Strat HSS Black and Boss Katana MK2 50. Now I am browsing Justins Boss video, but I would like to know more about controling that guitar, because that two knobs for tone seems like they aint doing anything big.
Is there topic for that?
Tone knob - changes tone, bright to dull, they often dont do a lot esp on cheaper guitars
Volume knob - changes output levels
Single coil - is just that , one coil of wire with multiple wraps around a magnetic core
Humbucker - is 2 coils in one pickup which cancel out the hum a single coil can pick up form the mains electricity etc
Some amps will do clean, some will do distorted, it really depends, and some you can control that via the volume control on your guitar! Those are not there for decoration only!
Truss rod adjust relief of the neck , against the tension of the string, so there is a very very slight bow between frets 1 and 12.
Action is set at the bridge (and nut…) , this is somewhat a personal preference according to your play style. Too high makes it harder to play. Too low will buzz and catch more on bends etc.
The lever I think is your pickup select so it will do neck middle and bridge pickups and a blend of 2 in the 2 and 4 positions or something.
Your neck pickup will sound the warmest, bell like and is good for rhythm/blues
The bridge pickup is the sharpest/twangiest and good for lead/rock
Checked my guitar info and it looks like I got some hybrid then?
Pickups: 2 ceramic single coils (neck and middle) and 1 ceramic humbucker (bridge)
Guess I should just plug it in and give it looong time before I find something that sounds good to me. Why it cant be so simply like acoustic just plug and play. There are too many knobs.
That hum you are talking about… thats that “sound” when you turn master volume too much? I think thats the biggest problem I have with that all. My main is acoustic and I want it cleany clean, but reviews for this guitar are good. I think its (my) user error, that it isnt that good.
Oh, thats really smart to put it in name. Now I can see.
Well I dived into Justin Boss video and we will see what I can take from it… maybe problem it does not sound good to me is I am playing it like acoustic… full open chords. I can see Justin is more like picking few strings.
Hi ,
maybe this one will also help… I remember that this was an eye-opening lesson in the beginning, together with the information about the difference between humbuckers and single coil, and I play/switch with it every day now in blues land
Single coil pickups are prone to hum. “Humbuckers” are 2 single coils wired together so that they cancel the hum and thus also have stronger output.
I have upgraded many a tone pot which improves them. Also I have always done the common mod on a Strat to wire the bottom tone to the bridge pickup. I don’t know your HSS Strat but standard wiring of a Strat is that the bridge pickup is not connected to a tone pot.
The 5 way switch allows the neck and middle or bridge and middle to be selected, out-of -phase, and this mimics a humbucker and supposed to cancel out the hum. It also gives that distinctive out-of-phase chime in positions 2 and 4.
@rorystrat Thats interesting. So do you recommend to dive so deep to learn how to change those pickups and have better tone on cheaper electric guitar or its not worth it?
@Carreta the great thing about a Fender Strat is that it’s a kit of parts. My Strats are all Frankensteins, like the fisherman’s knife, where I’ve changed and upgraded the neck, body, the bridge etc. in the end it’s a totally different guitar.
What I mentioned was upgrading the tone pots not the pickups but you can do it all. One thing is that Export Strats might have metric parts whereas US Strats are imperial so you might have to open up the holes in the pick guard or get a new one. Not a massive challenge…
I have only used Fender parts. Fender do sell upgrades online such as pickups and necks too. I think US Fenders use CTS branded pots. There are some specialist sellers on eBay etc that break down Fenders and sell off the parts too.
Near Where I live in the UK, there is Northwest Guitar who sell licensed parts online. I hear Seymour Duncan pickups are good but I’ve never used them
Changing pickups is fine if you have a particular sound in mind but if you don’t then you’re probably just spending money for the sake of it. It’s all just bits of wire wrapped around a post at the end of the day. The biggest single upgrade to any guitar is new strings!
Hmm, hmm… because my main is acoustic and electric was just for unplugged learning at night or by TV… trust me or not, there are still prefabricated strings and they are about one year old now. Guess I should start here.
