Squier Strat (Japan) schematic...

[knockbill]

I borrowed a Squier Strat to try out an amp I rebuilt,,, there are two broken white wires that need to be re attached, anyone familiar with the wiring on these? The one on Left in pic comes from brown cable to top pick up,,,the other from middle pick up... I couldn't find a schematic with these 3 switches...
Thanks in advance...

 

[nigelwright7557]

Looks like a custom strat.
There is usually a slider selector for pickups on strats.

 

[knockbill]

Thanks for replying,,, Seems there is something unusual about it, as much searching didn't find anything with those three toggle switches... I've found schematics of guitars with the 2 pots and similar pick ups,,, but they all had slide switches... I'm assuming the white wires go to switch contacts, as the shield is grounded on the brown cable... there are 4 single wires from the middle PU, Black, Red to switches, one white to ground,, the other white wire is broken...
I've never worked on a guitar, but most pictures of Strats I've seen don't have the humbucker(?) PU....

 

[nigelwright7557]

I would draw out what is already there and try to work out from that where the wires go.

Maybe a switch has got rotated and pulled the wires off ?

 

[Tarzan]

As Nigel said, Make a drawing of what's in it.
I see a humbucker and 2 single coils.
Probably the switches are there to switch the two single coils in or out and the middle one is, I think, for the humbucker to be switched in single coil or humbucker.
But, as the picture is not so clear, make a drawing.
Can be either the layout or a schematic.
Then we have an idea and can be of any help.

 

[knockbill]

I would draw out what is already there and try to work out from that where the wires go.

Maybe a switch has got rotated and pulled the wires off ?

Hey Nigel,
That was going to be my next move,,, The pots are very loose in their mounts, and I think they press on, (no set screws), so they had to be moving when the knobs were turned... I have to make some shims to protect the paint, and try to pry em off, they don't want to budge...
There are two DPST toggles and one, DPDT w/ center OFF,,, I was thinking they are attached to the PUs in order of the holes drilled, if so, the bottom switch would go to the humbucker coils...
Any chance the serial number will help identify the guitar? It starts with an "E", which means 1980s USA build, from the info I could find... But its stamped Japan??
I'll get on it today, seems the strings will need to be removed to get the PUs out to trace...
Thanks for the reply...

 

[knockbill]

As Nigel said, Make a drawing of what's in it.
I see a humbucker and 2 single coils.
Probably the switches are there to switch the two single coils in or out and the middle one is, I think, for the humbucker to be switched in single coil or humbucker.
But, as the picture is not so clear, make a drawing.
Can be either the layout or a schematic.
Then we have an idea and can be of any help.

Here's a couple more pics...

 

[JonSnell Electronic]

This link may help you.
Wiring Diagrams - Seymour Duncan | Seymour Duncan

 

[knockbill]

This link may help you.
Wiring Diagrams - Seymour Duncan | Seymour Duncan

Thanks,, I did see that schem in searching,,, seems it shows three single coil PUs,,, this one has a double(?) coil humbucker at the bottom...
Think I need to disassemble it and trace the wiring, then post the pics, so we can figure out which circuits are open...

 

[Tarzan]

I have the impression that there have been alterations made in the cabling.
What you have right now is a mess.
Maybe its better to ask yourself what you want with the guitar.
Dos it has to stay "original" or do you want to play with it.
If the latter, let us know where the switched have to stand for for you.
Aso wich switch is what eg DPDT or DPDT with null position or DPDT with off/off - on/off - on/on possibility?
And in the process of dismantling, what are the coils of he humbucker and their corresponding colors.

Any way; to do a clean and neat job.
Remove all the cabling of the hardware first (switches, pots, jack)
The make a ground ring with a piece of thick single core copper wire to join all the metal parts. That's your ground.
Avoid these solder clutter blobs on the potmeters. Use the copper wire.
Then connect the output jack to the volume pot.
Then the tone pot.
Then figure out how to wire the pu's and connect these to the switches.
Then connect the switches to the volume pot.
Done.

 

[knockbill]

Here's the schem, as I could trace it... The "X" indicate wires/connections that are broken or assumed broken, as they are very close to a parted connection... GRD and * symbols indicate Red wires bonding the grounds/switches/metal parts together... 1 and 2 indicate White wires that seem to go to the single PUs, if they are, both PUs read open,,, Humbucker reads 7890R Red to Grd,,, 3890R White to Grd... what resistance should single PUs read?
This isn't my guitar, and I'm not a player.... I borrowed it to try out a recent amp rebuild, and inherited this "mess", as previously stated... The wiring compartment was open when I got it... I tightened the pots,, but if the consensus is to strip it, build a ground bus and rewire it, I'll need guidance of how the switches should control the PUs for reasonable play and control...
Thanks for the info...

 

[Tarzan]

The switches are on/off switches for the pu's.
For the single coils only half the switch is used.
The one for the humbucker has 3 positions.
pos1: single coil.
pos2: PU is off
pos3: humbucker (2 coils)
The White (WH) wires of both single coils should be connected to ground.
The others, Red (RD) and Blue (BL) should go to a switch each.
Maybe one of them could be swapped (the middle one) so it's in opposite phase.
See the attached schematic for a correct connection.
To know if a PU is ok, connect it direct to the output jack and pluck the strings.
Easy no?
If all PU's are ok connect the rest of the parts (Potmeters etc)
Connect all metal parts to ground.

 

[knockbill]

I took the advice of rewiring it with a ground bus to clean up the mess... Made a copper bus attached to a copper plate to bond the switches.. still one white wire not connected, but I think it comes from a single PU that reads open,,, The two coils in the humbucker have resistance, so how can I wire it directly to see if it works? can I connect it directly to the output jack, without the VC or any switches?
This guitar as been "fooled with" before... None of the switch terminals are solder free... But it worked 20 years ago when he got it!

 

[knockbill]

Thanks we were typing at the same time... here pics of the rewiring...
I will try each PU separately, and see what work...
Thanks for teh schem, I trie dto leave it teh way it was, but it can't be correct... I'll get em one at a time... Thanks again...

 

[Tarzan]

Disconnect every wire from the pots and switches.
You remain with the bare wires of the PU's.
Connect the ground wires of these to ground.

You have then a red and a blue wire from the single coils.
The white ones are connected to ground.
One by one connect the red and then the blue one to the output jack.
Pluck the strings.

(of course, connect the guitar to an amp...)

Then the humbucker.
Look at the humbucker as a double PU.
You have one ground wire and two "life" wires, a red and a blue one.
Ground wire to ground...
Ten connect the one and then the other to the output jack.
Pluck the strings to know if the PU is OK.

Then start to reconnect every thing to the switches and the volume and tone pot.
It should work now unless a pot is broken.

 

[Enzo]

You know, Fender has not gone out of business, why not call customer service there and ask if they can provide the diagram? have the serial number when you call.

 

[knockbill]

Thanks again,,, thats my plan... I'll post the results... The pots read out OK,, Its the PUs I'm wasn't familiar with... If they work, I have pots and switches to replace them...

 

[knockbill]

You know, Fender has not gone out of business, why not call customer service there and ask if they can provide the diagram? have the serial number when you call.

Thanks,, I looked on their website before I posted... I think this one has been modified since they made it... I'm going to go thru the test procedure, one PU at a time, to at least see if it will need parts...

 

[knockbill]

I tried the PUs one at a time the humbucker works fine, both sections... the single PUs don't work, I'll pull them out and see if any wires are loose... and go from there,,,
Thanks for the input.....

 

[Enzo]

No, don't look on their web site, CALL them. They have a world of stuff not up on their web site. The web site only has the most common or popular stuff.