Strat switch?

[jeff]

 Is there any reason why fender uses both sides of their 5 pos. switch? One side connects the pickup to the volume and the other side connects the tone controls. But why? Why is the switch wired to disconnect the tone from the pickup when that pickup is disconnected anyway? Why not just connect each tone control directly to the same lug the pickup is connected to and just use one side of the switch?

 What am I missing?

[skeezbo]

I am no expert on guitar repair, by any means, but I think this is why: The Esquire (one pickup) had no tone cap all the way in the treble position, the tone control was connected in the middle position to adjust treble response on the fly, and a large cap came on in the last position that killed the highs. The early teles had that same setup on the neck pickup but the tone control worked on it in the middle position. Both sides of the switches must be necessary to facilitate the variety of tonal options for each pickup. I guess Leo used the same type of switches on Strats and they were wired in the traditional fahion.
Skeezbop

[Willabe]

Leo had the option of killing the treble so guys could play bass on the 6 string guitar. This was before the 4 string bass he made/invented.


                   Brad       

[G._Hoffman]

No particular reason, just how they did it in the fifties, probably just because it was convenient, and now they couldn't change it if they wanted to.


Gabriel

[jeff]

OK, I get it if you jump the tone pot side of the switch you could use one tone for neck and the other for mid and bridge. If it was connceted to the pickup you couldn't. Wierd that they do it the way they do because its one extra wire for no benefit. Know how much money we could save....