Pre-Wired Guitar wiring harness | 5-way Stratocaster 'Vintage Modified' kit | Left handed
£69.99
Order times
I usually make harnesses to order, due to the variety of spec options that could be chosen across the whole range. The current turnaround time for a harness orders is around 5-7 working days depending on quantity of orders in at the time and your order will be updated accordingly when it is dispatched. This turnaround time doesn't include the transit time. Thanks for your patience whilst I get your harness made!
Description
I have spent my guitar playing life around Stratocasters. I first become interested in them at the age of 5, seeing the likes of Hendrix, Clapton, SRV and Gilmour playing them on concert VHS tapes that my parents would put on whilst growing up. Although I was young, I soon noticed that all these people were playing the same type of guitar, and that really caught my eye. On my 6th birthday I asked for a guitar, and was incredibly lucky enough to have received a Squier Strat, and the Strat in general was pretty much all I played right up until my 30s. So needless to say, the Strat harness range is close to my heart and something I wanted to ensure is the best quality product I could offer to help bring out the best in your Strat too.
This is the 'vintage modified' harness which I have decided to now offer alongside the longstanding and really popular ‘Modern’ strat harness.
Back when the strat was introduced, it was popular for electric guitars to have a ‘lead’ position, something that would cut through in big bands and soar for solos. Or perhaps to help bring some clarity from some of the darker sounding amps available to most players at the time. Let’s also not forget that at the time, much bigger gauges of strings were more commonly used and in a lot of examples too, flatwounds. Before the days of drive and boost pedals too really! So a lot of reasons as to why manufacturers made sure their models had a bright tone, and certainly think it’s pretty safe to say this may have been one of the reasons why when Leo released the Strat. It originally only featured 2 tone controls (one for neck pickup, one for the middle pickup and usually a 0.1uF cap) whereas the bridge pickup’s signal didn’t pass through a tone pot or cap, only the volume pot’s resistance was effecting it’s signal. Resulting in a bright, cutting, and bold ‘lead’ position.
Fast forward and you would have heard countless iconic strat players making the most of this aggressive pickup sound with many of them also modifying the original 3 way to a 5 way selector also for additional sounds. Most notably for me personally was Stevie Ray Vaughan. So this ‘vintage’ harness is for me perhaps most inspired by Stevie, I watched the El Mocambo video countless times and particularly loved the rhythm tones sounding clearer and bell like, with the bridge pickup absolutely soaring above everything. It’s relatively widely agreed upon that Stevie had a .022uF value tone cap wired onto his tone pots, this is also what is spec'd on his Fender Signature model that was designed shortly before his passing. This cap value choice may also help explain the fuller, chimey neck and middle position tones. I suppose you could call this a ‘vintage modified’ schematic, so I have named it just that. But it is very much SRV inspired for me due to my upbringing listening to his music.
In summary -
Master Volume control
Tone 1 - Neck pickup adjustment only
Tone 2 - Middle pickup adjustment
Switching
Position 1 - Bridge pickup with volume adjustment only
Position 2 - Bridge pickup with middle pickup in parallel with volume and tone adjustment
Position 3 - Middle pickup with volume and tone adjustment
Position 4 - Middle pickup with neck pickup in parallel with volume and tone adjustment
Position 5 - Neck pickup with volume and tone adjustment
Left handed choices
Not sure whether Left Handed/Reverse audio taper pots are 'right' for you? Check out this article I put together addressing the subject, and hopefully it will help you find the correct choice for your playing. HERE
Installing
I have intended for my wiring harnesses to be as simple as possible to install to your Stratocaster, as well as writing in depth fitting guides, how-to instructions documenting the step by step process as well as a simple to follow wiring diagram.
The parts I use, in particular the pots, are CTS branded pots which are imperial measurements. If you're fitting this harness to a far east built variant for example such as a Squier or similar, then you may have to widen the holes in the pickguard to accommodate for these imperial measurement pots. Or alternatively, purchase a new pickguard that is already suited to the US spec components.
For reference, the CTS pots I use in this harness have a shaft diameter of 9.52mm.
You may also require new control knobs to fit the CTS pot 'split shaft' 24 spline diameter of 5.95mm.
If you do require a US spec control plate or control knobs, we do carry a selection of popular options in stock and they can be viewed in the hardware & plastic hardware categories on the store.
Centre to centre measurements between components are -
Centre of Switch to volume pot - 48mm
Centre of volume pot to centre of tone pot 1 - 45mm
Centre of tone pot 1 to tone pot 2 - 45mm
These measurements for my templates were taken from a USA Fender Stratocaster pickguard.
Righty or Southpaw, the choice is there to suit however your play!
Alongside the usual right handed replacement wiring harnesses I also make these in left handed orientation. After a lot of research and customer orders over the years it seems 90% of Lefty players are used to using guitars with traditional RH taper pots. This is mainly because many guitar manufacturers simply fitted RH taper pots in LH guitars. But some LH players do of course prefer using LH taper pots, whatever your preference as a Left handed Strat player, I offer the spec to suit.
Specs
- CTS '450' Series +/-10% Tolerance short shaft pots - 250k, split shaft pots as standard on Strat kits.
- For Left handed kits with LH taper pots - CTS short shaft 250k LH taper
- .022uF 'Yellow Mustard' type tone capacitor (If you'd prefer a different value capacitor, do please get in touch and I'd be more than happy to help)
- Pure Tone multi contact jack socket
- CRL spring loaded 5 way lever switch
- Gavitt USA made cloth covered 22AWG wire
- 20AWG Tinned copper ground
- Soldered using R-Tech Premium Lead-Free (Sn95.5Ag3.9Cu0.6) 22swg Solder wire
RoHS Compliant
Please note - wiring kit does not include new control knobs/switch tip/control plate etc but does include the pot/jack mounting nuts and washers and switch mounting screws.
'Ground Bug' deal!
Looking forward to installing your new wiring, but a little worried about making the ground connections to the pot casings? First time soldering and hear the horror stories of frying pots, or just simply want to neaten up your installs? Then the awesome 'Ground Bug' will help with any of these concerns, beginner or pro modders alike. The Ground Bug is a pot washer that fits between the pot casing and the pickguard/body and has a number of lugs (much like with the main signal connections on the pot for example) to which you can very easily solder your ground wire connections too. Completely removing the worry and risk of soldering a pot casing, something I know many guitarists complain about having to learn to do.
I have been stocking Ground Bugs for a while, and they really are the perfect match for a pre-wired harness as they further help you with your installs. So I have set up a 10% off Ground Bug deals when purchased with a Home of Tone Signature Series pre-wired harness. This is an automatic discount code, so all you need to have is a Signature Series kit, and a Ground bug in your cart, and the discount will automatically be applied to the bug for you! Click HERE to view the Ground Bug listing
Why these spec parts over others available?
Simply put, component choice has been one of the most important parts of my product development. I have worked on guitars for many years, and built these kits professionally since 2015, and as a result have been able to see and experience working on the majority of components available on the market. In my findings, A/B testing and more, I have found the components I decided on for my Signature Series to be the most reliable, best tolerance and great functioning parts to use to help customers get the most out of their instruments. I use CTS '450' series premium spec pots as they have a tight tolerance, and will consistently provide me with accurate value, as well as very solid build quality. I use trusty 'Mustard' style polyester film 'tone' capacitors as in my opinion they simply can't be beat for great value, solid construction, solid lead-outs, super tight tolerances and reliable tone/function. I would personally much rather use a trusty Mustard for example over something like a paper in oil, as from experience that are so much more reliable to use. This is from carrying out a lot of A/B testing, both tonally, as well as armed with the multi-meter for testing values and actual tolerances, as well as handling them to test construction quality for long lasting reliability in use. I use the brilliant 'Pure Tone' Multi Contact Jack sockets as they are incredibly reliable, due to their additional contact points for both tip and sleeve. I use CRL, Oak and Switchcraft brand switches across the range as these are built very well, with care will last for many years to come and have long since provided me with reliable use professionally. All kits are wired up with quality USA made Gavitt wire, it's great to work with, super consistent gauge and provides me with a very reliable quality item for my kits. I totally understand that with anything guitar, it is subjective, but I have, with an open mind, thoroughly tested a broad variety of components over the years and these have all become the items I trust to use every day.
Do you make custom harnesses?
I'm afraid I do not offer a custom harness service. Only kits developed, tested and listed on my website are the available kits. So no custom schematics etc. If you happen to be local to my office, then I do carry out custom work in house, but in regards to shipped out pre-wired harnesses I do not offer custom kits. I am however happy to use different pot values or cap values within reason if you have a specific requirement that differs to the specs listed above. If this is relevant to yourself then please get in touch to discuss further to ensure the request is possible.
James' Home of Tone supports Blueprint For All Charity with a humble monthly donation on behalf of my supportive customers and myself. Thank you for helping make that happen
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Trees For Cities Registered Charity Number 1032154. For more information on Trees for Cities and their work, please visit https://www.treesforcities.org/
Order times
I usually make harnesses to order, due to the variety of spec options that could be chosen across the whole range. The current turnaround time for a harness orders is around 5-7 working days depending on quantity of orders in at the time and your order will be updated accordingly when it is dispatched. This turnaround time doesn't include the transit time. Thanks for your patience whilst I get your harness made!
Description
I have spent my guitar playing life around Stratocasters. I first become interested in them at the age of 5, seeing the likes of Hendrix, Clapton, SRV and Gilmour playing them on concert VHS tapes that my parents would put on whilst growing up. Although I was young, I soon noticed that all these people were playing the same type of guitar, and that really caught my eye. On my 6th birthday I asked for a guitar, and was incredibly lucky enough to have received a Squier Strat, and the Strat in general was pretty much all I played right up until my 30s. So needless to say, the Strat harness range is close to my heart and something I wanted to ensure is the best quality product I could offer to help bring out the best in your Strat too.
This is the 'vintage modified' harness which I have decided to now offer alongside the longstanding and really popular ‘Modern’ strat harness.
Back when the strat was introduced, it was popular for electric guitars to have a ‘lead’ position, something that would cut through in big bands and soar for solos. Or perhaps to help bring some clarity from some of the darker sounding amps available to most players at the time. Let’s also not forget that at the time, much bigger gauges of strings were more commonly used and in a lot of examples too, flatwounds. Before the days of drive and boost pedals too really! So a lot of reasons as to why manufacturers made sure their models had a bright tone, and certainly think it’s pretty safe to say this may have been one of the reasons why when Leo released the Strat. It originally only featured 2 tone controls (one for neck pickup, one for the middle pickup and usually a 0.1uF cap) whereas the bridge pickup’s signal didn’t pass through a tone pot or cap, only the volume pot’s resistance was effecting it’s signal. Resulting in a bright, cutting, and bold ‘lead’ position.
Fast forward and you would have heard countless iconic strat players making the most of this aggressive pickup sound with many of them also modifying the original 3 way to a 5 way selector also for additional sounds. Most notably for me personally was Stevie Ray Vaughan. So this ‘vintage’ harness is for me perhaps most inspired by Stevie, I watched the El Mocambo video countless times and particularly loved the rhythm tones sounding clearer and bell like, with the bridge pickup absolutely soaring above everything. It’s relatively widely agreed upon that Stevie had a .022uF value tone cap wired onto his tone pots, this is also what is spec'd on his Fender Signature model that was designed shortly before his passing. This cap value choice may also help explain the fuller, chimey neck and middle position tones. I suppose you could call this a ‘vintage modified’ schematic, so I have named it just that. But it is very much SRV inspired for me due to my upbringing listening to his music.
In summary -
Master Volume control
Tone 1 - Neck pickup adjustment only
Tone 2 - Middle pickup adjustment
Switching
Position 1 - Bridge pickup with volume adjustment only
Position 2 - Bridge pickup with middle pickup in parallel with volume and tone adjustment
Position 3 - Middle pickup with volume and tone adjustment
Position 4 - Middle pickup with neck pickup in parallel with volume and tone adjustment
Position 5 - Neck pickup with volume and tone adjustment
Left handed choices
Not sure whether Left Handed/Reverse audio taper pots are 'right' for you? Check out this article I put together addressing the subject, and hopefully it will help you find the correct choice for your playing. HERE
Installing
I have intended for my wiring harnesses to be as simple as possible to install to your Stratocaster, as well as writing in depth fitting guides, how-to instructions documenting the step by step process as well as a simple to follow wiring diagram.
The parts I use, in particular the pots, are CTS branded pots which are imperial measurements. If you're fitting this harness to a far east built variant for example such as a Squier or similar, then you may have to widen the holes in the pickguard to accommodate for these imperial measurement pots. Or alternatively, purchase a new pickguard that is already suited to the US spec components.
For reference, the CTS pots I use in this harness have a shaft diameter of 9.52mm.
You may also require new control knobs to fit the CTS pot 'split shaft' 24 spline diameter of 5.95mm.
If you do require a US spec control plate or control knobs, we do carry a selection of popular options in stock and they can be viewed in the hardware & plastic hardware categories on the store.
Centre to centre measurements between components are -
Centre of Switch to volume pot - 48mm
Centre of volume pot to centre of tone pot 1 - 45mm
Centre of tone pot 1 to tone pot 2 - 45mm
These measurements for my templates were taken from a USA Fender Stratocaster pickguard.
Righty or Southpaw, the choice is there to suit however your play!
Alongside the usual right handed replacement wiring harnesses I also make these in left handed orientation. After a lot of research and customer orders over the years it seems 90% of Lefty players are used to using guitars with traditional RH taper pots. This is mainly because many guitar manufacturers simply fitted RH taper pots in LH guitars. But some LH players do of course prefer using LH taper pots, whatever your preference as a Left handed Strat player, I offer the spec to suit.
Specs
- CTS '450' Series +/-10% Tolerance short shaft pots - 250k, split shaft pots as standard on Strat kits.
- For Left handed kits with LH taper pots - CTS short shaft 250k LH taper
- .022uF 'Yellow Mustard' type tone capacitor (If you'd prefer a different value capacitor, do please get in touch and I'd be more than happy to help)
- Pure Tone multi contact jack socket
- CRL spring loaded 5 way lever switch
- Gavitt USA made cloth covered 22AWG wire
- 20AWG Tinned copper ground
- Soldered using R-Tech Premium Lead-Free (Sn95.5Ag3.9Cu0.6) 22swg Solder wire
RoHS Compliant
Please note - wiring kit does not include new control knobs/switch tip/control plate etc but does include the pot/jack mounting nuts and washers and switch mounting screws.
'Ground Bug' deal!
Looking forward to installing your new wiring, but a little worried about making the ground connections to the pot casings? First time soldering and hear the horror stories of frying pots, or just simply want to neaten up your installs? Then the awesome 'Ground Bug' will help with any of these concerns, beginner or pro modders alike. The Ground Bug is a pot washer that fits between the pot casing and the pickguard/body and has a number of lugs (much like with the main signal connections on the pot for example) to which you can very easily solder your ground wire connections too. Completely removing the worry and risk of soldering a pot casing, something I know many guitarists complain about having to learn to do.
I have been stocking Ground Bugs for a while, and they really are the perfect match for a pre-wired harness as they further help you with your installs. So I have set up a 10% off Ground Bug deals when purchased with a Home of Tone Signature Series pre-wired harness. This is an automatic discount code, so all you need to have is a Signature Series kit, and a Ground bug in your cart, and the discount will automatically be applied to the bug for you! Click HERE to view the Ground Bug listing
Why these spec parts over others available?
Simply put, component choice has been one of the most important parts of my product development. I have worked on guitars for many years, and built these kits professionally since 2015, and as a result have been able to see and experience working on the majority of components available on the market. In my findings, A/B testing and more, I have found the components I decided on for my Signature Series to be the most reliable, best tolerance and great functioning parts to use to help customers get the most out of their instruments. I use CTS '450' series premium spec pots as they have a tight tolerance, and will consistently provide me with accurate value, as well as very solid build quality. I use trusty 'Mustard' style polyester film 'tone' capacitors as in my opinion they simply can't be beat for great value, solid construction, solid lead-outs, super tight tolerances and reliable tone/function. I would personally much rather use a trusty Mustard for example over something like a paper in oil, as from experience that are so much more reliable to use. This is from carrying out a lot of A/B testing, both tonally, as well as armed with the multi-meter for testing values and actual tolerances, as well as handling them to test construction quality for long lasting reliability in use. I use the brilliant 'Pure Tone' Multi Contact Jack sockets as they are incredibly reliable, due to their additional contact points for both tip and sleeve. I use CRL, Oak and Switchcraft brand switches across the range as these are built very well, with care will last for many years to come and have long since provided me with reliable use professionally. All kits are wired up with quality USA made Gavitt wire, it's great to work with, super consistent gauge and provides me with a very reliable quality item for my kits. I totally understand that with anything guitar, it is subjective, but I have, with an open mind, thoroughly tested a broad variety of components over the years and these have all become the items I trust to use every day.