Solderless Pre-Wired Guitar wiring harness | 5-way Stratocaster 'Modern' kit | Left handed
£79.99
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 a further revision of my popular 'modern' Strat harness with the addition of solderless connections, meaning you can install this harness into your Strat without the need to touch a soldering iron. Which has a couple of benefits, perhaps if you're not particularly comfortable with soldering yet or maybe you plan on regularly swapping pickups, which this helps a great deal as it's a few screw connections and it's done.
I call this the the 'modern' simply as it is a revision over the vintage style strat wiring where the bridge pickup has no tone control. Instead, on this harness you have Tone 1 controlling the tone for the Neck & Middle pickup, and Tone 2 controlling the tone for the bridge pickup. Nice and simple really!
This listing is for the Left Handed version! Available with either regular RH taper pots or true LH audio taper pots too depending on your requirements or preferences.
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
The Solderless system makes life an awful lot easier if you're perhaps not comfortable using a soldering iron or worried about damaging components etc. So the install is more straight forward, but care is still needed to to ensure it all works as it should and stands the test of time. I have written some handy install guides for the solderless harness kits, and that can be found over on the wiring diagrams & helpful info page here on the website as well as the 'wiring' diagram you'll need to follow for which of your wires attach to the relevant solderless connections.
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 control plate to accommodate for these imperial measurement pots. Or alternatively, purchase a new control plate 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' 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.
What types of pickup wires will fit into the connector blocks?
The RS Pro connector blocks will fit ANY pickup wire type, so if you have traditional single coils with cloth covered push-back style individual hot/ground wires, simply push back the cloth covering to expose around 5/6mm of central core wire and insert it into the connector. Tighten up, and push the cloth covering back down.
If you have thinner, plastic insulated/coated wires, you will need some wire strippers so you can trim back the coating to expose around 5mm of central core wire. Very often these plastic coated wires are stranded wire, so if this is the same for yours, then simply twist the wire so it forms a nice tight portion, then insert that into the relevant connector block and tighten.
If your pickups are vintage/traditional style 2 conductor 'braided' wire, then these will also fit the connector blocks, you just need to prepare them to do so. First step is to push back some of the outer metal braiding. Then using some needle nose pliers or a small screwdriver, separate some of the braiding so you can twist and form a off-shoot of wire. This will be your ground, so with that twist of wire pop that into the connector block and tighten. Then your central core wire is the 'hot' signal wire and goes into the relevant connector block via the same methods as prior, exposing around 5mm of core to ensure a nice firm seat in the connector. For much more detailed information on all of this, please check out the guide HERE
As always, if you have ANY questions or concerns about whether your pickup wires will be suitable, please just drop me a message or call and I'll be happy to help guide. I have tested these connectors with all varieties of pickup wires and they worked great so happily will advise on how to correctly install with you :)
With or without Treble Bleed?
First up, what does it do? A Treble Bleed kit takes the 'high' treble tone frequencies out of the circuit at the volume pot, and puts them back in the circuit as the signal leaves the volume pot. This means the treble frequencies are prevented from naturally bleeding out of the circuit as your turn your volume pot down. The result is a smoothed out treble and a more uniform tone from 1 to 10. Reducing the treble drop out as the volume pot rolls off. Some guitar players wouldn't be without a treble bleed, and many have never used one on their guitars. Truth is, it is very much personal preference. I personally don't use a treble bleed mod on any of my guitars, and this is just due to the way I play. If you like the idea of retaining treble as you roll your volume pot down, then a treble bleed is for you!
Specs
- For RH taper - CTS '450' Series +/-10% Tolerance short shaft pots - 250k, split shaft pots as standard on Strat kits.
- For LH taper - CTS short shaft LH (reverse) audio taper 250k split shaft.
- .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, but as standard all of my kits come with .022uF value)
- 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 Rapid 22SWG lead-free solder
- RS PRO solderless connectors
- For treble bleed option, I will use my Home of Tone Treble Bleed kit
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
Blueprint For All Registered Charity Number 1102267. For more information on Blueprint For All and their work, please visit https://www.blueprintforall.org/
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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 a further revision of my popular 'modern' Strat harness with the addition of solderless connections, meaning you can install this harness into your Strat without the need to touch a soldering iron. Which has a couple of benefits, perhaps if you're not particularly comfortable with soldering yet or maybe you plan on regularly swapping pickups, which this helps a great deal as it's a few screw connections and it's done.
I call this the the 'modern' simply as it is a revision over the vintage style strat wiring where the bridge pickup has no tone control. Instead, on this harness you have Tone 1 controlling the tone for the Neck & Middle pickup, and Tone 2 controlling the tone for the bridge pickup. Nice and simple really!
This listing is for the Left Handed version! Available with either regular RH taper pots or true LH audio taper pots too depending on your requirements or preferences.
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
The Solderless system makes life an awful lot easier if you're perhaps not comfortable using a soldering iron or worried about damaging components etc. So the install is more straight forward, but care is still needed to to ensure it all works as it should and stands the test of time. I have written some handy install guides for the solderless harness kits, and that can be found over on the wiring diagrams & helpful info page here on the website as well as the 'wiring' diagram you'll need to follow for which of your wires attach to the relevant solderless connections.
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 control plate to accommodate for these imperial measurement pots. Or alternatively, purchase a new control plate 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' 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.
What types of pickup wires will fit into the connector blocks?
The RS Pro connector blocks will fit ANY pickup wire type, so if you have traditional single coils with cloth covered push-back style individual hot/ground wires, simply push back the cloth covering to expose around 5/6mm of central core wire and insert it into the connector. Tighten up, and push the cloth covering back down.
If you have thinner, plastic insulated/coated wires, you will need some wire strippers so you can trim back the coating to expose around 5mm of central core wire. Very often these plastic coated wires are stranded wire, so if this is the same for yours, then simply twist the wire so it forms a nice tight portion, then insert that into the relevant connector block and tighten.
If your pickups are vintage/traditional style 2 conductor 'braided' wire, then these will also fit the connector blocks, you just need to prepare them to do so. First step is to push back some of the outer metal braiding. Then using some needle nose pliers or a small screwdriver, separate some of the braiding so you can twist and form a off-shoot of wire. This will be your ground, so with that twist of wire pop that into the connector block and tighten. Then your central core wire is the 'hot' signal wire and goes into the relevant connector block via the same methods as prior, exposing around 5mm of core to ensure a nice firm seat in the connector. For much more detailed information on all of this, please check out the guide HERE
As always, if you have ANY questions or concerns about whether your pickup wires will be suitable, please just drop me a message or call and I'll be happy to help guide. I have tested these connectors with all varieties of pickup wires and they worked great so happily will advise on how to correctly install with you :)
With or without Treble Bleed?
First up, what does it do? A Treble Bleed kit takes the 'high' treble tone frequencies out of the circuit at the volume pot, and puts them back in the circuit as the signal leaves the volume pot. This means the treble frequencies are prevented from naturally bleeding out of the circuit as your turn your volume pot down. The result is a smoothed out treble and a more uniform tone from 1 to 10. Reducing the treble drop out as the volume pot rolls off. Some guitar players wouldn't be without a treble bleed, and many have never used one on their guitars. Truth is, it is very much personal preference. I personally don't use a treble bleed mod on any of my guitars, and this is just due to the way I play. If you like the idea of retaining treble as you roll your volume pot down, then a treble bleed is for you!
Specs
- For RH taper - CTS '450' Series +/-10% Tolerance short shaft pots - 250k, split shaft pots as standard on Strat kits.
- For LH taper - CTS short shaft LH (reverse) audio taper 250k split shaft.
- .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, but as standard all of my kits come with .022uF value)
- 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 Rapid 22SWG lead-free solder
- RS PRO solderless connectors
- For treble bleed option, I will use my Home of Tone Treble Bleed kit