MJT Sunburst Stratocaster

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:09 pm

I got this MJT Stratocaster in trade from Skip and I am loving it. The pickups all sound great. The relic finish is really cool and the burst is sweet. Really nice checking in the finish. The neck feels smooth and worn in and I like the color a lot. Plays very well to. Best strat I have played so far. Feels like my old guitars.

20170908_184523 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170908_184510 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170908_184551 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170908_185654 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

JVG · Post by **JVG** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 3:51 am

Nice. I love a good sunburst. That's definitely one of the better MJT relic jobs I've seen.

Cheers!
J.

MechaBulletBill · Post by **MechaBulletBill** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 5:21 am

I'm gettin a real SRV vibe from that pickguard/covers/burst combo...

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 1:38 pm

Audio demo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqaEFmhnk6U

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 4:43 pm

New straplocks are on so I can use a couch strap my mom got me for Father's Day.

2017-09-09_05-42-06 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

preservation · Post by **preservation** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 6:48 am

gorgeous 10/10 would hit

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 5:53 pm

I found out this has some custom wiring. I haven't opened it up, but here is what the pickup switch is doing.

Position 5 (normally down and bridge) does neck and bridge together.
Position 4 (normally does middle and bridge) does all three pickups on.
Position 3 (normally middle only) does neck and middle. (Brighter)
Position 2 (normally neck and middle) does neck and middle. (Darker)
Position 1 (normally neck only) does neck only.

Anyone seen a wiring mod like this? Not sure if I want to make it stock or not yet.

marqueemoon · Post by **marqueemoon** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:10 pm

That wiring sounds pretty cool to me. I pretty much live in the middle position on two pickup guitars and never use the bridge alone on a strat. Having two neck/middle options would be nice too.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 8:00 pm

I opened it up and I saw things that I haven't seen before....

20170913_191108 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

There was a fourth pickup taped under the guard that was hooked between the volume pot and the switch. It wasn't hooked up in a way to make sound. The hot lead went to the pot and the ground went to the switch. It was used as sort of a connecting wire between the pot and switch. There was also a push pull in there.... Not really sure what that was hooked up to do either because it didn't change any of the pickup settings that I found. I took out the extra pickup and cleaned up the wiring. I set it up so that the push pull added the neck pickup in so I could do the seven sound strat mod. I also adjusted the tremolo so it is floating now.

20170913_204809 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Still can't believe what was under there... LOL

Embenny · Post by **Embenny** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:15 am

That looks like a dummy coil, used to cancel 60 cycle him (well, technically to generate 60 cycle hum like the pickups, but reverse wound to cancel out when combined like a humbucker).

Depending where it was connected on the switch, it may have only been active in certain pickup positions. E.g. When you noticed the "dark" neck + middle, that may have been the dummy coil in series with the signal (they take off a little high end when wired in series). Or maybe it was connected the whole time? I don't know much about strat switching so I can't venture a guess based on that photo.

Oh, and beautiful guitar by the way!

MechaBulletBill · Post by **MechaBulletBill** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:40 am

Given the aesthetics and the dummy coil mod, I'd say whoever owned that guitar before was DEFINITELY and SRV fan

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 3:33 pm

You know the wire from the volume lug that connects to the selector switch? That is where it was wired. The hot went to the volume lug and the ground was connected to the switch. (The output line.)

To be honest, I think it actually added noise to the signal. I had issues with buzzing in the different positions that doesn't happen now. (Even in the single coil modes.)

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:36 pm

I didn't like the push pull pot that was in there. The tone rolloff was like jumping off a cliff. Full treble, tiny turn of the tone knob and you were in muddy city. I decided I would replace the push pull with a proper tone pot and put in a mini toggle to turn the neck on for my seven way mod. I like it much more this way. All the controls work much better now.

This guitar is so excellent. I just sat and played chords and notes in the different pickup positions. It is much quieter now that I redid the wiring work. I wish I knew what pickups this has. I like them a lot. Cloth covered wires, but not really branded as far as I noticed.

20170914_180653 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170914_180609 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170914_180636 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr