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Pimp My Strat
ToneShaper replaces your Strat's stock wiring, quickly and easily, without soldering. It provides increased flexibility that you cannot get with any other product. Cool switching options. Customizable tone controls. Built-in solutions for dealing with treble loss that happens when you turn down. Simple installation, simple operation, top-quality components.
Dial It In
We're now offering the ToneShaper with a choice of pots. We recently had some new pots made by CTS, so we're offering them in these units. We have 250k pots in the standard 1/4" bushing length that is appropriate for pickguard-mounting, and we also have a longer 1/2" bushing length that's appropriate for rear-routed guitars, where the bushing must be long enough to pass through the wood top of the guitar and still allow you to install the flat washer and nut on the face of the guitar. The traditional bushing length on pots used for these rear-rout installations is 3/8", but we've found that to be too short for many bodies, including rear-routed Strat and Tele bodies we've seen from the major aftermarket suppliers out there like Warmoth.
So we ordered ours from CTS with 1/2" bushings, so you won't have any surprises. Understand that we're talking about the lengths of the bushings here, not their diameters. The bushing diameter on all of our CTS pots is 3/8", with a 3/8-32 thread.
We'll have the 500k versions of the ToneShaper soon, also with long and short pot options. One problem you'll find with most CTS 500k pots out there is that they have the flat back design that is commonly used in Gibson guitars. These pots use CTS' high torque design, which means the pot is harder to turn. Their low torque design has the dimpled back, also known as a tip-bearing cover. This is what you're used to seeing in Strats and Teles, and this is what all of our Strat ToneShapers will use, whether 250k or 500k, long or short.
Please make your selection from the menu above. Options, baby, options.
Scenarios
Use the onboard DIP switches to configure your ToneShaper for your scenario. Choose from four basic scenarios, each of which is customizable. Try them all, it's easy!
| STRAT® w/ SINGLE-COILS (VOLUME | TONE | TONE) |
| Switch Position | Active pickups |
Both Tone Controls |
| Position 5 |
Neck |
Assignable & Configurable |
| Position 4 |
Neck + Middle In Parallel |
Assignable & Configurable |
| Position 3 | Middle | Assignable & Configurable |
| Position 2 | Bridge + Middle In Parallel | Assignable & Configurable |
| Position 1 | Bridge | Assignable & Configurable |
| |
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| STRAT® w/ SINGLE-COILS (VOLUME | TONE | BLENDER) |
| Switch Position |
Active pickups |
Turning Blender Control CCW |
| Position 5 |
Neck |
Adds Bridge |
| Position 4 |
Neck + Middle In Parallel |
Adds Bridge |
| Position 3 |
Middle |
|
| Position 2 |
Bridge + Middle In Parallel |
Adds Neck |
| Position 1 |
Bridge |
Adds Neck |
| |
|
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| STRAT® w/ SINGLE-COILS (VOLUME | TONE | SERIES) |
| Switch Position |
Active pickups |
Series/Parallel Control Full CCW |
| Position 5 |
Neck |
Neck + Middle In Series |
| Position 4 |
Neck + Middle In Parallel |
Middle |
| Position 3 |
Middle |
Middle |
| Position 2 |
Bridge + Middle In Parallel |
Middle |
| Position 1 |
Bridge |
Bridge + Middle In Series |
| |
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| STRAT® w/ SSH (VOLUME | TONE | TONE or VOLUME | TONE | BLENDER) |
| Switch Position |
Active pickups |
Third Control May Be Used As Tone Or Blender |
| Position 5 |
Neck |
|
| Position 4 |
Neck + Middle In Parallel |
|
| Position 3 |
Middle |
|
| Position 2 |
Auto-Split Bridge + Middle In Parallel |
|
| Position 1 |
Bridge |
|
Top Quality
This unit features top-quality components such as a USA-made, 4-layer circuit board. The two outer layers are ground planes that shield the internal circuitry from Electromagnetic Interference and Radio Frequency Interference (EMI/RFI). This is the state-of-the-art. We went top-drawer, because we knew you'd want it to be quiet.
The pots are CTS audio-taper with split shafts, custom-made for this application. The switch used is the same CRL model Fender started with, back in 1954. The Switchcraft model 11 jack is the industry standard. We've used all the best brands, because we know tone is important to you.
We know what the good stuff is.
Easy To Install
Mount the ToneShaper and switch to your standard Fender pickguard (fits Callaham too, as well as most other brands). Your pickup leads and assorted ground wires just plug right in - quickly and easily - with press-and-release terminals. There is NO SOLDERING required. These connectors are simple to use, don't degrade the signal quality, and hold the wire very securely. Enjoy swapping pickups in and out of your guitars? Then you're going to love the connectors on the ToneShaper!
Hungry? Don't mess around. Get the whole enchilada.