PowerShifter™
A Fender Stratocaster Supercharger Circuit from Gombrelli Guitars USA
Overview
After trying out many designs with many pickguards GG USA locked in a few designs that seemed to almost ALWAYS be winner with all most all pickups.
The PowerShifter is so crazy flexible with one of the easier to use and understand implementations.
It is based on 2 of GG USA’s popular circuits in one package:
- DUAL STRATBUCKER – A single switch action that turns an SSS Stratocaster into a HSH stratocaster.
- SUPER SPANK – Which parallelizes the neck and bridge pickups.
These circuits aren’t a new idea; trust me, in the world of guitar wiring there really isn’t a new idea, there’s been tons of years for dedicated guitar dudes to figure out another one. In my experience it’s the application and implementation of them that really make things work out great.
Design Requirements
Some of the requirements I look for is:
- Always allow a Stratocaster to be able to run with Stock Switching
- Make it EASY to switch use while playing live
- Make it EASY to understand what sound it will make before you switch it
- Make it flexible in terms of ways it can be implemented
- Let there be NO dead spots in the switching
- Have the different “mini” design work well with each other
- Maintain the ability to have 2 tone controls
I found myself going back to this design over and over and loving how it implements so well.
Implementation options:
- Two Micro Switches
- One Micro Switch and One Push Pull
- Two Push Pull Switches
Tone:
Any values of caps can be used for the tone controls so that’s in individual preference. I usually pick those based on what pickups and pots are in installed.
The wiring can be anything from
- Neck/Middle & Bridge
- Neck & Middle/Bridge
- Neck and Middle
- Neck and Bridge (I rather like this one myself) – Tone Bypass for the mIddle
Pots
Any pot value will work but usually larger (500k) pots are used for higher winding pickups to do more treble compensation with 250K being the standard otherwise.