Bigger brain needed for CV 50s Stratocaster

[Slim Pickens]

Okay here we go, today I revived a 2017 Squire Classic Vibe 50s Stratocaster from a real nice person in FL.
The CV is in mint condition with what maybe stock pickups. Now I heard stories about Tonerider pickups in the CV stratocaster but I am not going there, but I was rewiring these stock pickups to a new switch and after the work I tested the system to make sure all works and it does just that when I tap on each pickup with a screw driver tip I can hardly hear a response, they seem very weak.
Question for you folks that have these pickups (see picture) is is this a norm for them to be this way or should I hear a good loud pop when tapped?
Okay question two if I may. I am in no way a wood expert but before I bought this CV and seeing the pictures it looked to be pine wood under the finish. So a few of my friends were all looks before receiving the guitar and we made bets on what type of wood it is without really seeing it in person. Well now a few of us have seen it and still we do not know if it is Alder or Pine. I bet was pine but I know alder may look the same as pine and vice verier. Personally I do not care what wood it is but as it looks and feels very nice. So so the bet was the looser buys a picture of beer, funny we all get to drink it anyway but now we do want to know so if your up on your wood types take a look and help a man drink some beer. The neck pocket seems to have a better view of the wood.

More pictures on the next page.

 

[Slim Pickens]

Alder or Pine?


Cheers

 

[stratfreak]

Alder or Pine?


Cheers

you should be able to tell by the tone

 

[driver8]

You should test the output with a multimeter. That'll tell you if they're ok

 

[Slim Pickens]

My brain says your right - will test it out tonight thanks

 

[Beatup Guitars]

Hi. My 50s CV pickups made a decent pop when pickup poles were tapped with a screwdriver. Quieter than playing though. IIRC mine is a 2012. The tap test does not matter if yours sounds good played through an amp.

I think the bodies on these are pine, but I am not a wood type expert.

 

[Slim Pickens]

B - thanks If yours is a 2012 I would presume they are the same PUs as I have but I am no expert.
The tap test as said is very blunt and week in the response to the tap with the steel tipped screw driver. I don't know much about these PUs as if they need to be wired in a special way compared to others. I used the Toneriders web site and referred to the PDF for a five way switch, one vol, two tones to wire this up. Some wires maybe needed to be reversed or maybe something else.Going to try and find the Squires Specs for this year and model and see what the wiring diagram mat look like.
As for the wood when looked at with a slab of 2x4 pine in my other hand they do look close in appearance.

Cheers

 

[jimk06]

I don't know what kind of wood that is, but it looks nice!
What is that in the trem cavity behind the block? Did they deck the trem with a stack of nickles?

 

[jimk06]

Based on this link below (if correct), all of the first gen CV 50s strats had alder bodies.

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster - First Series (China)

The Classic Vibe Stratocaster ‘50s provides unmistakable ‘50s-era Fender vibe and tone. That long-familiar tone comes from a custom set of staggered poles alnico III single-coil pickups.

www.fuzzfaced.net

 

[Diavolo]

Body is made of nato / poplar.
If the sound is weak during the tap test turn your amp up.

 

[Slim Pickens]

The decking is from the old owner making it a hardtail, gong to leave it in there for now.
Yeah tuning up the amp -thanks

Cheers

 

[DougMen]

The body is definitely alder on a 2017 CV Strat, as all 1st gen CV Strats are, except one rare HSH one that had a basswood body and maple veneer top. The 2nd generation CV Strats, after 2018, can be Pine, Nyatoh, or poplar, depending on the model and finish. Your pickups are the Squier STA5 alnico 3, which are equivalent to the Tonerider Surfari set. Here's a wiring diagram for the switch, which is a USA type switch, so just use the 2nd diagram to convert to an import switch. This diagram shows the 2nd tone control wired to the middle and bridge pickup. The red, yellow, and blue wires go to the switch and the black wires to ground. The blue, yellow, and red go to 1, 2, and 3 on the switch, 4 and 5 are connected together and to the input of the vol pot, 8 goes to the 1st tone pot, and 6 and 7 go to the 2nd tone pot, or if you want the 1st tone to go to the neck and middle and the 2nd tone to the bridge, then move the jumper connecting 6 and 7 to connect 7 and 8 together instead. Then all your grounds should be connected together, from the pickups, the pots, the output jack, and the claw for the vibrato springs in the back.

 

[DougMen]

Here's a diagram with an import switch. It has the jumper from lug 7 to 8 on the switch, so tone 1 is for neck and middle and tone 2 is for bridge. If you want the other way, with tone 1 to neck, and tone 2 to middle and bridge, just move the jumper from 7 and 8 to 6 and 7 instead.

 

[Slim Pickens]

Took the old gal to a local guitar builder who right away said the wood is Pine and for the year after he looked something up on his PC said it was a rare one for 2017 as most were Alder, but could of been old stock from the year before and also noted that the pickups for the neck were correct but for the Bridge it is listed for a CV Strat 60s part number STA3B-VC, The Neck is STA5N-VC, and Middle is STA5M-VC.
Just for kicks he checked the ohm on the STA3B-VC and it was @ 6.99K. After that the checked it against what it should be and that was 5.56K.
Looks like someone at the factory in QC screwed up.
Solves one question on the wood and now I have another on the bridge.
Oh well
Cheers

 

[driver8]

Just guessing, but it looks like Alnico 5 in neck and middle and Alnico 3 in bridge? That should sound pretty awesome, it seems to me, with the added output on the bridge combined with Alnico 3 to tame some of the highs!

Oops ... I guess TR uses non-commonsense opposite-world labeling?

 

[DougMen]

Took the old gal to a local guitar builder who right away said the wood is Pine and for the year after he looked something up on his PC said it was a rare one for 2017 as most were Alder, but could of been old stock from the year before and also noted that the pickups for the neck were correct but for the Bridge it is listed for a CV Strat 60s part number STA3B-VC, The Neck is STA5N-VC, and Middle is STA5M-VC.
Just for kicks he checked the ohm on the STA3B-VC and it was @ 6.99K. After that the checked it against what it should be and that was 5.56K.
Looks like someone at the factory in QC screwed up.
Solves one question on the wood and now I have another on the bridge.
Oh well
Cheers

My STA3 alnico 5 bridge pickup measures 6.5Kohms, so yours is within the 10% tolerance range. Actually, looking ay the Tonerider website, the STA3 set is equivalent to their Classic Blues alnico 5 set, and they spec the bridge pickup at 7Kohms. Your STA5 alnico 3 neck and middle pickups are the equivalent of the Tonerider Surfari set, spec'd at 5.9Kohms for the neck and 6.1Kohms for the middle.

 

[DougMen]

Looks like Alnico 5 in neck and middle and Alnico 3 in bridge. That should sound pretty awesome, it seems to me, with the added output on the bridge combined with Alnico 3 to tame some of the highs!

No, it's alnico 3 in the neck and middle, and alnico 5 in the bridge. STA3 is the alnico 5 one and STA5 is the alnico 3 one. Tonerider numbers them backwards from what you would think also.

 

[driver8]

No, it's alnico 3 in the neck and middle, and alnico 5 in the bridge. STA3 is the alnico 5 one and STA5 is the alnico 3 one. Tonerider numbers them backwards from what you would think also.

I just noticed that! Sometimes they just can't make it easy

 

[Slim Pickens]

Great info and big thanks for the diagrams they will come in handy.
I apologize for not mentioning this earlier that while having the guitar looked at we also found that the dime size Vol pot was intermittent or hardly working. This would answer why it was so low in volume regardless the knob settings and the weak tap check done on the pickups while tapping with a screw driver.
I have a set of new 250K full size pot going in when the time is available. Also that diagram will help as I have a good used non import switch to replace the import one.
As for that wood, guys I don't know what to say I was shown a thin slice of pine wood at the shop I was at and it looks like a match and we looked at the alder piece he had and it would be hard to say it was a match just did not come real close to what is seen in thee neck pocket of the CV strat. The wood type is not a big deal just as one said 2018 pine as one of the woods used but I found other information stating different that they used all kinds of woods types in the early days in Japan, China and Indonesia, who knows. If you dig deeper the CV 50s, 60s. and 70s are all over the place with wood types.
I believe we have light at the end of the tunnel so thanks big time for the help and information.
As for the Bridge STA3B-VC that seems to be out of place for a 50s CV I not sure if it was a mistake when installed or???
Cheers

 

[Squier KO]

Have you run the serial at fender…never know could be a fsr…