The Half Blender Pot Mod is a simple way to add extra pickup combinations while keeping the familiar 5-way switch layout.

Unlike the standard blender mod, the Half Blender only works in Positions 1 and 2:

The blender pot is used to gradually introduce the Neck pickup into these two positions.

How Is This Useful?

In Position 1, you can blend the Neck pickup into the Bridge pickup, giving you a Telecaster-style Bridge + Neck tone.

Then, with just one flip of the 5-way switch, you can go straight to the full Neck pickup in Position 5.

No knob turning required.

This makes the Half Blender particularly useful for players who want the classic Strat tones while adding the popular Bridge + Neck combination.

How the Blender Works

The potentiometer controls how much of the additional pickup is introduced into the circuit.

At one end, the guitar remains close to the original Bridge or Bridge + Middle sound. As you turn the blender, more of the Neck pickup is added.

This gives you more control than a simple on/off switch.

Instead of having only:

Bridge → Bridge + Neck

you can dial in everything in between.

Why Use a Half Blender?

The advantage is that it adds useful combinations without complicating the entire switching system.

Your standard 5-way positions remain familiar, while the blender adds extra flexibility specifically where it is most useful.

You get:

Position 1: Bridge → Bridge + blended with Neck
Position 2: Bridge + Middle → blended with Neck
Position 5: Full Neck

It is a small modification, but it can significantly expand the tonal palette of a Strat-style guitar.

More combinations. More control. No extra switches.

No Load Pot?

A no-load pot is significantly better for a blender circuit, and for a blender mod, it’s practically essential.

Here is why it makes such a big difference, along with the core trade-offs:

Why a No-Load Pot Wins for Blending

True Bypass at 10 (Zero Tone Sucking): A standard potentiometer keeps its resistive element connected to the circuit even when turned all the way to 10. That constant load (typically ~250k ohms) bleeds a small amount of high-end treble to ground, slightly dulling your tone. A no-load pot physically cuts the track at 10, completely removing the pot and the blended pickup from the signal path for pure, unaltered traditional Strat tones.
No Unwanted Pickup Bleed: With a standard pot at 10, tiny amounts of the secondary pickup can subtly leak into your signal when you don't want it. The true open-circuit break on a no-load pot ensures 100% isolation when disengaged.
Preserves Peak Resonance: Keeping total load high preserves the crisp top-end snap of single-coil pickups, especially in position 1 (Bridge) and position 5 (Neck).