I decided to upgrade the electrics of a good quality Telecaster copy seeing as I had gone to the lengths of doing a bit of fret work and swapped the bridge from the chrome round barrel saddles type for one with compensated brass barrel saddles. While was at it I decided to swap the control plate around so that the volume and tone controls are at the front and the 3-Way selector switch is at the rear.
I didn't like the layout, so I've decided to change it back to the traditional switch positioning but I have a 4-way Oak Grigsby switch that's been lying around for quite a while and I've decided to use it to get the "both pickups in series" combination as well as the three standard options. I've been trying to decide which position to have the "both in series" additional option and I'm curious to know what position has worked out best for anybody else here that has their Tele type guitar wired for this on a 4-Way switch.
It seems to be more logical to have (1) bridge only, (2) both in normal parallel, (3) new both in series, (4) neck only, so that both the "middle" positions are next to each other in the middle so to speak. What I wonder about this is whether flicking from normal middle position to the neck pickup through through the new higher output switching option might cause a very brief spike in the output. Perhaps it would be better just having the new "both in series" switch position right at the front in position 4 as an entirely separate "boost" type of option.
Just in case anybody is wondering whether I know of the potential issues with a 4-Way open wafer switch in a lower priced Tele copy, yes I do. It came with an enclosed blade switch that is shallower in profile than the Oak Grigsby type. I have already deepened the control cavity rout to accommodate the deeper switch, and I have taken care of the other issue whereby the greater arc of the lever on a 4-way switch is wider than that of a 3-way and the slot in the control plate usually isn't long enough. I've also modified the wiring on the neck pickup to create the separate ground for the cover alone. It's all ready to solder them all together.
What are your preferences for the lever position for this additional "both pickups in series" option?
Comments
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Somebody habituated to early Fifties wiring might prefer to have 1) bridge only, 2) both in parallel, 3) neck only, 4) both in series.
In the end I found that I didn't like the 4-way switch though - it's neither a 3-way or a 5-way, and the middle positions just confused me. I'd rather have a 3-way and the series option on a push-push tone control, if I want it at all. I actually just put it back to a 3-way and never missed the series sound.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
The series, in phase sound is a way of creating a vaguely "Gibson" tone from the two stock single coils, without having to cut up the guitar body to accommodate a humbucker or a P90. To my ears, it sounds more P90 than humbucker.
(Admittedly- I've never tried it on a Tele, I've only tried it on a Strat and a Tele with a Strat neck pickup. But I can't imagine the much darker Tele neck pickup is going to improve things much!)
FWIW, this guitar also comes stock with the S1 switch in the volume control, giving 'half out of phase' for the neck pickup (and also bass cut when in the neck-only position), which did what these usually do... gave some not very useful extra sounds and then went noisy and unreliable. Although just for once, it didn't actually break. Since he never used that sound, I've replaced it with a standard pot.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
LOL about the S1 switch not breaking (as I've said before, mine did!).
EDIT: That's interesting what you said about the Baja Tele- I remember they were all the rage on the internet maybe 10-ish years ago (?). I eventually got round to trying one around then, and couldn't see what the fuss was! I can't remember anything specific, I just remember thinking it was massively overrated.
Unfortunately, the yummy neck was almost invariably screwed on to a body of very little resonance … and weighty with it!
There is a particularly annoying problem with the 4-way compared to the 3... the 3 is a make-before-break switch - which is why the exact same switch gave the in-between sounds on a Strat, before 'proper' 5-way switches were introduced which have the extra mechanical detents but are electrically identical - whereas the 4-way is break-before-make. This means that switching is often noisier with the 4-way, giving pops or clicks moving between the positions (especially the series one) and if you're unlucky it's just possible to lodge the switch between settings, giving silence.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
As I said, I can't really remember much about the Baja (as it was so long ago), but I just remember thinking it was overrated.
Yes, the baseplate is the copper (plated) thing on the bottom of the pickup, which is grounded and on vintage Teles provides the slightly occasionally unreliable ground connection to the bridge via the height screws.
Many modern Tele pickups don’t have this, and the ground to the bridge is done very simply with a separate wire trapped under it against the body. In this case, there is no need to do anything to the bridge pickup to lift the ground in the series setting.
If the pickup does have a baseplate, you need to do the same mod as to the neck pickup in the ‘normal’ 4-way scheme, cutting the link wire to the baseplate and adding the direct ground wire to the bridge. You only need to do it to one pickup whichever option you choose. Personally, I prefer the belt-and-braces method of a separate bridge ground wire anyway, as rust can get in under the height screw heads - especially with relic’ing, or genuine age! - and make the ground connection unreliable, so for me it makes sense to kill two birds with one stone and make that the ‘upper’ pickup in the series position as well.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein