Telecaster 4-Way Switching Preferences

BillDL

SteveRobinson said:

Back in the day I used to fit loads of 4-way switches in Telecasters. Nowadays I mostly take them out.

That's precisely what I ended up doing yesterday after playing the guitar a lot over almost a week with he modification.  The additional "both pickups in series" switch setting doesn't really give me anything that I can't get just using a boost pedal, and the additional switch notch was a bit of a nuisance on a control plate where the lever is already a bit fiddly using due to its close proximity to the volume knob in position 1.  It's back out and I can get all the sounds I want with a 3-way switch and standard wiring.  It now has IronGear Steel Foundry "overwound" pickups in it and it sounds just like a Telecaster should, even though it isn't a real one.  Bridge Alnico II 9.1k DCR, Neck Alnico V 8.1k DCR, both with 42AWG enamel wire.

Supportact

I've got a Baja tele with the stock s1 switch. I don't really use the 'both in series' position as i don't think it sounds that good, but i really love the out of phase positions and use them a lot. It sounds massive with a fuzz pedal on or a phaser.

Obviously more complicated switch possibly = less reliable but mine is still ok. If it broke I'd consider having a new one because of the out of phase sounds. I guess it depends how much you'd enjoy those sounds. 

Supportact

Ah just seen you've actually already sorted it! Hope it works out for you.

BillDL

I like out of phase sounds on humbuckers, but I've never played a guitar with an out of phase setting on two single coils.  I didn't have the depth in the cavity for any kind of push-pull switching or more versatile deep switch, so an electrically (not magnetically) out of phase setting would have to have been on the 4-way switch instead of the in-series wiring, or else I could fit a micro toggle switch between the volume and tone pots.  I might try that on a future project.