Wiring diagram needed..

lovestrat74

I have a T-style with 2 P90s. A toggle switch,  1 vol and 1 tone and need a wiring diagram ... never wired a toggle switch before.

BillDL

Hi @lovestrat74  ; Can you post a photo or a link to a photo of the switch you are going to use.  There are two layouts of toggle switches discounting the boxed-in metal enclosure type commonly found in budget guitars.

One layout has one ground lug on its own on one side, the outside two lugs on the other side are for the "hot" wires from each pickup and a "common" output lug (sometimes slightly longer) sits between them to take (in your case) the hot signal to the input lug of the volume pot.

Another layout has the "common" output lug on its own on one side (sometimes two thin lugs that need to be squeezed together and soldered with one wire) and the ground lug sits between the two lugs for the pickup inputs on the other side.

Do your pickups each have an externally braided screen ground on the outside and a cloth or plastic insulated core wire running through the centre, or external single insulation sheath with internal braid and an insulated core wire in the middle, or are they just two separate insulated cores?

The reason I ask is that if they are externally braided there is quite a neat way of binding the ground braids neatly together with a bare ground wire in one bundle at the toggle switch.

Essentially your telecaster wiring will be just the same as any other tele if it is in the standard long oval route with a metal control plate and it's just a toggle switch instead of a blade/wafer switch.

On a LP type guitar the hot wires from the pickups go to the volume pots FIRST then to the switch then the output jack.  On a Tele type guitar the hot pickup wires go to the switch first, then to the volume pot, then to the output jack.

Jonathangus

It's basically this, I think, but with just one hot and one ground from the pickups.

https://sixstringsupplies.co.uk/pages/les-paul-special-ii-wiring-diagram

https://sixstringsupplies.co.uk/pages/switchcraft-toggle-switch-wiring

lovestrat74

It's this one @BillDL ;;https://www.axecaster.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=187

Pickups are both braided but one is not long enough to ground so has been extended with cloth wire.

I have gone from the common on the switch to the left lug of the volume as opposed to direct to the live on the jack. If I go direct to the lack from the switch, what connects the switch to the pots? With a normal Tele wiring you go from the switch to the left lug of the vol...

Jonathangus

That looks to be the same layout as in the SSS diagram.

lovestrat74

Jonathangus said:

It's basically this, I think, but with just one hot and one ground from the pickups.

https://sixstringsupplies.co.uk/pages/les-paul-special-ii-wiring-diagram

https://sixstringsupplies.co.uk/pages/switchcraft-toggle-switch-wiring

This is pretty much what I have done - must just be my shoddy soldering again 

BillDL

The diagram below is nicely laid out to clearly show where all the wires should connect in your scenario, although obviously it's not laid out as though it's inside a tele shaped control cavity.  Ignore the wiring colours and the extra white wire coming out along with the screen.  Just treat that as outside braid = ground, internal core wires (red) = hot pickup outputs.

The video on the page that Jonathangus has linked to:
https://sixstringsupplies.co.uk/pages/switchcraft-toggle-switch-wiring

Shows you in quite good detail the neatest way of binding up all the braided grounds at the switch.  If you are using an externally braided common wire from the switch to the volume pot, you can either make the braiding pass over, around, or along the side of the actual pot and solder the braiding to the body of the pot leaving the cloth-covered core hot wire to go to the lug, or you can unpick a bit of the braid and wind it into a point that can be bent out sideways and soldered to the body of the pot leaving the insulated core free to solder to the lug.

One issue with externally braided wires is that the braid can sometimes touch other components.  It is good practice to slide some insulation over the length that are inside the cavity.  Most people use heatshrink tubing, but you could use any tubing or even wind insulation tape around those areas of the cable that can make unwanted contact.

You said that you had extended one of the wires with cloth-covered wire.  I assume that means the braiding doesn't extend to near the end of that wire.  As long as the braiding is grounded to a grounded component somewhere it will be fine.  It doesn't have to be grounded to the same pot that he core wire is connecting to.

http://www.irongear.co.uk/2xa90_1vol_1tone_3wt_v02_igwm.gif

BillDL

How are you getting on with the wiring?

lovestrat74

Hey @BillDL I was going to reply but I got so fudged off with it I stepped away. In fact very far away, I am in Devon for a little family break

I got the bridge working when connected to either the left or right lug. So the switch appears to be fine. But I could not get both pups working together. The neck pup appears to be the problem even though it gives me a reading when tested on the multimeter. 

So I have parked it for now...

BillDL

Be sure to put the cream onto the scone first and then the jam while you're there or @bertie will ensure that you are hounded out to Cornwall.

It's frustrating, isn't it.  I've just rewired three guitars today.  Two went smoothly, but by the last one I was tired and all the fiddly work was aggravating me because wires kept slipping just as I was about to solder them, I kept dropping washers and screws onto the carpet and had to crawl around searching for them.  I also went and wired a wafer switch back to front and had to unto it all.

Enjoy your wee break.

bertie

BillDL said:

Be sure to put the cream onto the scone first and then the jam while you're there or @bertie will ensure that you are hounded out to Cornwall.

this much is true

lovestrat74

BillDL said:

Be sure to put the cream onto the scone first and then the jam while you're there or @bertie will ensure that you are hounded out to Cornwall.

It's frustrating, isn't it.  I've just rewired three guitars today.  Two went smoothly, but by the last one I was tired and all the fiddly work was aggravating me because wires kept slipping just as I was about to solder them, I kept dropping washers and screws onto the carpet and had to crawl around searching for them.  I also went and wired a wafer switch back to front and had to unto it all.

Enjoy your wee break.

I leave the sweets to the girls and stick to the jail ale