*SOLVED* *Pics Added* Esquire wiring - help me out please!!

jellybelly

Hi all

I've decided recently to change my tele partscaster into an esquire. I got a pickguard, removed the neck humbucker and gave it a go with simple wiring (no switch) - was a real revelation, enjoyed playing that one pickup much more, working the controls and removing a pickup truly did make it ring out more! Honourable mention to Marc at Mojo as his Esquire pickup is quite possibly he best bridge pickup I've ever played.

So happy with all that, I started looking at wiring and after some browsing, decided I wanted something very specific. But I can't for the life of me make the circuit work after many, many attempts - there's always an issue with a route to ground I can't eliminate! Here's what I'm after:

Position 1: standard esquire volume with tone removed for bright twang. 

Position 2: standard esquire/tele with both volume and tone controls

Position 3: full volume (via fixed resistor) and tone control so that I can switch to full volume. This is something o do with offsets and Gibsons as a quieter, more mellow neck tone to a harder aggressive bridge tone is the main way I use different pickups, so I thought this would approximate that nicely. 

Can anyone help??

jellybelly

Actually, can I just switch the output between lugs 2&3 on my volume pot? I'd need to ground lug 3 when using lug 2 to output though right? 

ICBM

There's a scheme for this but with the settings in a different order - 1 (towards neck): both controls, 2: volume only, 3 (towards bridge): full volume straight to jack.

jellybelly

Thanks for this @ICBM I've just wired it up and it works as advertised with the exception that the volume is still in when using the third position, although it is a tad louder and the taper is different. Any thoughts?

ICBM

Ah… damn. I've just looked more closely at that and the diagram is wrong.

I can't find the right one, but you can probably work it out if I describe how it should be wired.

On one side of the switch the connections should be - rotor: output jack. Position 1 and 2 - volume control terminal 2. Position 3 - volume control terminal 3, which is also connected to the pickup hot and the other switch rotor. Other switch side - rotor: pickup hot/volume control terminal 3. Position 1 - tone control. Positions 2 and 3 - no connection.

jellybelly

Thanks for that...I'll get the sketch pad out!!

jellybelly

Think I've figured it out except I think your description is missing a connection between the two position 3s on the switch otherwise it won't go to the output??

jellybelly

Also, am I correct in thinking the tone control won't be working besides the first position?

ICBM

jellybelly said:

Think I've figured it out except I think your description is missing a connection between the two position 3s on the switch otherwise it won't go to the output??

No, in position 3 the jack is connected to the volume pot terminal 3 and the pickup hot which are both connected to switch terminal 3 on that side. You don't need another connection.

jellybelly said:

Also, am I correct in thinking the tone control won't be working besides the first position?

Yes. Ah… I forgot you wanted positions 1 and 2 the other way round and tone in 3. Just connect the tone control to terminals 2 and 3 instead.

Basically switch pole 1 is the volume pot selector and pole 2 is the tone pot selector, you can have any of the combinations in any position.

jellybelly

Got it working!! My switch is an absolute mess but all holding together and sounding awesome. Cheers dude! Gratuitous pictures coming soon...

jellybelly

http://s9.postimg.org/rth0scgbz/IMG_3097.jpg

Thar she blows