I recently added a 5-way switch mod to my Telecaster copy, using the exact wiring shown in the below pic:
I thought it had worked out fine, but something I've just noticed is that touching the cover of the neck pickup when the switch is in positions 1 or 2 (i.e. the two new positions) causes a buzz.
Touching the neck pickup cover in positions 4 and 5 (standard Tele middle and neck positions) has the same effect as touching the strings or bridge. Touching the cover in position 3 (standard Tele bridge position) makes a very light hum, unless I'm already touching the strings or bridge.
None of this happens with the bridge pickup.
As I've never used any kind of out-of-phase mod before, I was wondering if this is normal for this kind of wiring or maybe a grounding issue.
Thanks for any help.
Comments
Disconnect the cover ground from the coil, add a new selerate ground wire, then solder this wire to the top of the volume pot.
this photo guide shows you how (scroll towards the end) https://sixstringsupplies.co.uk/pages/4-way-telecaster-wiring-mod
and apologies again - get in touch and we’ll send some freebies out to you!
https://sixstringsupplies.co.uk/
Our YouTube Channel for handy "How-To" Wiring Tutorials
flanging_fed “
For this circuit, the necessary mod is to separate the bridge pickup baseplate ground from the coil start (ground). Do this at the baseplate end. It is often quicker and tidier to simply snip the short jumper wire and bend it out of the way.
The cover is a shield to prevent noise, but as Strat pickups don't have any shielding at all and don't generally pick up too much, the Tele pickup probably doesn't really need it. Disconnecting the cover also slightly brightens the tone.
"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
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=joM4Q7ji5dE
After reading @sixstringsupplies' post earlier, I followed his instructions of disconnecting the cover ground from the coil and connecting a new wire to the back of the volume pot. This has worked perfectly, all the buzzing is now gone. Having since read @ICBM's post, maybe the wire wasn't necessary but I'll just leave it because I've had enough of fiddling about inside this guitar for the time being!
No worries, my own fault for not reading up fully on the mod before starting it. Thanks for your kind offer but your wiring diagrams have already been a freebie for me (clearest ones I've found on the interweb). Cheers.
P5 (neck) = 5.6k
P4 (neck & bridge) = 3.1k
P3 (bridge) = 6.3k
Normal so far, but then:
P2 (neck & bridge half out-of-phase) = exactly the same as position p3 (not sure if this is how it should be).
and...
P1 (neck with less low end) = 119k!
Anyone know what might have happened here?
"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
Ahh right. I was hoping it had something to do with that cap on the switch rather than the pickup. Thought I might have done something wrong when disconnecting the cover ground from the coil.
I was wondering if it's possible to change the order of the switch positions so that what is currently position 2 (neck + bridge half out-of-phase) is moved to position 3 (currently bridge) and vice versa.
If so, how would I do that?
IIRC, the circuit that you are currently using was devised by Bill Lawrence. The pickup permutations are a product of the physical layout of the CRL five-way lever switch.
You might have thought that an Oak Grigsby 12-contact switch would do the job but it cannot.
A 24-contact Superswitch might do what you desire BUT may not drop into the control cavity. The Schaller PCB one will, provided that your control cavity is all the same depth. Some modern Fenders have a bump in the rout between the volume pot and the switch. This may foul on a switch with a long or deep PCB.
I use the Schaller Megaswitch M, circuit SS3 - partly because it fits but mainly because it puts the traditional three Telecaster sounds in the lever positions where you expect them to be.
"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
I had a feeling I'd need a different type of switch to do it. I think I'll just leave it as it is for the moment. I did the mod mainly because I found the original 3-way switch to be quite clunky and had a better quality 5-way switch spare. I've found the "neck with series cap" position to be not very useful, although I do like the half out-of-phase one. I'll bear in mind the superswitch and push-pull pot options when I inevitably end up fiddling about with it again.
Having the half out of phase on a blade switch has its own challenge in that flicking through the selections can be a little noisy as you go past the HOOP selection. I don't find it too big an issue, bit it is there.
Pole A
Common = output
Bridge, bridge, neck white
Pole B
Common = output
None, return from HOOP switch, none.
I need to get scribbling on the back of an old envelope to deduce how to make this work. I predict that ICBM will beat me to it.
Pole A - common to bridge pickup, bridge and middle position to volume.
Pole B - common to neck pickup, neck position to volume, middle position via cap to neck position.
Switch bypasses cap in ‘normal’ position.
"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
Yeah but no but …
Surely, adding the filter cap on the selector switch engages it whenever both pickups are selected, regardless of the status of the DPDT phase reversal switch.
Maybe my brain still hadn't thawed out?
I had the DPDT wiring described incorrectly though, that still has to be the phase switch.
"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
When the neck pickup in its normal phase and both pickups are selected, having the filter cap in series would create a Bass Cut "Strangle" effect à la Fender Jaguar.
Ideally the HOOP cap needs to be on the phase switch so it's only in series when the pickup is out of phase, but I'm having trouble combining that with only being active in the middle selector switch position . I think it should be possible with 'reversed' Tele switch wiring - rotors to volume and selected terminals to pickups - using the other neck end terminal to bypass the cap... but I'll need to draw it out, it's possible there's a catch!
"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