Craig Andertons 5 Way Switch Mod.............

[Jeffblue]

I have a beautiful Warmoth tele partscaster that I had removed the SD mini humbucker in the neck and SD Vintage P90 middle pickups and changed the pickguard for a tele neck pickup. i did some research on different wiring using a 5 way switch to obtain more tones. I came across the Craig Andertons 5 way tele mod, (which there isn't many) and used it.

I already had a Seymour Duncan Five-Two tele pickup in the bridge and I had acquired a SD Five-Two tele neck pickup, installed it in pickguard that I had traded for and wired the pickups to the 5 way switch. The switch gives you:

1. Neck and bridge in series
2. Neck and cap .022 uf
3. Neck
4. Neck and bridge in parallel
5. Bridge

This configuration is highly useable and sounds excellent.​

 

[LesStrat]

Nice.

 

[Jeffblue]

Using this mod you'll need to clip the ground wire on the copper clad base of the tele bridge pickup and solder a new ground wire on the base plate for this mod to work correctly.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Aside from position 4, this looks pretty cool.

 

[Clint 55]

Why not use a smaller cap like 3 or 6nf?

 

[Jeffblue]

Why not use a smaller cap like 3 or 6nf?

I will definitely see what I have available. Thanks.

 

[Artie]

Craig Anderton is one of those unsung hero's who has done a lot for the guitar and audio world. But I didn't know he did any guitar wiring diagrams. Where did you find this?

 

[Jeffblue]

Craig Anderton is one of those unsung hero's who has done a lot for the guitar and audio world. But I didn't know he did any guitar wiring diagrams. Where did you find this?

Just a whole lot of searching and I am sorry to say I am having trouble finding it again. Someone had posted that on either start-talk or the telecaster forums and I just kept searching for Craig Andertons 5 way tele mod. Supposedly this mod was in a book he had written.

 

[Artie]

Ah cool. I wonder if it's in his "Guitar Electronics for Musicians" book? I've been wanting to get that.

 

[Jeffblue]

Here are before and after photos of my modded tele.

Before........

And after (Sorry for the bad lighting) I like metal pickguards and this anodized aluminum lends to better shielding. I think the color is an added benefit to the finish of the guitar.

 

[Mincer]

Wow, that is quite a unique Tele! How would you compare the before and after?

 

[Jeffblue]

Wow, that is quite a unique Tele! How would you compare the before and after?

I'd say that the mini humbucker was the least useful tone. Most of my tele builds have a P90 either in the middle or neck position and I love P90s. I also have strat builds with a P90 in the neck. With the 5 way switch mod and the SD Five-Two pickups yield really nice tones. Metal pickguards contribute some sustain over plastic, which contributes nothing at all.

 

[Mincer]

The Five Twos are my favorite vintage-output Tele pickups, by far.

 

[Jeffblue]

The Five Twos are my favorite vintage-output Tele pickups, by far.

I have to say that I am liking Five-Twos also. I may be trying a different 5 way switch mod on another tele build. this one has a P90 Antiquity in the neck and a JB in the bridge. I was thinking maybe the Bill Lawrence 5 way switch mod because this guitar sounds really dark. Or maybe something that splits the coils.

Edenhaus Mahogany body, Fender Bullet neck, homemade custom copper pickguard.
(Sorry, not the best photo)

 

[Artie]

I'd say that the mini humbucker was the least useful tone.

That's interesting. When I worked on a customers Brent Mason-ish Tele earlier this year, it became one of my favorite Tele tones. So much so, that I'm making my own, with the SM-3.

Ah . . . different strokes.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

If I wanted the switchable cap with the bridge pickup, would it be as simple as swapping the neck and bridge grounds?

 

[Jeffblue]

If I wanted the switchable cap with the bridge pickup, would it be as simple as swapping the neck and bridge grounds?

I believe you would need to change the cap/switch lug position. You're idea still needs to coincide with the switch position.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Hmm... my preferred Tele setup is the tone knob only affecting the bridge pickup. Maybe having a switchable cap for the neck wouldn’t be so bad.

 

[hamerfan]

Ah cool. I wonder if it's in his "Guitar Electronics for Musicians" book? I've been wanting to get that.

I was subscribed to Guitar Player Mag in the 80/90ies. He had a column for small wiring projects back then. I still use his switchable 2 cap tone pot.

 

[Artie]

I still use his switchable 2 cap tone pot.

I do that occasionally. But it's usually to help me determine what specific cap value I need for the particular guitar. I don't think I've ever left it in permanently. But it's something to consider.