How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

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bard2dbone

New member
Hey guys.

I'm doing another project guitar and had ideas again.

Yeah. I know. I probably need an intervention.

But this one's REALLY cool! (like the others...Yeah. Intervention. I get it.)

So I found a Strat neck for too cheap to pass up. Rosewood with a rosewood fingerboard. Oooooooooooh yeah.

Except I didn't actually need another guitar right then. So I started thinking "What COULD go with an all rosewood Strat neck?" Then it hit me that I don't have a Jazzmaster-type guitar. And I was off!

After gathering some parts, I got less excited about the Jazzmaster and more excited about a Tele body I saw on evilbay.

Now comes the actual question: If I put a P-Rail into a Tele bridge plate made for a humbucker...is there any way to add in the Triple Shot mini switches? The P-Rail with the Triple Shot is an amazingly versatile machine. If I do the Jazzmaster body, it's going to have the P-Rail and Triple Shot in the bridge and a Jazzmaster/P90 in the neck. If I do the Tele body, it'll be the P-Rail in the bridge and a Charlie Christian in the neck.

But I'd really like to have the T-S switching one that bridge pickup. Can I? Somehow?
 
Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

A three-way on-on-on mini switch will give you rail-P90-humbucker switching.
 
Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

You might have to give up the bridge plate, unless you want to disassemble a Triple Shot and put some holes in the plate. I'd just use a normal bridge. Or do what Securb said.
 
Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

Technically, you could do it by cutting the two holes for the switches in the bridge plate (and a recess for each so they'd reach up enough). You'd also have to recess the body to sit the circuit board below the plate. You'd also be wise to insulate the bottom of the bridge plate so that it didn't short out the board in any way.

That's a LOT of work!

If it were me, I'd go with the three way mini that Securb suggests, but I'd add a series/parallel option on a push-pull tone pot. That'd give all the options in a slightly less elegant way than the TS.

Hey, Mincer - time to mention a Tele baseplate conversion kit to R&D?


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Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

The Triple Shot is comprised of 2 on/on switches. So 2 DPDT mini toggles next to one another can be wired like the TS for all 4 sounds. There was a diagram like that on the site.

It's pretty difficult to hack up the Triple Shot without some sort of damage.
 
Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

Two push-pulls will also work.

I would make sure you actually like all 4 sounds before making any permanent cosmetic changes. I don't particularly care for the sound of the rail by itself.
 
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Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

From my perspective it looks like you have 3 decent options.

1. Use two DPDT switches like frankfalbo suggested.
2. A 3-way on-on-on switch per Securb. I'd add an additional DPDT switch for series / parallel, mostly because I REALLY like the P-Rails in parallel and wouldn't want to give up that sound.
3. Use a Strat-style hardtail bridge instead of the humbucker Tele bridge and use an actual Triple Shot ring.

Of these options, I've had both 2 and 3 on a guitar. My current P-Rails guitar is an SG Standard with the rings sitting on top of the guard:
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Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

Simpler just to use a shorty bridge on your Tele. Assuming the body has a standard humbucker rout you should be able to fit a TripleShot without problems.
 
Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

Currently I'm thinking I'll go with mini switches on the control plate. But I'm worrying how crowded that will be.

While on the one hand, it would be awesome to have the P90, and humbucker sounds available in series/parallel, it may just be too small a space to do it. I might just have to punt and put a P90 type in the bridge and a Charlie Christian in the neck. But that ought to be cool on an all rosewood Tele, right?
 
Re: How do I have a Triple Shot when I can't have a Triple Shot?

bard2dbone said:
Currently I'm thinking I'll go with mini switches on the control plate. But I'm worrying how crowded that will be.

While on the one hand, it would be awesome to have the P90, and humbucker sounds available in series/parallel, it may just be too small a space to do it. I might just have to punt and put a P90 type in the bridge and a Charlie Christian in the neck. But that ought to be cool on an all rosewood Tele, right?
Click to expand...

What you are doing is cool. I have a few Swiss Army Knife guitars myself. At the end of the day I find I still only pull 3 or 4 tones out of a guitar. You can get a multitude of guitar tones out of one ax but they are not all going to be great/useable. I would start small and expand if you find the instrument/tone limiting in any way.
 
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