Parts (t) caster build using stuff I have lying around.

[simonbaker]

Hi.

Haven't posted much on here before I'm afraid, but I was looking for some advice/opinion/information.

I'm building a guitar using a Mighty Mite 3 tone swamp-ash sunburst Tele.

I've built and modded guitars and amps in the past, but not for some time. Putting the guitar together, and setting it up won't be a problem. I'm good at soldering having made pedals galore in the past from kits, but working out wiring options from scratch is not my strength (I'm willing to learn though!).

My day job is as a cabinet maker, so I know wood as well.

Anyway, I've bought the body, which is on its way to me. I have an existing new Mighty Mite rosewood Strat neck. I may reshape the headstock to a Tele shape, but I'm thinking of leaving it as it is for now.

My plan is to rout a cavity for a TB4 trembucker-spaced JB, in cream and black which I've got in a drawer, and put this in the bridge position (in a humbucker spaced tele bridge which I have)

I'm looking to buy a neck pickup. My thoughts are to get something like a Seymour Duncan, neck Vintage Stack or a Five Two stack neck. I'd like to keep this hum free if I can.

One question is whether the neck pickup would match the output of the JB.

Ideally, I want to wire in a 4 pole 5 way superswitch and achieve the following wiring :

1 JB Series
2 JB Paralell
3 JB Series/Neck
4 JB Paralell/Neck
5 Neck

I think that this should be achievable, but I'm in need of information as to how to wire the switch up.

I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on a neck pickup choice, and also any information on wiring up a superswitch in the way I'm looking to do, and whether I'll have mismatches in the pickup soundsif I use a 250k volume pot or a 500k pot with these pickups.


Any help would be gratefully received.

Simon.

 

[simonbaker]

Re: Parts (t) caster build using stuff I have lying around.

Thinking about this now, I've decided to post this in the pickups lounge.

 

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: Parts (t) caster build using stuff I have lying around.

You would probably get more help if you had an admin move this thread to the Pickup Room. Hope this helps!

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Parts (t) caster build using stuff I have lying around.

That does look doable
Need a 5 way super switch

The super switch may be a bit taller.than stock

Make sure it will fit

For a telecaster I would suggest a four way Tele switch and a.triple shot pickup ring for all those JB inversions

Wire the switch

Bridge and Neck in series
Bridge
Bridge and Neck
Neck

The bridge/neck in series gives you the classic Tele chime

*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[simonbaker]

Seems like admin have put this here in the pickup lounge for me, so thanks for that guys.

(Now I've got to delete my new thread elsewhere in the pickup lounge, sorry - haven't done this for a while)

Ehdwuld, thanks for your info. I'd think about the triple shot ring for the JB, but I'm not sure about the look, having it sitting up on the bridge plate. I know that will give me every possible combination from a humbucker though, and would make wiring a lot simpler. Your suggestion of the four way also gives me more with less. I'm counting 13 discreet combinations by having an option to have bridge and neck in series, and bridge/neck in parallel.

My other option is to deepen/widen the control cavity to accept the 5 way 4 pole switch, and go with the 5 way switching if it's possible to do.

Regarding neck pickup type, I've also had a look online at the Lindy Fralin split rail pickups, and the Joe Barden neck pickups.

I've got options.

Here are some pictures of the body and neck that I've got. I've put in a black electro socket, because they are a fantastic design, and I had this one lying around.

I really like the swamp ash on this, and the centre join really is impossible to see.

I've got a set of Hipshot enclosed locking tuners on order, along with a dark red tortoiseshell scratchplate and other hardware.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Parts (t) caster build using stuff I have lying around.

without the triple shot

artie2 had a diagram for making a three position on-on-on toggle switch

split a humbucker to three of the four triple shot positions

series / one coil / parallel

of course you would have to choose which coil you wanted in the single coil
there are some rewiring options that would give either one you want
either slug coil or adj coil
( I prefer the slug coil myself, just a bit warmer as the adj coil to my ear is a bit bright)

If I can find the diagram I'll post it

 

[simonbaker]

Re: Parts (t) caster build using stuff I have lying around.

Awesome. Thanks.

 

[simonbaker]

Ok. Lots of surfing and searching done.

I've narrowed it down to two possible options

Option 1:

Seymour Duncan STK T1N vintage rhythm tele stack, in the neck.

I don't want 10 plus sounds to confuse me. I love choice, but i want as many usable sounds as i can get while keeping it practical and simple.

So.... The JB in the bridge will have a push/pull on the tone pot to give serial or parallel output. I don't really need the choice of a single coil split from the bridge humbucker, so I'm not considering it at the moment.

This will be combined with the four way tele switching detailed above.

I then get 7 tried and tested sounds, all of which are hum free. I'm looking at this as a good compromise between versatility and simplicity.

This gives me a lot of options for not much cost. The Seymour Duncan stuff is of course, very good value.


Option 2

After receiving a detailed email from Frank T at Joe Barden pickups, I may go for a Joe Barden tele neck pickup.

I'd essentially go with the same wiring as above. I might try four way wiring, and then go to three way depending on the results. Frank has told me that the series/parallel bridge and neck combinations are not as different with hum canceling pickups as they are with true single coils.

This pickup will cost me a bit more than a SD (emailed a dealer here in the UK for a quote on the neck pickup). I'm also tempted to have the option of getting a Joe Barden two/tone humbucker at some time in the future for the bridge.

I'm a sucker for both clever design, awesome tone, and customer service. I've certainly had great service already from a company in the other side of the world who want me to be their customer.

Anyway, those are the choices on pickups at the moment. (Leaning towards Joe Barden now)

Regarding aesthetics, I've got the tortoiseshell pickguard, but I've also ordered a deep red pearloid pickguard. I'm going to make a decision when i see them both together. I just fancy a bit of understated 'bling' visually. We'll see when the other one arrives.

I've also ordered enough adhesive backed copper to do a proper shield job on the entire guitar.

I've got a pair of Dunlop dual design straplock buttons. These strap buttons match my what's on my other guitars, and i really rate them. I've used them for 15+ years.

I've gone with black with the strap buttons sort of a a design statement, as the edge of the body is black (and simply because the electrosocket i had on a shelf was black)

I'll keep posting my hair-brained ideas as they come up, but I'm pretty much sold on the pickups and switching now

 

[simonbaker]

Re: Parts (t) caster build using stuff I have lying around.

Ok. This is my current status. I've routed out for the JB humbucker.

Started to shield it with the copper foil. That stuff is pretty. Kind of time consuming to fit, but fairly easy to do: just push it into all the corners, and I'd there are any holes, cut a small bit to cover them.

I've ordered myself a Joe Barden, Danny Gatton tele neck pickup. Can't wait.

 

[simonbaker]

Here's a couple from today.

Is this excessive shielding? I think not.

I've also rolled the fretboard edges to make it more comfortable to play. This shot is prior to cleaning then up.
At the same time, i sanded back the headstock, and resprayed it.

 

[simonbaker]

Re: Parts (t) caster build using stuff I have lying around.

It's quite lonely in here now. In guessing that this should probably now not be in the pickup lounge, but the guitar shop. Never mind.

Anyway, some more pictures from this lunchtime's activities.

After looking around for the right scratchplate, and buying/returning sub standard ones, I have settled on this dark black pearloid number.

I fit this from Allparts (UK). It cost more than the eBay failures that I'd gone through. I had a 'red pearl' pickguard which had a poor pixelated photocopy image that looked nothing like pearloid.

I guess you gets what you pay for.

Today, I received my stainless saddles which are going on the Mighty Mite bridge. They're heavy!

I also got my Joe Barden Danny Gatton neck pickup as well, which I'm really excited about. I'm going to mount this on the pickguard so i can adjust it.

As far as wiring goes, I've got a 5 way superswitch, a 4 way tele mod switch, and a regular 3 way tele switch, but which one to use?

For now, I'm going with a 3 way standard tele switch.

This will be combined with a push/push tone pot switch to switch between series JB bridge and parallel JB bridge.

This gives me 5 usable sounds and a simple wire - up and easy to use system.

I'm going with a 250k true vintage taper CTS volume using the Kinman treble bleed mod (0.001uf cap in series with 130k resister).

The tone pot is a 250k audio taper Alpha push/push (not push/pull) switch. I've had a push/push on another guitar for some time, and i really prefer it to push/pull. I'm putting in a Greasebucket tone circuit on this.

I'm waiting for some conductive paint so i can do the wire holes between cavities, and I'm going to hardwire each cavity to the next so the shielding is as precise and comprehensive as possible.

I fitted the neck today. It's very tight in the pocket, which is good.

I'm waiting for an Earvana LSR sized nut to arrive, which will replace the plastic one this neck came with. I changed out an LSR for the Earvana one previously on another guitar, and I love it. They just work.

Ok. That's it for now.