P'up/wiring guidance... Using what's available....

[Uncle Os]

Hey All!

I lurk quite a bit but rarely post. When I get stumped and ask for help... You guys have never steered me wrong. Thank you in advance. )

A guy dropped off his Pro Tone Fat Tele and wants it to sound good. i told him I'd see what I could get going and keep it within his tight budget. Hence... I have to use what's in my bucket o'pickups.

The gentleman likes things loud but clear. He plays through old Fender, KJL, Egnater and Reinhardt but he doesn't got into mega gain territory. He uses the tone knob to tame the bridge pickup but can't stand the effect it has on the neck humbucker.

What's available...

Bridge: Fender Tex Mex, SD Tele Little '59, American Standard Tele Bridge

Neck: Duncan Design HB102n, Duncan Design HB103n

Keeping the player's tastes in mind, I was considering using the SD Little '59 in the bridge, the DD HB102n (foreign version of the Jazz neck IIRC) and wiring things up with two 250K pots with a o.o47 mfd cap on the tone knob with the neck p'up jumping straight to the volume knob bypassing the tone circuit so he can still have that loud clarity with the high end intact.

Or... Running the 250K/.047mfd tone circuit for the bridge p'up only and a 500k volume pot with the neck p'up bypassing the tone circuit.

Any suggestions and/or guidance is tremendously appreciated. )

Uncle Os

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: P'up/wiring guidance... Using what's available....

Before rummaging in your parts drawer, how about taking a proper look inside the customer's guitar. What capacitor(s), pots and selector switch are lurking in its control cavity?

Expect to find "dime" pots, a dogbreath Asian selector switch and a .047 (or higher) value capacitor on the Tone control. There might even be a Treble Bleed .001 cap across two lugs of the volume pot. All of these would benefit from being upgraded. I suggest that you try this before changing pickups.

IMO, the single biggest change that you can make to the Squier Pro Tone Tele is to change its bridge assembly to something American.

 

[Uncle Os]

Re: P'up/wiring guidance... Using what's available....

Before rummaging in your parts drawer, how about taking a proper look inside the customer's guitar. What capacitor(s), pots and selector switch are lurking in its control cavity?

Expect to find "dime" pots, a dogbreath Asian selector switch and a .047 (or higher) value capacitor on the Tone control. There might even be a Treble Bleed .001 cap across two lugs of the volume pot. Upgrading all of these would benefit from being upgrading. I suggest that you try this before changing pickups.

IMO, the single biggest change that you can make to the Squier Pro Tone Tele is to change its bridge assembly to something American.

Yessir. 2 X 500k no-name pots, .033mfd cap and Cor-Tek 3 way. Bridge p'up sounds ok into the front of my rig (Mesa/Bradshaw). The neck p'up (even bypassing the controls) is lifeless with no top end.

My plan was to replace all of it with CTS pots, Vit Q or Mojotone Dijon Caps and a standard switch.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: P'up/wiring guidance... Using what's available....

It has been a while since I played a Squier Pro Tone Tele but I seem to recall that their single coil pickups were pretty sweet Alnico II efforts. Ironically, the neck position humbucker was the bag of mush that many people imagine a stock Tele rhythm position single coil to be.

I suggest sticking with the stock bridge pickup. The DD HB102n via American 250k pots should deliver the goods. I would change the tone control cap to a .022 and omit the Treble Bleed cap altogether. CTS or DiMarzio Pro Parts pots will require the shaft holes in the control plate to be enlarged but this will be worth it. A CRL type selector switch (three- or four-way) will improve matters.

 

[Uncle Os]

Re: P'up/wiring guidance... Using what's available....

Thanks so much, Mr. Funkfingers! I swapped the pickup and thought I might've been able to get away with changing the cap. Wrong-oh Bongo-oh. The pots are out of spec. Replacing everything but that bridge pickup. You were right... It ain't bad, that bridge pickup.

Thank you for your time, consideration and assistance. )

Respectfully,

Uncle Os )