Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

Vortexan

Vortexan

New member
Hey guys new here,
Thinking about upgrading my stock MIM blacktop tele with a pair of P-Rails. I don't have much experience as a guitar technician but I think I am up for the challenge. Does anyone know if the blacktops routing will accomodate this pickup? Or am I looking at a nightmare when I open her up? Also which wiring scheme for P-Rails is best for this tele? The idea of installing this pickup configuration is really appealing to me. Any thoughts or if anyone has experience with this guitar and the installation of P-Rails I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks

1unnamed.jpg
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

I'm not sure how well the push/pull pots will fit in the control route of the Tele...might be to shallow and/or narrow. Triple Shot rings would take care of that issue and make wiring it up a little easier, too.
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

Sanford said:
I'm not sure how well the push/pull pots will fit in the control route of the Tele...might be to shallow and/or narrow. Triple Shot rings would take care of that issue and make wiring it up a little easier, too.
Click to expand...
Yea I'm afraid I would be opening up a can of worms. I thought about the triple shot rings. Might work on the bridge pickup but not the neck because of the pickguard.
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

Funkfingers said:
+1 for the chosen SD schematic.

For the selector switch of the Blacktop Telecaster, you will need this, http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=3ws_trans

IMO, Triple Shots would not help.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the schematic but it is confusing to me. Looks like three different selector switches. The 3 way blade would be the teles right? I'm starting to think the blacktop is probably not a good option for P-Rails. Maybe I'd be better off going with a different pickup. Any ideas what pickup would make a good replacement for this guitar?
 
Last edited:
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

The schematic diagram that you inserted into post #2 is the correct circuit EXCEPT that it illustrates a Switchcraft "Gibson" type three-way toggle selector switch.

In your BT Tele, you would need to rethink the schematic slightly. Disregard the Switchcraft switch and imagine the "Fender" CRL lever type in its place. The schematic diagram that I added in post #4 illustrates how to translate the Switchcraft connections over to a CRL switch.

NOTE: I have assumed that your BT Tele has an American selector switch rather than the Asian eight-contacts-in-line variety.

In my opinion, single coils in a Tele are good. P90s in a Tele are good. Humbuckers in a Tele are good. Your proposed P-Rails mod would effectively give you four Teles in one.
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

when i put push pulls in my tele i just chiseled out the bottom until the route was deep enough, works fine
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

Funkfingers said:
The schematic diagram that you inserted into post #2 is the correct circuit EXCEPT that it illustrates a Switchcraft "Gibson" type three-way toggle selector switch.

In your BT Tele, you would need to rethink the schematic slightly. Disregard the Switchcraft switch and imagine the "Fender" CRL lever type in its place. The schematic diagram that I added in post #4 illustrates how to translate the Switchcraft connections over to a CRL switch.

NOTE: I have assumed that your BT Tele has an American selector switch rather than the Asian eight-contacts-in-line variety.

In my opinion, single coils in a Tele are good. P90s in a Tele are good. Humbuckers in a Tele are good. Your proposed P-Rails mod would effectively give you four Teles in one.
Click to expand...
I haven't opened it up yet so I don't know what is in there. 4 teles in one is an incredible thing. That's what I was thinking when I read up on the P-Rails. Thanks for the tips!
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

Good luck with the mods! I'd like to see the pictures when it's done.
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

Sanford said:
Good luck with the mods! I'd like to see the pictures when it's done.
Click to expand...

If I do this I'll document the whole process and help others like me who may need the information. I just think it would be a great guitar setup. I'm OK with the stock pickups but not in love with 'em. Seems like a very cool upgrade and a good bang for the buck.
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

I just put a prails in my American Special Tele. What I did was I had a hole drilled in the control plate between the vol and tone. It HAS TO BE an On-Off-On switch.
Get the 3 way with two sets of posts on each side. Wire the black wires of the prails to the middle posts (humbucker mode), whites to the ones on one end and green to the opposite end (P90 and single coil modes).

You will need to then solder the bare wires and jump the greens to the volume pot.

Keep track of where the pickups are wired to the main 3 way switch. Wire the black wire posts to those spots on the three way switch.

You will essentially have a Tele that has 3 main sounds (a 2 humbucker tele, a 2 P90 tele and a 2 single coil tele).

The Prails are dark sounding pickups in their humbucker mode. VERY COOL in P90 mode and more authentic that I expected in single coil mode: very little volume drop.

One issue you may run into....the scres for the Prails are LONG. You may have to snip them down with a tool that is designed to do just that.
*If the stock Fender pickup screws fit the SD pickup holes skip the following.*

Remove the pickups and drop the SD screws into the holes, they may be too long and will stick out above the pickguard. If so, snip approximately the same length you see popping out above the pickguard (the threads only, not including the head!) and the screw will be the perfect length.

Hope this helps! I am loving the P Rail pickup...only in the neck on my guitar...I love the single coil Texas Special in the bridge. My other guitar is a 2 humbuckers Ibanez with the Satriani set of pickups in it. The diversity of sounds between my 2 guitars is sweet!
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

RAND said:
I just put a prails in my American Special Tele. What I did was I had a hole drilled in the control plate between the vol and tone. It HAS TO BE an On-Off-On switch.
Get the 3 way with two sets of posts on each side. Wire the black wires of the prails to the middle posts (humbucker mode), whites to the ones on one end and green to the opposite end (P90 and single coil modes).

You will need to then solder the bare wires and jump the greens to the volume pot.

Keep track of where the pickups are wired to the main 3 way switch. Wire the black wire posts to those spots on the three way switch.

You will essentially have a Tele that has 3 main sounds (a 2 humbucker tele, a 2 P90 tele and a 2 single coil tele).

The Prails are dark sounding pickups in their humbucker mode. VERY COOL in P90 mode and more authentic that I expected in single coil mode: very little volume drop.

One issue you may run into....the scres for the Prails are LONG. You may have to snip them down with a tool that is designed to do just that.
*If the stock Fender pickup screws fit the SD pickup holes skip the following.*

Remove the pickups and drop the SD screws into the holes, they may be too long and will stick out above the pickguard. If so, snip approximately the same length you see popping out above the pickguard (the threads only, not including the head!) and the screw will be the perfect length.

Hope this helps! I am loving the P Rail pickup...only in the neck on my guitar...I love the single coil Texas Special in the bridge. My other guitar is a 2 humbuckers Ibanez with the Satriani set of pickups in it. The diversity of sounds between my 2 guitars is sweet!
Click to expand...
Cool! Thanks for all the info. I think I am going to give it a try and see what happens. Appreciate hearing about your experience.
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

Here we go.............. I'm replacing the bridge with an american standard hard tail bridge.
018cp.jpg

P-Rails with control assembly. Two DiMarzio 500k push pull pots and 3 way selector switch. Orange drop .047 capacitor. This will be my first time to do this so I'm going very slow and methodical. Excited about the end result.
019wi.jpg
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

So what happened? I'm planning to do the same thing and wanted to see results.... Maby I will continue to report!
 
Re: Putting P-Rails In My Blacktop Tele

Aaaaaaand I did it. It looks beautifull and the only problem I had was shortening the screws. But clipping them was pretty easy. They are not that hard. The Sound is amazing and I didn't realize how cheap the Fender pick-ups sounded. If you are looking for a dirty but versatile rock sound you should check them out!
 
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