RWRP and Brand-Mixing Questions

[greypilgrim76]

So I'm still working on choosing some pickups for my Modern Player Telecaster (SSH) wiring project. I'm definitely putting a P-Rails in the humbucker bridge position, and I was planning to go all-SD for the p/ups, but I've heard some good audio online of the Fender Pure Vintage '64 set. However, I have a couple of questions:

1. Since the bridge p/up is a humbucker, if I bought the Pure Vintage set, the bridge p/up would need to go in the middle position. Is this even a good idea? I know that the change in position would affect the sound due to different string vibration, but is there something about a traditional Tele bridge p/up that would make it unsuitable for the middle position?

2. The MP Tele has a RWRP middle p/up, and I'd like to keep the noise-cancellation between the 1-2 and 2-3 positions (when the P-Rails is split to the rail). Since SD and Fender have opposite polarities, would it work to just wire the P-Rails through the Triple Shot ring following the instructions, and then just swap the wires on the two Fender p/ups. Or, if neither of the Fender p/ups are RWRP, I guess I'd just reverse the wires on the neck pickup, which would make the middle p/up RWRP and noise-canceling with either the bridge rail or the neck?

(Or, am I in so far over my head that none of this would work? Always a possibility.)

 

[ragamuffin]

As for question one: the tele bridge pickup mounts with three screws (normally into a tele bridge) and would not be able to mount into a pickguard without modification.

Question two goes over my head

 

[greypilgrim76]

As for question one: the tele bridge pickup mounts with three screws (normally into a tele bridge) and would not be able to mount into a pickguard without modification.

Question two goes over my head

Thanks for the info! Honestly, if it's not a drop-in fit in the middle, that probably rules out the PV '64s.

I'll still be curious about wiring the Fender p/ups to get noise canceling, though, just in case I do end up mixing brands.

 

[PFDarkside]

The key when mixing pickups is the magnetic polarity, especially with single coils. Of the two parameters that affect phase, the magnetic polarity can be easy to change on a traditional HB or more challenging on a single coil. Swapping leads to change the electrical phase is very easy on a Strat style single coil, as well as a 4 conductor HB. On a Tele you need to be able to separate out an individual ground for the baseplate or cover, or else swapping hot/ground will introduce noise. Same for a 2 conductor humbucker, you can’t put the braided shield on hot or you’ll get a lot of buzzing. The good thing is that you can modify Tele pickups and Humbuckers to isolate the ground.

With that all out of the way, here’s how to mix/match pickups.

Put the pickups in question face to face. If they repel, they are the same magnetic polarity and will never be in phase and noise canceling. You’d have to change of the two magnetic polarities to achieve this. If they attract, you at least know they are opposite magnetic polarities and you’ll have to try wiring them both ways to see which is in phase.

I mention all of this because if the Tele set isn’t RWRP and doesn’t have a third wire for plate/cover ground, you’d only
get hum cancelling with one coil of the P-Rail and both of the tele pickups. If they are RWRP, then you have a few more options.

Final point: Don’t be a slave to hum cancelling. Get the sounds you really want, then IF you can make it hum cancelling, then obviously do it but if not just play the guitar and enjoy the tones. On a Tele, the bridge pickup is the big rock sound. I’m on that most of the time, not the combo position. If noise is an issue I’ll use the Tele with the stack pickup, but otherwise the good old noisy one is great.

 

[greypilgrim76]

The key when mixing pickups is the magnetic polarity, especially with single coils. Of the two parameters that affect phase, the magnetic polarity can be easy to change on a traditional HB or more challenging on a single coil. Swapping leads to change the electrical phase is very easy on a Strat style single coil, as well as a 4 conductor HB. On a Tele you need to be able to separate out an individual ground for the baseplate or cover, or else swapping hot/ground will introduce noise. Same for a 2 conductor humbucker, you can’t put the braided shield on hot or you’ll get a lot of buzzing. The good thing is that you can modify Tele pickups and Humbuckers to isolate the ground.

With that all out of the way, here’s how to mix/match pickups.

Put the pickups in question face to face. If they repel, they are the same magnetic polarity and will never be in phase and noise canceling. You’d have to change of the two magnetic polarities to achieve this. If they attract, you at least know they are opposite magnetic polarities and you’ll have to try wiring them both ways to see which is in phase.

I mention all of this because if the Tele set isn’t RWRP and doesn’t have a third wire for plate/cover ground, you’d only
get hum cancelling with one coil of the P-Rail and both of the tele pickups. If they are RWRP, then you have a few more options.

Final point: Don’t be a slave to hum cancelling. Get the sounds you really want, then IF you can make it hum cancelling, then obviously do it but if not just play the guitar and enjoy the tones. On a Tele, the bridge pickup is the big rock sound. I’m on that most of the time, not the combo position. If noise is an issue I’ll use the Tele with the stack pickup, but otherwise the good old noisy one is great.

This was really helpful! Thanks!

I think what I'm gonna have to do is just get the pickups I want, and then figure out the best way to wire them. I know I'm gonna go with Nashville Tele wiring, and then add a neck-on mini-toggle switch, so once I've selected my pickups, I'll probably just come back on here and see what the best approach to pickup connections will be based on the final choices.