Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

A

aloha

New member
I have an old Fernandes Tele (62 reissue copy).

It has a weird switch that doesn't match the schematics on this site at all. Instead of having two rows of 4 on the bottom of the switch like the SD schematic that looks like this:

x x x x
--------
x x x x

It has the terminals on the side of the switch and they are like this:

x-----x
x--x--x
x-----x

This is confusing me in only one way. I figured out that the neck pickup matches the live settings with the middle X and the bottom right X. The correct pickup plays in this setting. On the bridge pickup setting, the middle X and the top right X are live.

I looked inside the switch and saw that the contacts always touch the middle and in each settings touch the live on the right side and the opposite corner on the left side. For example, when the bridge pickup is on, the middle X, the top right X and the bottom left X all have contact.

Here's my problem:

I can get the pickups to play either in the bridge or in the neck, but not in the middle section.

Can anyone help me figure out what I need to do to get the middle setting (both on) to work?

I really love the sound of both tele pickups together and would appreciate any help.

Aloha
 
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Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

Your switch works like this:

Edit: deleted pic since it was wrong. Ignore the rest of this post.

Just wire it up like the bottom of that diagram. ;)

Edit: That extra lug on the side is probably the switch "chassis" ground to help reduce hum. Just ground it.

Edit 2: You had a 50/50 chance of getting the right two lugs. Murphy's Law came into affect. :D
 
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Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

I'll try that.

Thanks Artie. I'll report back how it works...
:smack:

Z
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

So,

I soldered the contact that was in the middle terminal into the middle left contact. There was sound in the middle, but either bridge or neck pickups went off with the switch front or back. What did I do wrong?

Z
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

Thats odd. Is there any way you can post a pic of your specific switch? Or maybe find a pic of it on the 'net. I want to make sure we're talking about the same kind of switch.

Deleted incorrect pic to save bandwidth.
 
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Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

Actually, no, that picture doesn't look correct.

It looks just like a normal tele switch, except for its guts.

Actually, I had another tele switch from Fender on another guitar, so I just absconded with that one.

Now I have another boo boo.

I got all switch positions working using the SD schematic, but I'm out of phase on the middle setting. I guess it is anyway because the sound is even thinner than the bridge pickup.

I know it's not supposed to sound like that. What would be the easiest way to switch phase at this point?

Thanks for your patience and attention, Artie.
:bowdown:

Aloha
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

No prob. ;)

The easiest way to change phase is to reverse the wires of whichever pup doesn't have a grounded cover. If they both do, things get a bit trickier.
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

I'm sorry...

newbie question.

What is a grounded cover?

sorry...

Z
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

On a traditional Tele, the bridge pickup has a metal baseplate thats grounded. The neck has a metal cover thats grounded. If you just reverse the wires, one of these chunks of metal becomes "hot", and you may get bad hum. If you have a traditional covered neck pup, there's a bit more involved to ungrounding the cover. Thing is, I've never done it.
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

I have the traditional metal covered pickup.

Does this mean I'm up poop creek? Can I just switch the ground for the bridge pickup?

Thanks again.
Z
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

You can, but at this point, I think its more important to track down the actual problem and make sure you're "fixing" the proper problem. The pickups wouldn't have been out-of-phase to begin with. (Assuming their both original or the same brand.)

We need to get that switch figured out. ;)

For the short term, try reversing the bridge wires, as you said, and see where that leaves us.
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

ArtieToo said:
You can, but at this point, I think its more important to track down the actual problem and make sure you're "fixing" the proper problem. The pickups wouldn't have been out-of-phase to begin with. (Assuming their both original or the same brand.)

We need to get that switch figured out. ;)

For the short term, try reversing the bridge wires, as you said, and see where that leaves us.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen a switch like that either.

But a guess would be that the center "X" in his diagram is a combined common pole for the three positions on both sides. I said I guess!!
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

LJ King said:
But a guess would be that the center "X" in his diagram is a combined common pole for the three positions on both sides. I said I guess!!
Click to expand...

As soon as you said that, it "clicked" in my brain. His switch is one of those foriegn things that works like this:

odd_switch.png


Now, let me get this wiring right.
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

You guys are great!

Thank you.

Actually, I went back to my gear and found another three way switch that looked exactly like the switch diagram in the schematic on this website with two rows of four poles.

I changed the other out for this one.

I wired it just like the schematic. After I wired it like the diagram, every position works, but the middle is out of phase.

Both pickups are from the same company (GFS). I hope this helps.

:fingersx:
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

So, it should go like this:

odd_switch02.png


Edit: Now this pic is wrong! :D

I gotta rest my brain. I'll take another shot tomorrow, but it does sound like one of your pups is wired backwards. Strange, but possible.
 
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Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

Yes . . . I know. I posted before I saw what you said about changing the switch. :blackeye:
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

aloha said:
You guys are great!

Thank you.

Actually, I went back to my gear and found another three way switch that looked exactly like the switch diagram in the schematic on this website with two rows of four poles.

I changed the other out for this one.

I wired it just like the schematic. After I wired it like the diagram, every position works, but the middle is out of phase.

Both pickups are from the same company (GFS). I hope this helps.

:fingersx:
Click to expand...


How do you know the middle is out of phase? If I recall correctly, GFS tele pickups are RWRP. One has a white or yellow lead - the other has a red (?) lead for hot. Black on both pups should be wired to ground. The other two should be wired to the switch.
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

Isn't the RWRP thing referring to Strats?

Now, I'm getting confused...
Z
 
Re: Tele 3-way Wiring Assistance, Please!

aloha said:
Isn't the RWRP thing referring to Strats?

Now, I'm getting confused...
Z
Click to expand...

No, RWRP refers to the coils of a pickup regardless of which guitar they are installed in. GFS single coil tele pickups do have one RWRP from the other - which means that when both pickups are used together there will be a reduction of hum - due to a humbucking effect.

Get your guitar hooked up and flip to the neck pickup. Move around the amp until you get some hum pickup. Then flip to both pickups. If the hum remains the same or increases, then your pickups are wired out of phase. If the hum decreases, then your pickups are wired correctly.

If your pickups are wired correctly, then you need to provide some more information as to what the problem is and why you think so.
 
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