Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

[J Moose]

Hey all,

I've been searching around & can't find a diagram for what I'd like to do with my Tele build... if it's even possible which I think it is. All I've found are Esquire drawings & the standard series/parallel setup.

I'm going to start with a Texas Special Tele in the bridge slot and a McCarty humbucker in the neck. The bucker has a braided shield and another wire for the tap.

I'd like to wire them to the 4-way switch so I get;

bridge/bridge + neck/tapped neck/neck

I'd prefer getting a split when combined with the bridge pickup... but whatever's possible.

Thanks!

 

[cohara41]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

Did something very similar with one of my pasts teles. I don't have a wiring schematic handy but if you go to telecaster.com and do a search for 4 way switch you'll get a ton of info on how to do it. You can get the same info here I'm sure. I added a toggle so I could use only the screw bobbinns of the neck HB and also added a DTDT so I could change phases of the bridge single coil. With a 4 way you get

1) Bridge( HB or Single )&Neck, in phase or out of phase
2) Neck only( HB or Single)
3) Neck(HB or Single )& bridge, in phase or out of phase
4) Neck only

That's alot of choices..........................Cheers

 

[cohara41]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

Typo on 1) Bridge & Neck ( HB or Single ) In Series, in phase or out of phase
Typo on 3) Neck HB ( HB or single ) In parallel, in phase or out of phase
Typo on 4) Bridge only..

Hope that makes my previous post complete and helpful..........Cheers

 

[J Moose]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

You need to add some info. I found nothing about that McCarty pickups.
What conductors they have? what colors-functions?
How is the texas? what colors-functions.

The McCarty is a PRS McCarty bridge... yanked from a PRS. It's got a braided line for hot & ground with a single wire for the split.

Texas Special is a Fender... regular old 2-conductor fender Tele pickup.

 

[tone4days]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

i can only get my head around this if i use a 5 way super switch ... i cant seem to get it to work with a 4 way regular switch

are you interested in that? .... would you have a 5th combination you'd want?

t4d

 

[J Moose]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

Hermetico ~ Thanks for the diagrams! I'll look at them a little later on when I have more time to fully digest...

i can only get my head around this if i use a 5 way super switch ... i cant seem to get it to work with a 4 way regular switch

are you interested in that? .... would you have a 5th combination you'd want?

t4d

So I can't work it with a 4-way you think? Buzzmer.

Years ago I had a Tele that was wired from the fender factory with the same pickup configuration and a 5-way... so I'm aware that can be done... I also used to have a Tele with a 'Nashville' style setup and a 4-way that was wired in a similar fashion.

I'm keen on the 4-way because it gives me all the sounds I want with nothing I don't. Also, I got the 4-way w/pots mounted to the control plate in trade with the rest of the Tele parts, so i'd like to use it because I have it! If I can't make it do what I want then it's no big deal really... I'll throw the 5-way in and call it a day.

 

[tone4days]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

drop a PM to artietoo ... if it can be done, he'll get it sorted .... i can get all the ones you want except with the tap

 

[J Moose]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

You know, I realize I can also do this with a 3-way & some push pulls but I think this setup should hit everything I want & also use all the parts I have...

Well, this is the best I can imagine by now:

Notes:
Pos 1: Neck Humbucker
Pos 2: Neck-screw coil
Pos 3: Neck-screw coil in parallel with bridge
Pos 4: Bridge

It'll be another week or so before I have time to wire it up but I'll let you know if it works!

If not, well... I'll have the luthier who's cutting the nut handle the wiring!

hahaha

Many thanks!

 

[MikeS]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

In just quickly looking at that diagram...

The difference between slug and screw coil of a neck humbucker is negligible unless the coils are not identical, so splitting to the screw coil should be fine. My only concern would be phase incompatibilities with the Fender pickup. I have no idea with coil of the humbucker is going to be in phase with the texas special. Worst case scenario is you would have to swap the wires on the texas special.

The diagram looks fine, however I'd remove the jumper between terminals 1 and 2 on the left pole. I think it was added to try and cut down on noise, however in a properly shielded axe I'm not convinced it's necessary.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

In the event anyone cared to do this with Duncan pickups, see below.

JMoose, you could do this only if you performed a little surgery on the McCarty pickup. You would want to separate the baseplate ground from the coil ground. Baseplate would still go to ground, and the coil ground would be switched as shown.

 

[Yish77]

Re: Tele 4-way wiring with a split humbucker?

I've designed one that does what you want - mine is for a neck single coil and seymour duncan hot rails at the bridge, but it will also work for a neck humbucker and single coil at the bridge. The two wires you solder together are red and white, and on mine they go to the four-way switch like this: