Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

[ItsaBass]

I was curious if it is possible to have the middle position of a standard Tele switch be series instead of parallel.

The pickups in question are humbuckers, not Tele pickups.

My idea is that I would have the 1 and 3 positions be normal. The middle position could be series, which I would probably want to use with both pickups set with parallel coils.

Thank you.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

You can do it with a 4-way switch so it's s/sp/ss/s. You just need to change the order of how the pickups are wired to the switch.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

Yes, I am aware of the typical 4-way wiring. Interested in losing the parallel option and just having a three way, though.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

You definitely can with this one:

https://www.rockinger.com/en/parts/electric-parts-knobs/switches/940/double-wafer-3-way-switch

EDIT - Actually, can’t you take the 4-way diagram, move position 4 wires on both sides of the switch to new position 2 and ignore the old position 2 wires?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

^ Yes, I have one of those. But have it for another project with a more complex 3-way switching scheme. It cost me a bunch of dough (like 35 bucks in the end), and I had to wait for it for over a month, because the dealer I got it from was in Spain. If I can do it with a standard 3-way (which it seems I should be able to), it would be great. I haven't really sat down and worked it through it yet. I was just wondering if this is a well known mod, and if there was an existing schematic for it.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

I think to have already shared the wiring idea below but let's do it again (and two pics are better than one).





FWIW. If these schematics don't answer to the original request or if there's a mistake somewhere, just lemme know (since I reply on a hurry, without having double checked what I've found in my crowded archives).

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

I think to have already shared the wiring idea below but let's do it again (and two pics are better than one).

View attachment 105906

I don't see how that will work. In switch position 1 you've indeed got the bridge pup going from ground to the vol pot, but you also have it in series with the neck pup with that signal also going to the vol pot. In position 1 you need to disconnect the neck pup from the circuit or ground it out (like the bridge pup is doing in pos. 3).

Off the top of my head, it seems like it would work if you disconnected the ground wire of the neck pup (purple) from the common lug where you have it and connect it to the common lug on the other/bottom side of the switch. Run a jumper wire from the lug of position 2 (on the other/bottom side of the switch) to the common lug on the top side where you have the bridge pup orange wire. Then run a wire from the lug of pos. 3 (on the bottom half of the switch) to ground.

That way, in position 1 the neck pup is out of the circuit and the bridge pup only is active. In pos. 2 the bridge output (orange) is connected to the neck (purple) through the jumper wire, and the neck output (yellow) is connected to the vol pot giving you the series mode. In position 3. the neck (purple) connects to ground and its hot (yellow) goes to the vol pot while the bridge pup is grounded out thus giving you neck pup only.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

I don't see how that will work. In switch position 1 you've indeed got the bridge pup going from ground to the vol pot, but you also have it in series with the neck pup with that signal also going to the vol pot. In position 1 you need to disconnect the neck pup from the circuit or ground it out (like the bridge pup is doing in pos. 3).

Off the top of my head, it seems like it would work if you disconnected the ground wire of the neck pup (purple) from the common lug where you have it and connect it to the common lug on the other/bottom side of the switch. Run a jumper wire from the lug of position 2 (on the other/bottom side of the switch) to the common lug on the top side where you have the bridge pup orange wire. Then run a wire from the lug of pos. 3 (on the bottom half of the switch) to ground.

That way, in position 1 the neck pup is out of the circuit and the bridge pup only is active. In pos. 2 the bridge output (orange) is connected to the neck (purple) through the jumper wire, and the neck output (yellow) is connected to the vol pot giving you the series mode. In position 3. the neck (purple) connects to ground and its hot (yellow) goes to the vol pot while the bridge pup is grounded out thus giving you neck pup only.

Ok, in the name of pure honesty and just for the peace of my own consciousness, I've hastily checked the schematic criticized above, without volume control but with a Fender Tele 3 pos. switch & 2 cheapo anonymous single coil, measuring respectively 5.8k & 5.4k.

I've used alligator clips to connect the whole as following (and as in my pic):

-ground of pickup 2 and hot of pickup 1 tapped together and going to the "common" lug.

-lug 1, next to the common lug: going to output and to the "hot" wire of pickup 2 (like on the outer lug of the volume pot in my schematic).

-lug 2 (center position): nothing.

-lug 3: connected to ground and to the ground of pickup 1.


Results shown by my multimeter:

-position 1: 5.8k.

-position 2 (center): 11.2k.

-position 3: 5.4k.


IOW, it effectively gives one pickup alone, the two pickups in series and the other pickup alone, as intented. I'll post pics to show it if necessary but I think that anyone will be able to check empirically my testimonial with a Tele switch, a pair of PU's and a DMM.

I wish you all a nice day or night (according to the hour of your reading).

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

OK, I see how it works. The neck pup (#2) has both its wires, ground and lead, going to the vol pot in switch pos. 1.

That works, but it's not the best condition to have. May introduce some noise/hum. It would be better to wire the switch like I said which would essentially remove the neck pup out of the circuit. Plus, it's no more complicated to do it that way, so why not?

 

[freefrog]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

OK, I see how it works. The neck pup (#2) has both its wires, ground and lead, going to the vol pot in switch pos. 1.

That works, but it's not the best condition to have. May introduce some noise/hum. It would be better to wire the switch like I said which would essentially remove the neck pup out of the circuit. Plus, it's no more complicated to do it that way, so why not?

I've no objections agaisnt your idea so I agree: why not?

That said and regarding my own contribution: the schematics that I've shared are just an adaptation to the usual Tele switch of a wiring technique that I apply for years (this technique consisting to make a coil silent by connecting both its ground and hot either to the overall ground, either to the overall "hot" / output) .
I've never noticed any issue of added noise/hum with this signal path: a coil looped on itself is no more a potential antenna coil and is physically too small to form any kind of reflector. It has not even the ability to increase stray capacitance since the two sides of the "capacitor" embedded in any pickup are now connected to each other... Once again, I've somewhere some noise tests about that and I'll share a few pics if necessary.
Now, my idea frees a whole side of the Tele switch, which could therefore be used for other things.

Sadly, this free side of the switch can't be dedicated to series/parallel connection of two humbuckers. At least I don't see how it could be done. But it might be used to split one of the humbuckers in center position, for example.

Itsabass, let us know how you'll have solved your question.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

Yes, it’s an easy wiring. You wire them in series full time, then you use the switch to switch the connection between the two pickups to either hot or ground to bypass one pickup.

One important note; on a Tele the neck pickup cover is grounded via the ground connection on the pickup coil. So leave that as ground.

On the bridge pickup you need to separate the ground connection from the coil and the steel baseplate. Leave the baseplate connected to ground, but run the ground wire of the coil out separately. Otherwise when you are in series the bridge will be “hot” and make lots of noise.

You can also do it the other way around; keep the bridge grounded and lift the ground on the neck pickup coil and separate it from the cover.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

I'd be very interested to see those test results. You're never too old to learn something new. Thanks for your input and explanations.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

I'll post some data about noise ASAP. Right now, I'm busy as hell. Thx for your understanding.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

He was also wanting the series position to automatically then change the internal humbucker coil winding to parallel.

Is there such a thing as a 3 way superswitch??

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Telecaster switch, series in middle position. Possible?

He was also wanting the series position to automatically then change the internal humbucker coil winding to parallel.

Is there such a thing as a 3 way superswitch??

No, the “auto” wasn’t part of it. Each pickup would have its own series/parallel switch.

The general framework of what I’m asking for is ‘50s Duo-Sonic wiring. But modded: done with a Tele switch, VTT controls, and a series/parallel switch for each pickup.

Yes, there is a 3-way super switch – the Goldo one, only available from European dealers. 35 bucks and about a month’s wait. The one I have is for a more complex wiring project.

Pretty sure once I sit down and tinker, I can figure it out. I was just wondering if this was something that someone had already figured out.

FWIW, the pickups in question are a pair of Wilde L-500Cs. I was thinking that by having a series/parallel switch for each pickup, and a master series wiring, I could get a large range of L-500 tones from the guitar, from C to R to L, and even thinner than the C (both pickups with parallel coils, in series with each other). Either pickup alone, one parallel and one series, both parallel, both series, etc.

I should also add that the question was perhaps not stated that well. I know you can have a telecaster switch give you two pickups in series in the middle position; you just wire it that way. What I wasn’t sure about was if you could also get each pickup alone from the other two positions. Given that this is possible on a Duo-Sonic with a slightly more simple form of toggle switch, I figured it should be possible on a Tele switch.

Thanks.