Unusual 5-way tele wiring - diagram needed!

[RoyBGood]

Does anyone know where I can get a good, clear wiring diagram for a 5-way switch (the ‘Superswitch’ – you know, the one that can give series plus series/out-of-phase combinations)? I have my Strat wired so the tone pot works on the back pickup, and set it around 2 to 3 for a sweeter overdrive tone, so flipping between that and the neck pickup on full tone gives two really useful and distinct sounds. I want to duplicate this facility on my Tele, so I can just set the tone pot and leave it (I rarely use the tone on full on the bridge pickup). But as there’s 5 positions available on a 2 pickup guitar, I’d like to wire it like this:

Position 1: neck pickup, NO tone control,

Position 2: neck pickup, WITH tone control (to get mellow jazzy tones when playing clean),

Position 3: both pickups in parallel, WITH tone control (so stock sound and tone control capability, in stock position),

Position 4: both pickups in parallel, NO tone control,

Position 5: bridge pickup, WITH tone control (so stock sound and tone capability, in stock position).

Any help appreciated,

Thanks

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Unusual 5-way tele wiring - diagram needed!

Welcome to the forum.

On a regular Tele, the problem you will encounter is that a four-pole, five-way Superswitch will not fit into the control cavity whilst mounted through the stock control plate. The options are a simpler switch or a plate with the switch slot cut at an offset angle.

Your circuit is possible with conventional modern Tele three-way selector switch wiring plus a Fender No Load tone control.

 

[vegetablejoe]

Re: Unusual 5-way tele wiring - diagram needed!

Yeah... the no-load tone pot does seem an easier way to get what you want done, with a 5-way switch. I understand what you want to do, but it just seems so much less complicated to roll up/down the tone knob after selecting the pickup. But that's just me...

I have a 5-way switch (iirc, it came from AllParts with its own wiring diagram) which gives:

- bridge alone
- bridge + neck in parallel & out-of-phase
- bridge + neck in parallel
- bridge + neck in series
- neck alone

I agree that a no-load tone pot would make my setup even more flexible.

You might also consider using a concentric pot for separate tone control over the 2 pups.

Good luck!

 

[hermetico]

Re: Unusual 5-way tele wiring - diagram needed!

Welcome to the forum.

On a regular Tele, the problem you will encounter is that a four-pole, five-way Superswitch will not fit into the control cavity whilst mounted through the stock control plate. The options are a simpler switch or a plate with the switch slot cut at an offset angle.

Your circuit is possible with conventional modern Tele three-way selector switch wiring plus a Fender No Load tone control.

I've understood that he wants to leave bridge tone always dialed at 2-3 so, no load pot makes no sense here. I think the OP just wants to active / deactivate the tone control but, when active, tone control is dialed always at 2-3.

Can a Megaswitch fit the Tele's control cavity?.

 

[AniML]

Re: Unusual 5-way tele wiring - diagram needed!

One of the best libraries of Tele wiring on the web:

https://sites.google.com/site/phostenixwiringdiagrams/

 

[bert123]

Re: Unusual 5-way tele wiring - diagram needed!

...

Can a Megaswitch fit the Tele's control cavity?.

I have a Megaswitch - P in a 2 humbucker Tele with a standard control plate.