"Esquire"-type build with humbucker?

[Fatmanstratman]

I've just completed the drawings for a new build that will be a sort of Toronado/Telecaster hybrid, and I'm working my way through the planning stage with regards to pickups and pickup combinations.

Then I had a thought....

I was considering perhaps just using one humbucker at the bridge, and leaving off the neck pickup altogether. Then I got to thinking "Hmmm - what would it sound like if I were to use the typical Esquire type wiring and switch setup with the (1.) no tone control (2.) with tone control, and (3.) with the fixed "bassy" tone?"

Has anybody tried this, and if so, how did the humbucker sound wired up like this?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[RiverDog]

I'd like to know the same thing Fatman. I was going to do the same build but with a single coil sized 'bucker from GFS.

[newtwanger]

Has anybody tried this, and if so, how did the humbucker sound wired up like this?

I did this with a Duncan lil '59 and a Duncan Hot Rails; both are Tele bridge-sized humbuckers and because I use no load tone controls the positions 1 and fully opened 2 sound the same, with position 3 being near useless (unless you want to play La Grange all day).

The only Tele with a full sized humbucker I've built had an EMG 81 or 85 in it and it sounded great with only a volume knob (one trick pony).

[pgambon]

Just a thought: if its a four wire pup you could use a 4way switch to get series, parallel and each coil separately.

[newtwanger]

Originally Posted by pgambon

Just a thought: if its a four wire pup you could use a 4way switch to get series, parallel and each coil separately.

I made a recent posting on just how useless that was.

Series = awesome
Parallel = series but not as loud (so just use the volume control...useless)
Split coils = weak, thin, crappy and not at all "Esquire".

Humbucker with no switch. The only way to fly.

[Mark-00255]

I wired up my recent Filtertron Esquire with "standard" three-way Esquire wiring - here. You remember this one, right?

I have to just about force myself to play my other Teles - I love the sound of this setup so much! I still don't like the bass circuit clean, but love it with a lot of gain. I gotta think a heavier HB, stouter than my Hi-Sens vintage-wound Gretsch pickup, would work well in an Esquire circuit too.

[Fatmanstratman]

Originally Posted by Mark-00255

I wired up my recent Filtertron Esquire with "standard" three-way Esquire wiring - here. You remember this one, right?

Certainly do, Mark-00255!

I was also quite interested in newtwanger's use of the 'no-load' pot, as I was worried that the Esquire circuit might make the 'bucker sound too muddy and muffled.

However, I've always thought that humbuckers required 500k pots - does anybody know if Fender/CTS/Alpha et al actually MAKE a 500k 'no-load' pot?

I'm pretty sure that only 250k 'no-load' pots are available.

Can anybody help with this one? If 500k 'no-load' pots ARE available, does anybody know where they can be sourced in the UK?

[newtwanger]

Grab a beer, a chair and go to your workbench with this..

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/pots.htm

I let my brother who works with this stuff all day long do a couple for me. Maybe there's a market for it?

[rangercaster]

a humbucker on an Esquire !!! volume control only is fine ... no tapping required ...

[Fatmanstratman]

Originally Posted by newtwanger

Grab a beer, a chair and go to your workbench with this..

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/pots.htm

I let my brother who works with this stuff all day long do a couple for me. Maybe there's a market for it?

I am a regular visitor to ProjectGuitar.com, and in particular the excellent Tutorials section, so I have already read the "Make a no-load pot" tutorial.

I can have a CTS 250k no-load pot delivered to my door for $11.50, or a standard CTS 500k pot for $6.60 - I'm sure your brother may have the time and experience to do the necessary modification, but regrettably I don't!...

For the sake of less than $5 extra, I was merely wondering if one could buy such a thing as a 500k no-load pot. From the lack of any responses to that effect, I'm presuming the answer is "No"?

You're right, newtwanger - maybe there IS a market for it!...

Anyway - thanks for bringing the excellent ProjectGuitar.com site to everyone's attention - it really DOES contain a wealth of good information, tutorials, tips and tricks, and should be a "must see" for the many modders on the forum...

[newtwanger]

Originally Posted by Fatmanstratman

I'm sure your brother may have the time and experience to do the necessary modification, but regrettably I don't!...

It's all in who you know.

That being said, 100% of people will be able to see the difference with a meter but in the "real world" on a 500K pot 10% will hear the difference, 20% will say they hear the difference but don't (they just agree with the 10% that do) and the rest will just not hear the difference. It is far more evident on the 250K pot.

[JCSouthpawtele]

I would do this with the cocked wah mod in one of the positions. Or you could go 4 way and wire one of those DB boost tone knob setups.

so here a thought. 1.regular output bucker,2. bucker/cocked wah,3.bucker w/ boost ,4.bucker w/boost and cocked wah