Nashville tele getting new pups and push/pulls

[emtjr928]

I am awaiting my Keystones and a friend gave me a couple of 250k audio taper push/pull pots. Hmmmm. I was already planning to use one to give me the standard 5 plus the missing neck/bridge. Using


How would I go about using a second p/p for the volume to add a series option?

I have searched but I am not sure I have found the right answer.
Thanks

[cc9cii]

Which would you have in series? Not sure if you can do all three. Also, you'll have to modify one of the pickups (to separate the shield from the ground wire).

[emtjr928]

Well I won't do this until the keystones arrive, the neck will not have a cover. Either neck/mid or neck/bridge. Just trying to get a plan in place so I don't have to make decisions with the patient on the table.
Would like input on which series option might be better. I'm an acoustic player just learning bout these new fangled electrics.

[emtjr928]

What if I use this for the volume p/p?


This would run the br/neck in series when the p/p is up.Right?

[cc9cii]

If you do it this way, you have to remember to put two switches in the correct position before you get the 'in series' sound. After a while one gets tired of doing that.

A better solution might be for one switch to override the other. e.g. the push-pull, once activated, could provide the 'in series' setting regardless of (i.e. ignoring) the selector switch setting. I've not thought about the actual solution, but I suspect it will be possible to do.

EDIT: there appears to be lots of possibilities here, why not try one of them (is that where you got the other diagram, anyway?)

EDIT2: I did think about your diagram - if you use the unused portion of the push-pull, you can choose between the neck pickup (for series) and the switch (lever & push-pull) output (for normal), i.e. the middle lug goes to the volume pot.

[emtjr928]

Well, I think this may work by combining two schemes from Deaf Eddie.



The tone p/p would give me add neck at any time.
The volume p/p in would be stock. out would be:
1-neck
2-neck
3-mid series with neck
4-bridge and middle parallel, in series with neck
5-bridge series with neck

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong since I am combining tele and strat diagrams
Thanks Ed

[Deaf Eddie]

Yes, the drawings are mine. Your edit LOOKS a little messy, but it should work as you proposed. BUT!

There is a ground issue that you must consider: your bridge pickup MAY have a metal baseplate, which MAY have continuity with both its negative (aka ground) lead AND the bridge assembly (through the pup's mounting screws). If this is the case, you will have to modify the bridge pickup, breaking the connection between the pickup's ground lead and the baseplate, and adding a NEW lead to ground the baseplate and/or bridge assembly to ground the guitar.

If you went the other way, using the bridge pup as the base pickup for the series combos, you could eliminate that issue. Since you say your neck pup has no metal cover, you WON'T have to do the typical unground/reground thang on the neck pup. You'd get the same tone in bridge-series-neck as neck-series-bridge, but the mid pup in series will sound different going the other way (mid-series-bridge as opposed to mid-series-neck).

Just thought I'd mention, as drawn in your edit, with both p/p pulled, the neck pup ONLY would play in ALL throws of the 5-way. When you pull the tone for "neck-always-on", it would basically SHUNT the other pickups out when you have pulled the volume for series.

BTW, YES, you could also tweak it just a bit and get the all-three-series, which I will draw up if you're interested. However, that combo gets WAY FAT, and may be tough to balance with your single-pickup tones. But, it's a great tone for slide, I've been told.

[emtjr928]

Thanks for chiming in DE. I assume by the other way you mean taking the ground from the neck and middle to the volume p/p instead of the bridge and middle. Also tap the 5-way at the bridge hot instead of the neck hot. Am I confused?

[Deaf Eddie]

Not confused.

[emtjr928]

Thanks Eddie, Your pictures look so much better than mine. I think I am ready to perform surgery when the Keystones arrive.
Thanks Again

[emtjr928]

Well, I couldn't wait for the new pickups. Here's what I have done.
Shielded pickup and control cavities.
Added dedicated ground for bridge.
Ungrounded and then re-grounded neck pickup cover.
Lowered table area in control cavity to clear the p/p pot in the volume location.
Wired both controls using Deaf Eddies schematic.
Fired it up.
Very pleased with the results.
Shielding and grounding made an audible improvement in noise level.
P/P on tone now gives me standard Nashville 5 way tones and add the neck to any combo.
P/P on volume now gives me bridge in series with either neck, neck middle or middle.
For me at least, the series options are kewl. Lot's of tone options are available that can cover a lot of ground with one gitfiddle.
I'll update again after the keystones arrive.
Thanks All.
Ed

[emtjr928]

Well I got my Keystones today. Boy do they sound good. I had already done the wiring mods above so I just swapped them in. I had decided to try the tex mex in the middle and initially those combinations with the bridge or the neck sounded kinda thin. Maybe out of phase with the keystones. Swapped the middle wires and it sounds better paired with either the bridge or neck but not as good by itself,,, odd? Bridge, neck and B/N really sound good.
I may have to break down and buy a keystone strat middle. Worth the wait. If I order the keystone middle strat do I need to provide Bill and Becky any additional information?
Thanks, Ed

[BadHorsie]

I don't know if they sell them separate, you might have to buy the set.

[emtjr928]

Ok, Been playing and looking at my wiring after installing the Keystones neck and bridge. I realize that the bridge keystone(s) and the bridge tex-mex(n) are different polarity. Tex-mex mid is S. So I have the tex-mex middle with the keystones n/b installed. I might expect the b/m to sound thin but the n/m also sounds thin. Neck, bridge and neck/bridge sound fine. I have the tm mid wired yellow hot red grnd. What am I mis understanding?

[Deaf Eddie]

The middle pickup is out of phase with the Keystones. Just swap the middle pup's hot and ground leads, and you'll be good to go.

[emtjr928]

Thanks DE. That does sound better now.