Ghost position on 3way switch? - Now with pics...

[joshigh]

Ok, I'm sitting here picking along to some George Strait, and I bump the pickup selector with my hand. It lands in between the middle position, and the bridge position. I hear some Strat quack coming out of my 52RI?!? Is this an out of phase trick or something? Anyone know what I'm talking about? Both pickups are active, and the sounds is different than bridge, and bridge/neck. Have I stumbled on to a mod by a previous owner, or does this happen to all Tele's?

[Russinator]

If you have the standard modern 3-way switch configuation with two pickups there should be no difference between the detented middle position and any of the in between positions. If you do have a sound different than bridge/neck there is something funny there....

[joshigh]

Yeah, it's definately different. There's more of a spank feel on the 'in between' position. The regular notched middle position is a little more fat sounding. I'll try to get some pics of the wiring, because I'm not real sure what I'm looking at.

[Nick Fanis]

if you have not updated the wiring in your 52ri telecaster than this "in between" possition is BOTH pickups on in parallel.
the stock 52ri wiring is:

pos1:bridge
pos 2: neck w/ tone control
pos 3: neck with fixed bassy sound

[spyder]

Ho.. way back in the old days many stock Esquires had the *inbetween* nuance you describe....infact, it wasn't uncommon for players to hook an Esquire simply for the inbetween sound.....if you're able to dial it in on your telecaster ..more power to 'ya....most have to rewire for it....later, spyder

[joshigh]

Here are some pictures of my wiring. I bought the guitar used, so I imagine somone has altered it. Is cloth wiring standard on 52RI's? From what I've read, I am set up for modern wiring, my tone control works on both p/u's, and the switch selects them in the correct order, bridge only, bridge/neck, and neck only.


This is a shot of the whole control plate.

High Res
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/dat...2087whole2.jpg



This is the underside of that shot.

High Res
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/dat...2087whole1.jpg



Another detailed shot.

High Res
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/2087whole.jpg



This is the position where I get the Strat sounds. You can see the switch is contacting the left most, and second from left contact.

High Res
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/2087ghost.jpg



The best shot I have of the switch wiring.

High Res
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/dat...087switch1.jpg

[Teleologist]

My guess is it's not making a completely good connection with one terminal or the other(dirt, slightly bent, excess solder, etc.). That can add extra resistance in series with one PUP - reducing output of that PUP only and changing the balance between the PUPs.

[Butch Snyder]

Back in the late 1980's, I had a 62 RI that would do that. Until you just mentioned it, I had forgotten about it. I'll have to try it on my 50's Classic.