Nashville Twangbucker?

Tedecaster · January 28th, 2006, 11:49 AM

Not content to leave well enough alone, I thought it would be cool to configure a pinecaster project with a neck humbucker ala Keith R's main Tele. But it still didn't seem complicated enough, so I thought " why not go Nashville?" and add the middle strat p/u. So the question is what do do about P/U switching? The "Strat-o-tone" switching leaves out the all important neck/bridge combo. But I really like the "strat quack" as well. Anyone else been down this road ?

sequencepro · January 28th, 2006, 12:42 PM

Gets you anywhere fast. Better yet, with 3 concentric volume/tone knobs and 2-3 mini switches (StewMac has 'em) the tonal possivilities are ENDLESS!

editorjuno · January 28th, 2006, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tedecaster

Not content to leave well enough alone, I thought it would be cool to configure a pinecaster project with a neck humbucker ala Keith R's main Tele. But it still didn't seem complicated enough, so I thought " why not go Nashville?" and add the middle strat p/u. So the question is what do do about P/U switching? The "Strat-o-tone" switching leaves out the all important neck/bridge combo. But I really like the "strat quack" as well. Anyone else been down this road ?

A Schaller-made "E" Megaswitch from Stew-Mac will give you the following combinations (iirc) -- it comes with the necessary diagram:

1. Bridge
2. Bridge + middle
3. Bridge +neck
4. Middle + neck
5. Neck

There's also the Brent Mason scheme (similar to what Jimi Hendrix had in his Strat during his early days in NYC) using a standard three-way Tele switch with the middle pickup controlled by a third "blend" pot. You'd need to drill a hole in the control plate for the extra control or get a Tele Plus control plate and use a mini-pot for the blend function. Our resident techno-oracle, Terry Downs, published a nice diagram a while back in this document:
Educated guess at the circuit in Brent Mason's Tele is on page 11

Tedecaster · January 28th, 2006, 03:32 PM

That pattern makes sense, but it would be nice to have a middle solo position too. I'm afraid the mini-switches would be too much for my poor brain, though I can see the flexibility. We're still on dial-up out here in the sticks so I'll have to check out the link to the PDF a little later (S-L-O-W right now) Thanks!

editorjuno · January 28th, 2006, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tedecaster

That pattern makes sense, but it would be nice to have a middle solo position too. I'm afraid the mini-switches would be too much for my poor brain, though I can see the flexibility. We're still on dial-up out here in the sticks so I'll have to check out the link to the PDF a little later (S-L-O-W right now) Thanks!

Terry's diagram doesn't have any of Brent's mini-toggles in it, so that's no problem -- however, a single DPDT mini-toggle added to Fender's "Strat-o-Tone" scheme would allow you to have middle-only AND bridge-neck by simply intercepting the middle and neck hot leads before they connect to the pickup selector switch and allowing them to be swapped at will.

freddyking · January 28th, 2006, 04:45 PM

tele-holic,check your pm and email;let me know if that helps.

tdowns · January 29th, 2006, 02:49 AM

Here is the schematic with the series/parallel middle pickup switching.

http://terrydownsmusic.com/Archive/b...lel_wiring.PDF

neocaster · January 29th, 2006, 01:33 PM

With 3 pickups in a 5-way wiring scheme a la Nashville Tele, add a mini-toggle to simply drop the middle pickup out of the parallel array, leaving me with bridge/neck only (classic tele), or am I missing something?

tdowns · January 29th, 2006, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neocaster

With 3 pickups in a 5-way wiring scheme a la Nashville Tele, add a mini-toggle to simply drop the middle pickup out of the parallel array, leaving me with bridge/neck only (classic tele), or am I missing something?

A 5 way switch doesn't ever switch the neck and bridge together.

The problem with the Nashville Tele scheme is that the pickups are discretely switched. The post powerful and versatile element of adding a middle "Strat" pickup is the ability to BLEND it into the mix with a pot. Portions of the middle pickup added to the bridge pu with result in removing icepick from the treble strings, but retaining the treble ring of the bass strings.

Also note that the 3-way switch allows the neck and bridge to be connected. The 3rd pot is volume control for the middle pickup that does not interact with the neck/bridge volume. You can turn down the main neck/bridge volume and turn up the middle volume to get the middle only. Turn down the middle volume and turn up the neck/bridge with the switch in the middle position, and you get the neck and bridge.

The disadvantages of the Brent setup are:[*]3 pots on a control plate is crowded and hard to manipulate (cure that with eliminating the tone pot or use a concentric pot)[*]You can't get to the Strat quack setting very quick with a switch click. You must dial it in.[*]You must turn down both volumes to get the guitar off

The advantages are the extreme variety of sounds and versatility.

The disadvantage of the Nashville 5-way is you miss out on the wonderful middle blend.

Tedecaster · January 29th, 2006, 10:10 PM

That set-up sounds pretty good. I think that the disadvantages are workable. Three knobs would be pretty crowded ,so I checked out the various concentric pots out there (I thought both volumes on the same shaft would make sense) but it seems that they are only available 250k/500k or 500k/500k, no 250k/250k. Which value would work better? Thanks!

January 28th, 2006, 11:49 AM	#1 (permalink)
Tedecaster Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Greensboro, Vermont Posts: 1,018 26 Photos	Nashville Twangbucker? Not content to leave well enough alone, I thought it would be cool to configure a pinecaster project with a neck humbucker ala Keith R's main Tele. But it still didn't seem complicated enough, so I thought " why not go Nashville?" and add the middle strat p/u. So the question is what do do about P/U switching? The "Strat-o-tone" switching leaves out the all important neck/bridge combo. But I really like the "strat quack" as well. Anyone else been down this road ?

January 28th, 2006, 12:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
sequencepro TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North Augusta, South Carolina Posts: 96	Three on/off/on Mini Switches.... Gets you anywhere fast. Better yet, with 3 concentric volume/tone knobs and 2-3 mini switches (StewMac has 'em) the tonal possivilities are ENDLESS! __________________ Doug Lanier sequencepro@yahoo.com ------------------------------ While YOU'RE watching TV... The guy who wants your job IS PRACTICING

January 29th, 2006, 02:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
tdowns Friend of Leo's Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Wylie, TX US Posts: 2,675	Here is the schematic with the series/parallel middle pickup switching. http://terrydownsmusic.com/Archive/b...lel_wiring.PDF __________________ Best regards, Terry Downs http://terrydownsmusic.com Equine quadrupeds may be coaxed to the reference of specific gravity but may not be compelled to imbibe thereof.

January 29th, 2006, 01:33 PM	#8 (permalink)
neocaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chester County, PA Age: 35 Posts: 3,532 11 Photos	Would I be able to... With 3 pickups in a 5-way wiring scheme a la Nashville Tele, add a mini-toggle to simply drop the middle pickup out of the parallel array, leaving me with bridge/neck only (classic tele), or am I missing something? __________________ "...You don't need faith if you know it's gonna work!" "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

January 28th, 2006, 03:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tedecaster Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Greensboro, Vermont Posts: 1,018 26 Photos	That pattern makes sense, but it would be nice to have a middle solo position too. I'm afraid the mini-switches would be too much for my poor brain, though I can see the flexibility. We're still on dial-up out here in the sticks so I'll have to check out the link to the PDF a little later (S-L-O-W right now) Thanks!

January 28th, 2006, 04:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
freddyking TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 89 16 Photos	tele-holic,check your pm and email;let me know if that helps.

January 29th, 2006, 10:10 PM	#10 (permalink)
Tedecaster Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Greensboro, Vermont Posts: 1,018 26 Photos	That set-up sounds pretty good. I think that the disadvantages are workable. Three knobs would be pretty crowded ,so I checked out the various concentric pots out there (I thought both volumes on the same shaft would make sense) but it seems that they are only available 250k/500k or 500k/500k, no 250k/250k. Which value would work better? Thanks!