4 way switch wiring; standard Tele + Eldred in position 1 or 4

[NBS2005]

Hi,

I have an Esquire with the 4 way Eldred mod. I'd like to add a neck pup and get the normal 3 Tele positions in addition to the current Eldred. Current layout is:

1. (pointing to neck) Eldred with volume
2. Bridge with vol and tone
3. Bridge with volume
4. Bridge direct out

What I want is:
1. Eldred
2. Neck with Vol Tone
3. both with Vol Tone
4. Bridge with Vol Tone

If a different order for that config makes more sense, I'd be happy to try that (maybe making the original 3 and 4 both pups and neck respectively). I asked my wiring guy and he didn't know how to do this so thought I'd ask here. I'd like to modify the existing harness.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[Steve Holt]

I'm having a tough time with this. Thinking about how to do it and bumping your post so hopefully someone that knows will see it and help.

 

[NBS2005]

Looks like there's no way I can find on how to do this. I wonder if making the eldred channel be in the tone circuit simplifies things; tone pot rolled off but eldred cap now in the circuit?

 

[Steve Holt]

Looks like there's no way I can find on how to do this. I wonder if making the eldred channel be in the tone circuit simplifies things; tone pot rolled off but eldred cap now in the circuit?

Have you thought about a push pull to do the Eldred? If you used a 3 way switch it would look something like this. You'd be able to activate the eldred cap on any position, though you could choose not to.

By the way that's a reverse plate drawing. I can redo it normal if you'd like.

 

[NBS2005]

That's a great plan, thank you! I did not think of the push pull pot; I've never used those. The volume pot is the push/pull correct? Yes, I love it if you could draw that in regular config. It will be fun to try the Eldred cap on the other combinations.

Thanks again.

Jeff

 

[Steve Holt]

No problem! If you're not familiar with push/pulls I'll explain a bit, especially if you're wiring it yourself.

Your typical push/pull is going to look like the top picture, and that's what's in my drawing.

I usually buy these (link below) which are configured like the bottom picture (above) I labeled the lugs on my picture so if you wire it up like that you should be good.

CTS Push-pull Pots, DPDT - StewMac

A high quality double-pole, double-throw (DPDT) CTS push-pull pot for guitar wiring.

www.stewmac.com

With the eldred cap you'll want one side connected to the circuit and the other side grounded. I figured the easiest way to do it is wire one side to one side of the push/pull, and wire the other to the other side, then connect that side to ground. If that makes sense. In this case the push/pull is on the tone pot. If you'd rather have it on the volume, I can draw it that way, or if you just make the connections the same way, just imagine that block of 6 lugs is sitting underneath the volume pot it'll all work out. Let me know how it works!

 

[Steve Holt]

That's a great plan, thank you! I did not think of the push pull pot; I've never used those. The volume pot is the push/pull correct? Yes, I love it if you could draw that in regular config. It will be fun to try the Eldred cap on the other combinations.

Thanks again.

Jeff

I just got to thinking that if you want to keep your 4 way switch you could also wire it up with the common series modification a lot of people do. So you'd have

Neck
Neck/Bridge (Parallel)
Neck/Bridge (Series)
Bridge

And then the Eldred Cap for each position with the push pull.

 

[McGoldTopp]

that's too complicated... I just ended up buying another guitar...