Looking for a wiring diagram for a Tele with a P90

[Onebean]

My son and I are building a guitar for him, and we are at the wiring stage. We have a P90 in the neck position, and single coil in the bridge position. We are using the standard Telecaster 3 way switch. Can anyone share a wiring diagram for this set up that includes the pot values and the values of the capacitors and resistors? We want a standard 3 way switch configuration, neck/both/bridge.

The guitar is a Jazzmaster body with a Telecaster switch and potentiometer plate, and Telecaster neck (in Gibson scale length).

 

[Freeman Keller]

I put P90's in both neck and bridge and used standard single coil tele components (250K pots, 0.047uF cap). I think you will like the P90 in the neck.

 

[corliss1]

I'll case another vote for "standard stuff should work just fine"

 

[Onebean]

 

[Onebean]

We’ll go with your recommendation!

 

[Carcinogen]

A p90 is a single coil? You’ll have a hot and a ground and maybe a second ground depending on the manufacturer.

 

[kiwi blue]

Personally I don't like p90s with 250k pots. For me, they need 500k to sound at their best. But the Tele single coil needs 250k. This creates a problem in a 2-control guitar like a Tele where the same pots are used for both pickups.

So what I would do is follow the standard diagram except I'd use 500k pots instead of 250k and add a parallel resistor on the Tele pickup.

The parallel resistor trick is here (under the heading Faking out your single coil with resistors):

How To Use Resistors In A Guitar & Cool Tricks | Fralin Pickups

Resistors are basic components that add a lot of versatility to your guitar. Using Resistors in a guitar can add a whole new layer of tone.

www.fralinpickups.com

What it does is allow you to use 500k pots for the p90 (or a humbucker), but when the bridge pickup is selected it "sees" 250k.

 

[Tarkus60]

It should be the same....it's not a humbucker.

 

[trev333]

I tried it once back in '12.... didn't last the day....
p90 was too muddy with 250's....

for the last 10 yrs I've been building 2xP90 teles... 500K pots, .022 caps...

that opens those babies up ..

 

[Chicago Matt]

I put P90's in both neck and bridge and used standard single coil tele components (250K pots, 0.047uF cap). I think you will like the P90 in the neck.

I have a P90 in the neck and Cavalier Fat Lion in the bridge with 250k pots and .022uF cap and I love it. However, the P90 is wound low at 6.48K, and not hooked up to the tone control. Middy and bright like I like it.

 

[Onebean]

@kiwi blue so you recommend both the volume and tone be 500K pots? I like the idea of faking the bridge pickup out with the 500K resistor.

Personally I don't like p90s with 250k pots. For me, they need 500k to sound at their best. But the Tele single coil needs 250k. This creates a problem in a 2-control guitar like a Tele where the same pots are used for both pickups.

So what I would do is follow the standard diagram except I'd use 500k pots instead of 250k and add a parallel resistor on the Tele pickup.

The parallel resistor trick is here (under the heading Faking out your single coil with resistors):

How To Use Resistors In A Guitar & Cool Tricks | Fralin Pickups

Resistors are basic components that add a lot of versatility to your guitar. Using Resistors in a guitar can add a whole new layer of tone.

www.fralinpickups.com

What it does is allow you to use 500k pots for the p90 (or a humbucker), but when the bridge pickup is selected it "sees" 250k.

 

[Si G X]

I have a P90 in the neck and Cavalier Fat Lion in the bridge with 250k pots and .022uF cap and I love it. However, the P90 is wound low at 6.48K, and not hooked up to the tone control. Middy and bright like I like it.
View attachment 1001080

That's a good way to do it, I wouldn't use a tone control on a neck pickup either.

Nice guitar too.

 

[McGoldTopp]

I have a stash of 500k pots that are valued between 400-425k for just such an occasion.


They work great for P90’s and mini-humbuckers..


Just finished this last night.. .033uf cap

 

[Boreas]

IMO, 250k pots are a way to tame some of the brightness/harshness of a single coil pickup - especially a Tele bridge. To my ears everything else sounds better with a 500k V pot. I would start there. That P90 is pretty close to the neck, and may be pretty dark. Of course, much depends on the pickups chosen. Adjusting pickup heights should go a long way toward balancing them. But the 500k pot should enhance the frequency response of both pickups - you may just need to use the T pot!

 

[kiwi blue]

@kiwi blue so you recommend both the volume and tone be 500K pots? I like the idea of faking the bridge pickup out with the 500K resistor.

That's what I do, but the volume pot is most important if I'm remembering correctly so you could try 500k vol with 250k tone. I've not tried that so I can't say.

Every pickup has a resonant peak at a certain resonant frequency. That resonant frequency is louder than the other frequencies, resulting in a peak in a frequency graph, like so

___/\

The peak is in the upper-mids/treble area. Using 250k pots lowers that peak. It's still at the same frequency but not as loud. So subjectively it isn't as bright, biting, piercing. Fender style single coils have a higher peak at a higher frequency than p90s and humbuckers. They often need taming, but the p90 often needs a bit of help to open up the top end.

That's my understanding, but I'm still learning about such things and don't mind being corrected.

Bottom line is you will hear a difference between 250k and 500k. Two different colours. Which one you like best is up to you.

 

[jfgesquire]

500k volume pot, 250k but no-load tone pot... On 10 the tone pot is completely disengaged.

P90 was taken apart and the start wire was desoldered from the base plate and a dedicated ground wire soldered, like a Tele neck pickup for a 4 way switch. Magnets were also flipped to get RWRP.