Squier Japan 1986 tele wiring

Hello. Just got a Japanese Squire around mid 80's (E serial). Standard 3 way switch, tone / vol. Bridge and neck pick ups.

Getting a bit of hum and see all the wirings all wrong. Has the export type plastic switch which is not in great shape either. Can I replace the switch with an open USA style switch and wire it the same as a USA Tele?

By the way has a Wilkinson replacement bridge and I see they haven't bothered to ground it. Can u solder straight to these bridges? Are they Stainless or nickel plate?

 

I already fitted an American 3 way and seems to be fine. I live in Thailand (Australian) and just about any guitar I have ever owned here wiring incorrect / someone tampered with it. I guess they don't have the resources (in Thai) that are available in English. I haven't lifted the bridge yet but I notice there is no separate hole for the bridge ground wire to come through in the routed wood channel. Maybe it is grounded to the ground wire pick up connection?

Get a normal bit of hum from my valve amp but goes away when I touch the strings / bridge. Would that mean the bridge is grounded?

 

Yeah now you mention it. I didn't notice that. The blob of solder on the tone pot with no wire. I'll have a look tomorrow see if it is grounded. It wouldn't surprise me. The export 3 way switch was wired totally incorrectly. Thanks so much for that.

 

You think it might be splittable? The tone isn't very good actually, it's brighter than the bridge pick up lol. I'd say it is a replacement. God knows what it is

 

I'll have a look tomorrow. I just noticed too that Cap is probably wired incorrectly also. One end should be grounded to the tone pot. They must just keep joining wires until something comes out lol

 

Oh ok, on one of the diagrams I was looking at shows one lead of the cap soldered to the tone pot body. But it looks like the Japanese guitars are wired slightly different, as per my guitar.

Would it make any difference to tone, output or noise / hum not having that tone pot grounded?

 

Here's a pic of front and rear pick ups. None of them have any recongnisable markings, not to me anyway. You're right though, There is a red and white wire going into the pick up and ground outer shield is grounded. That means its a split humbucker doesn't it? I've never seen one with a chrome cover on the front. Now I think about it, I think only the red wire is connected. I forget now what they used for ground at the three way switch (ground or white?) The front pick up doesn't sound right. Noisey and not like a neck pick up normally sounds.

How would I wire a 3 wire pick up on a three way switch? Would I twist the white and red together and use shield for ground?




Do they look like standard Fender / Squier Japan pick ups?