Tele 3-pickup, 3-way switch, 3-pot wiring question

[jim_pridx]

Hey all of you wiring tech gurus! I have a question regarding a Nashville/Brent Mason wiring scheme that I'd like to convert to a 50s-style wiring if possible. As you'll see in the images below, I've decided to go with a Brent Mason diagram that was originally posted in Premier Guitar on 10/29/21. Although, I'll be using standard Tele pickups for the bridge and neck positions and a standard Strat pickup for the middle. The first diagram is the original Premier Guitar image while the second one is edited to what I thought might work for a 50s wiring setup??? If not, would you happen to have any suggestions? While I'm handy with a soldering iron, I'm certainly no expert on wiring schemes, so I thought I'd ask to see if someone can help me out. While I'm not opposed to wiring it just as it is, I've been using 50s wiring for many years now, and I just like what it does to the tone control when dialing it back a bit. At any rate, here are the images, and thanks in advance!

 

[Steve Holt]

Looks good to me as I understand 50s wiring.

 

[misterdontmove]

Yes. The tone control on the output of the Volume control rather than the input. I wire mine that way too. I just built a Nashville Tele with the middle pickup wired to the volume control through an on/off switch. I lose middle pickup alone, but I don't use that position. Does your wiring scheme allow for middle pickup alone with the master volume down?

 

[jim_pridx]

Yes. The tone control on the output of the Volume control rather than the input. I wire mine that way too. I just built a Nashville Tele with the middle pickup wired to the volume control through an on/off switch. I lose middle pickup alone, but I don't use that position. Does your wiring scheme allow for middle pickup alone with the master volume down?

Hi, and thanks for your reply! I'm not planning on using the middle pickup alone, for my primary intentions are to blend it in for the bridge/middle and neck/middle positions (or 1 & 3). From what I can understand, this wiring diagram doesn't allow for the middle position only, so I think I'll be okay there. In an ideal world, I'd like to use four controls so that I can have a volume on each pickup, but a concentric pot setup could potentially be pretty confusing on a standard Tele control plate. This particular guitar has become an "experiment" of sorts, so I thought I'd try this setup to see if it'll work for now.

 

[misterdontmove]

Hi, and thanks for your reply! I'm not planning on using the middle pickup alone, for my primary intentions are to blend it in for the bridge/middle and neck/middle positions (or 1 & 3). From what I can understand, this wiring diagram doesn't allow for the middle position only, so I think I'll be okay there. In an ideal world, I'd like to use four controls so that I can have a volume on each pickup, but a concentric pot setup could potentially be pretty confusing on a standard Tele control plate. This particular guitar has become an "experiment" of sorts, so I thought I'd try this setup to see if it'll work for now.

I don't know for sure. I'm far from being an expert, but it looks to me like if you switch on your middle pickup, and then turn the "master volume" (neck and bridge) all the way down, you'll get just the middle pickup. It's individual volume control is wired directly to the output jack, just like the "master volume". And, since the tone control is wired directly to the "master volume" output lug and to the output jack, the tone control should also function. Let me know how it turns out. I'm curious.

 

[misterdontmove]

One last thing. If your Tele set is noise cancelling (one pickup RWRP), then you will have a noise cancelling issue with one of the pickup combinations (either middle neck or middle bridge). You'll have to compromise and decide which one is most important to you and wire the direction of that pickup to cancel noise with the pickup you choose. I used three pickups, all with the same winding and polarity to avoid the compromise. Like the old Stratocasters with no noise cancelling. It's not nearly as noisy as people make it out to be. As a matter of fact it's one of the quietest guitars I own. Here's a good resource on it.

The Nashville Tele Problem - Fralin Pickups

Nashville Telecasters combine the tone of a Strat and Tele. But converting to a Nashville Tele isn't that easy. Let's explain why.

www.fralinpickups.com

 

[jim_pridx]

One last thing. If your Tele set is noise cancelling (one pickup RWRP), then you will have a noise cancelling issue with one of the pickup combinations (either middle neck or middle bridge). You'll have to compromise and decide which one is most important to you and wire the direction of that pickup to cancel noise with the pickup you choose. I used three pickups, all with the same winding and polarity to avoid the compromise. Like the old Stratocasters with no noise cancelling. It's not nearly as noisy as people make it out to be. As a matter of fact it's one of the quietest guitars I own. Here's a good resource on it.

The Nashville Tele Problem - Fralin Pickups

Nashville Telecasters combine the tone of a Strat and Tele. But converting to a Nashville Tele isn't that easy. Let's explain why.

www.fralinpickups.com

Thanks again for your replies! It's greatly appreciated! l'll be using an Ilitch noise cancelling system, so I plan on running all of the pickups with the same polarity and winding direction. With my limited experience at wiring this sort of configuration, I guess all I can do is hope for the best.....LOL. For all I know, if I have full control of the middle pickup on its own, that might just turn out to be an added bonus. The Ilitch system is pretty straight forward, but I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out. At the moment, though, I'm waiting for the Tru Oil finish to cure on the body, so once I get around to putting it all together, I'll obviously discover if it's working the way I had hoped. I guess we'll see..... Thanks again!

 

[Deaf Eddie]

If you wired your master volume pot "Jazz Bass" style, reversing the in and out lugs as you show on the mid pup's volume, you COULD get the mid pup alone by turning the master volume down.

 

[jim_pridx]

If you wired your master volume pot "Jazz Bass" style, reversing the in and out lugs as you show on the mid pup's volume, you COULD get the mid pup alone by turning the master volume down.

That's an idea! I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks!