wiring question

[Marn99]

So I got the premium 4 way Tele wiring Kit from Stewmac and I think it will work but I don't know if it's true to traditional wiring, especially the cover ground coming off of the top of the neck pickup. It says on the sheet that I would need to modify the neck pickup but I don't want to do this. Did I buy the wrong kit?

 

[boredguy6060]

You need to follow a very simple mod to use a 4 way switch.
In the end you need a separate ground for the neck pick up cover.
I can't get a link to post, but google Tele 4 way switch mod. It will walk you through it, it takes all of 3 minutes to do.
Good luck,

 

[Meteorman]

Did you buy the wrong kit?
Not if you wanted the standard 4-way tele wiring.
Here's Phostenix's diagram for a 4-way - looks the same except StewMac added a treble bleed cap on the Vol pot. Thats optional.
The neck cover ground wouldn't really come off the top of the cover.

 

[dsutton24]

So I got the premium 4 way Tele wiring Kit from Stewmac and I think it will work but I don't know if it's true to traditional wiring...

The 4 way switch is not a 'traditional' control scheme. There's nothing wrong with it, lots of people like the series position.

 

[boredguy6060]

I guess it needs to be asked, is your neck pick up a 2 wire or 3 wire?

 

[65 Champ Amp]

I used this once and it came out fine.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/s...-cool-alternate-wiring-schemes-for-telecaster

 

[moosie]

I guess it needs to be asked, is your neck pick up a 2 wire or 3 wire?

Right. If you have a three wire neck pickup, then you already have the cover ground separated from the pickup's common (which is not always grounded in a 4-way setup).

If you only have two wires, then look where the wires connect to the pickup. See a short bare wire (like 1/4") connecting the cover to the rest of it? Carefully clip that wire close to the existing lead, so you now have a third wire (except that it's just 1/4" long). Now either solder something to that, or clean up the short wire first, whatever's the easiest way to solder a third lead to spot where that short one connects to the cover.

Why is this necessary? Because in a parallel or single pickup configuration, the common leg is hardwired to ground. So, just connect the cover via that little wire, easy. But with series wiring the pickups aren't each hooked to ground and hot. They're first connected TO EACH OTHER, and then the common leg of one goes to ground, and the hot leg of the other goes to the volume pot. The 'other' in this scenario is the neck pickup. The common lead alternately connects to ground, or to the other pickup, depending on switch position.

 

[Marn99]

Thanks for clearing this up everyone, this is my first time wiring!

 

[Marn99]

Right. If you have a three wire neck pickup, then you already have the cover ground separated from the pickup's common (which is not always grounded in a 4-way setup).

If you only have two wires, then look where the wires connect to the pickup. See a short bare wire (like 1/4") connecting the cover to the rest of it? Carefully clip that wire close to the existing lead, so you now have a third wire (except that it's just 1/4" long). Now either solder something to that, or clean up the short wire first, whatever's the easiest way to solder a third lead to spot where that short one connects to the cover.

Why is this necessary? Because in a parallel or single pickup configuration, the common leg is hardwired to ground. So, just connect the cover via that little wire, easy. But with series wiring the pickups aren't each hooked to ground and hot. They're first connected TO EACH OTHER, and then the common leg of one goes to ground, and the hot leg of the other goes to the volume pot. The 'other' in this scenario is the neck pickup. The common lead alternately connects to ground, or to the other pickup, depending on switch position.

Do you have an image? this is my first time wiring and visuals help

 

[dsutton24]

This is the jumper:

Clip the jumper and attach a new (third) wire to the cover. I usually solder my new wire to one of the tabs that secure the cover to the flatwork. The new wire is the heavy black one in your drawing that gets soldered to the back of the volume pot.

 

[Marn99]

This is the jumper:

Clip the jumper and attach a new (third) wire to the cover. I usually solder my new wire to one of the tabs that secure the cover to the flatwork. The new wire is the heavy black one in your drawing that gets soldered to the back of the volume pot.

thanks

 

[dsutton24]

thanks

I just looked around a bit and didn't really find a step-by-step procedure for modifying a Telecaster pickup for 4 way controls. I whipped this up, take a look at it and let me know what you think:

http://www.tdpri.com/threads/how-to-modify-a-telecaster-pickup-for-4-way-controls.693510/