Tele turned into fire breather - NZ$35

[markb]

I've just fitted a four way switch to my American Ash Telecaster. What a cool mod this is. For those who don't know, the extra position gives you series wiring when using both pickups. I was going to fit a humbucker at the neck but decided to go this way because I really like the front pickup as it is. The result is a tele with all the sounds it had before plus a faux-humbucker tone in position 4. Highly recommended with the caveat that it does depend on the pickups. The AA has Alnico 3s wound to about 7.1K and 7.3K on my meter and the series position would easily pass for a PAF type down at The Dog and Duck on a Saturday night :

[Spudman***]

Mark
Thanks so much for posting this. I've been wondering myself about that mod. It sounds exactly like what I'm after.
I already love the sounds I get from my Tele that has pickups right in the same range as yours but that extra sound would be the cats a**.:

[marnold***]

When I still had my Tele, I was going to go for that. I heard it once and it sounded like that Tele middle sound I like so much, only with a lot more of it.

[ShortBuSX]

Thats not considered an out of phase tone?
Ive come to appreciate out of phase and look forward to doing this mod on my Squier Standard Tele.
Any trouble fitting the new switch in?

[marnold***]

Thats not considered an out of phase tone?

Nope. The normal Tele middle is wired in phase and parallel. This new position is in phase and series. The resistance when wired parallel would be 3.6K with his pickups. Wired series it would be 14.4K--relatively hot humbucker territory. Basically it IS a humbucker--just with the coils way far apart.

[markb]

Basically it IS a humbucker--just with the coils way far apart.

Exactly! I'd post clips but I still haven't got my head around Garageband.

ShortBus - the switch is no different in size to the normal three way. I fits right in there, Fender even sell it as a replacement part, mine was from Allparts. You'll need a bit of hook up wire for the links.

MOST IMPORTANT - the neck pickup has to be modified so that the coil ground is separate from the cover ground. This is the only change to any part aside from the switch.

[Spudman***]

Exactly! I'd post clips but I still haven't got my head around Garageband.

It's supposed to be easy.

MOST IMPORTANT - the neck pickup has to be modified so that the coil ground is separate from the cover ground. This is the only change to any part aside from the switch.

So will it work with a regular 2 lead Strat type pickup? I want to do this to one of my guitars but it doesn't have 2 grounds.

[Spudman***]

The 4-way Telecaster switching

You need a fatter sound out of your Tele ? This is a cool trick for this. The
two outside switch positions on the Tele - which select bridge or neck
pickup individually - stay basically the same. But the middle position (both
pickups together) wires the pickups in SERIES rather than parallel
(standard wiring on a Tele). This produces a thicker, meatier sound, while
still retaining the recognizable characteristics of a Tele. This is not a humcancelling
combination, but it gives the increased power of a series link.
So in simple words, all you do is changing the #2 position of your 3-way
switch, so that the bridge and neck pickups are in series instead of
parallel.

For this alteration to work correctly, isolate the metal cover of
the neck pickup (if present) from its ground lead. Run a
separate ground wire for the cover to the back of the volume
control !!!!!!

The diagram shows two typical Tele-style switches and how to perform
this mod. You may have to "mirror-image" the Telestyle switch drawing if
you use a Switchcraft or similar 3-way switch, to put the "common" lugs
(#0, always in contact with the sweeper) in the proper locations.
If you want to be more flexible, you can use the Fender 4-way Tele switch
as shown in the circuit below. This will give you both sounds when choose
the two pickups together - wired in parallel (standard wiring) and the new
wired in series sound.
You can also use an additional switch for this option together with the
standard 3-way Tele switch. Have a look at the circuit below. The 3-way
switch will stay the same and position #3 (bridge pickup alone) +
activating the switch will give you both pickups wired in series. Naturally

you can also use a push/pull pot for this.

The images are found here.

[markb]

I used Rob di Stefano's diagram a little way down this thread at tdpri.com. This puts the mix positions together in the middle of the switch so you can still flip quickly to the neck pickup without frightening the horses. Here's the switch. Our local Allparts supplier has quite a heavy markup.
Here'a a picture of the neck pickup with the additional ground wire on the cover, you'll find a wire link connecting the cover to the coil ground as standard. Just clip it out.