Alternative 4 way Telecaster Wiring

[@agateenchantmentrockwizard5969]

Your by far the most comprehensive and detail oriented wiring guitar tech on KZbin. Your use of hands on video with the diagram on screen at the same time is great. Your extra tips help make us way more efficient on our soldering jobs. Thanks so much!

[@SixStringSupplies]

Thanks 👍

[@jpalberthoward9]

That setup makes a lot more sense than the standard scheme because it's more intuitive. People who have been playing Telecasters all their lives won't be confused by it. I'm probably going to do this. Have you ever tried the Roy Buchanan "built in wah" tone control? It easy. All you do is replace the standard value pot and cap with a 1 Meg pot and a .1 cap. The wah effect is dramatic on the series position. Danny Gatton was also fond of this configuration. You can take it one step further if you use a push pull pot. You can put a 500pf. cap in series with the bridge pickup. The cap will act as a high pass filter, and on the parallel position of your switch, you'll get the position 2 and 4 sound like you get on a Strat because the cap will cause a phase shift of 60° I personally liked the 500pf cap for the filter, but you can experiment. Smaller values will squeeze out more lows and mids, but if you go too small, it's sounds screechy and harsh. Start with 500 and go up or down from there. Season to taste. What you'll end up with is a dead stock looking Tele with 8 different options and no confusing junk in your way. If there's anything I hate, it's a guitar that looks like the dashboard on the space shuttle.

[@M5guitar1]

Very informative. Just watching your soldering technique is helpful. I'm about to try this mod soon. Thanks, from So. California.

[@SixStringSupplies]

Have fun!

[@redmonklive]

Thanks so much! This mod is way better than the other and your instructions took the anxiety out of it.

[@alastairmacdonald6794]

I was going to buy a kit but seeing your work, I'm going to get your pre made ... very nice work

[@SixStringSupplies]

thanks for your order sir!

[@bachiro71]

Thank You very much. I loved they way You explaind all the instruccions. Very grafic and easy.

[@brendanf8969]

Just did this with the help of your video. Thank you!

[@julienmerelli2191]

Thank you for this vidéo! Could you tell me how does the PIO capcitor affect the sound? Thanks a lot

[@SixStringSupplies]

It doesn't - use an orange drop for 5 bucks

[@keovongvilaykeo4799]

Watching you I’m confident to wire my guitar mod 😊 thank you

[@ErebosGR]

Thank you! I agree, this feels like the more logical configuration for a 4-way setup.

[@SixStringSupplies]

You're welcome!

[@MikeArwineGuitar]

Great video!! I feel like an idiot, never thought about using tape!! Also, the “staple” idea is genius!!! Hope you are well!

[@flatroc1]

Really like you wiring method. Thanks

[@FretFriendGWaL]

Ooh nice one Ed. I'll watch this tomorrow. I've just moved house and I've moved Fret Friend to a new business premises so am super busy. Interested to see what options we have with your method 👍

[@SixStringSupplies]

I know the feeling - at least we get a couple extra days off this week. Hope the move all went well.

[@FretFriendGWaL]

@@SixStringSupplies So, I'm doing this but adding a mini-humbucker in the neck (coil-split). I'm also doing the alternate with neck in position 4...

[@noelsalvador8232]

Very informative video. I did my tele based on your first 4 way switch video . how about wiring PRS 85/15 S to an HH guitar.

[@pass_the_flask]

Got a new switch and wired this today (albeit in a reverse control plate tele) The wiring should be exactly the same to the switch with the control plate flipped and volume moved assuming the switch is the same orientation. Wired it exactly the same as this video but for some reason there's no differences between position 1-2 - both seem to be neck/bridge in parallel, the bridge position doesn't seem to work by itself. All the other positions are fine, reading roughly 11k in the series position. Bridge position shows 2.9k just like the middle and you can tap both pickups with a screwdriver. Wondering if it's an internal wiring fault with the switch itself at this point

[@lofcwomen-com]

I've been searching for a schematic of the 4-way switch so I see how it works. I haven't found one but, kudos to you, this is far and away the best 'how to' video on the interwebby. Any ideas how to wire up a mini humbucker to the neck of a Nashville Tele?

[@obitotu]

Thanks again for another inspiring and informative clip! I have a reverse 4 way switch panel, what would I do differently if anything to execute this alternative mod. thanks again

[@lorencing]

Nice demo, thanks. I am having an issue with my 4way Tele mod as I can not get 4 different sounds with the neck cover grounded separately. Tried two kinds of wiring and if I connect the cover ground to the volume pot ground I get 2 sounds on 4 positions, if I remove the cover ground I get the 4 sounds on 4 positions but then there is a ground buzz if I touch the neck cover. Do you think that may be a RWRP issue or something else? I think the bridge and neck have different polarities - I have a Bare Knuckle Piledriver bridge and a Tonerider Tele Hot Classic neck.

[@luisrivera-ez5yo]

How do I wire oak grigsby 4way 2 pole switch on telecaster w/added center p/up???? Thanks

[@Madserver]

Very educational this video, it will really help me with my Warmoth parts project. I have a question, with common Telecaster pickups (I have some Lollar A3), should I send a ground wire from the Telecaster bridge to the potentiometer as well? Or is it not necessary?

[@oldasrocks9121]

Still trying to do this with the bridge pickup shield plate broken out and using the bridge coil leads for parallel/series switch positions rather than the neck pick-up leads. Driving myself nuts... BCuz: I have a humbucker in the neck on a split coil push-pull. If I wire it as ALL diagrams show the humbucker goes silent in series if I split the coil.

[@davidtymon8258]

I'm planning on wiring my tele with this configuration, with an additional DPDT push switch to knock the pick-ups out of phase. I guess the DPDT switch will go in-line on one pickup (if that makes sense?), but the question is... will it work or does your basic wiring into the selector need modifying? PS. I love watching your soldering. I wish mine was as good :)

[@noneofbusiness9680]

What is the reason for grounding the switch and why the bridge pickup to switch rather than pot. Does it make a difference?

[@dwise3651]

Nice video. Would this be the same for a reverse 4 way?

[@Old-just-old]

A note to help with soldering. It’s much easier if you spend the extra to buy a solder station. Yes they cost more than a cheap solder gun but believe me it works 100 times better and faster smoother welds.

[@Heavenreck]

can I use this wiring with two Humbuckers and a single volume control?

[@ourlifeinwyoming4654]

In my Tele pickup set, the bridge pickup already has the yellow wire, and the neck is the standard white/black. Can I still do this mod with my configuration?

[@tanguydelooz2881]

Would you recommend to have a resistor added in series to the Volume pot in the 4th position to get more highs (to emulate a 500k Volume pot) ? Would it sound better or is it rather unnecessary ? Would it be more useful for cleans or saturated sounds ?

[@SixStringSupplies]

Nah mate I honestly believe resistors are overrated (despite some of our videos)

[@HallamStudios]

If you have a P90 in the neck position does it have to be modified as you show in your vid, or will it be okay as is?

[@-thirteen]

I added the wire from front pickup to tone pot for my 4 way setup. It sounds thinner in all positions now. Is this typical? The neck no longer has the same heft. I find myself having to set the tone pot almost halfway on all settings.

[@jasongaretthatcher]

I’d love to see a 5 way version of this. -neck -parallel -series -out of phase -bridge Is this even possible?

[@CastlesMadeOf...]

I am a better solderer (better, still not great :/) because of you and your vids 👍

[@SixStringSupplies]

Keep it up - practice. Thanks for the support.

[@jefftraasdahl1375]

Can you provide a diagram to include a S1 switch for the alternative 4 way switch wiring?

[@thecappy]

Can you do a video on this with 4 wire+ground humbucker types.

[@tonyball1998]

Fantastic video,Do you have any videos showing howthe. Mod sounds. in action Thanks

[@jeremianylund4061]

You make really informativ videos! I watched your other telecaster videos and I hope you you don't get anoyed if i give you an other idea of a 5 way switch configuration.🙂 Do you think its possible to make this configuration but with a 5th possition that would be the neck only and fixed cap? If my English gives you a smile then thats on me, greetings from Finland...😁 Thanks for some good lessons!

[@jeremianylund4061]

Or another cool mod idea i have that would be similar to the 6 way tele you made earlier would be if you have the normal tele positions in the "down" positions on the 6 way switch and but "above" the neck/1st position it would be neck with the extra capasitor or bright neck if you wanna call it that. "Above" the original bridge and neck/2 position it would be bridge and neck in series and in fase, and finally "above" the bridge/3 position it would be bridge and neck in series and out of fase like a poor mans bridge humbucker. Hope you like my ideas and I'll be more than happy to see a video about it in the future! Thanks again.

[@jeremianylund4061]

I wrote wrong about the upper middle and the upper bridge positions I think it would feel better to have the out of fase in series in the upper middle position and the in fase in series in the upper bridge possition. Man im sorry I couldn't keep this messages on the short side. Hope you have time to read them and think about it.

[@SixStringSupplies]

no worries! We will look into it - have a happy new year

[@jeremianylund4061]

@@SixStringSupplies sounds good! Have a happy new year you to.

[@AppleSlizerd]

Nice video. My bridge pickup has 3 cables. Is there anything different I should do in that case?

[@johanneschristopherstahle3395]

3rd cable is probably shield and goes to ground together with negative. Just connect the hot wire like shown in the video and it should work.

[@caseyshort8759]

Is there anyway to do this with EMG-T active pickups?

[@dannyfalco6278]

What changes are needed if both neck and bridge pickups have 3 wires (gen4 noiseless telecaster pickups)?

[@johanneschristopherstahle3395]

The installation schematics from Fender leave a lot of room for speculation, but it looks like the center cable from the neck pickup (should be black) should go to ground and the green one will be connected to the 4-way-switch. You can just try it out and reverse it, if it does not work. Using a multimeter, you can check it while still have it sitting on the bench.

[@dumpsterdom89]

Is that some sort of stamp you're using to press the solder?

[@SixStringSupplies]

No - it’s a hand tool to stop wires McIntyre whilst soldering

[@gitrbldr941]

Do you have a favorite Temperature for your Iron?

[@SixStringSupplies]

350

[@oldasrocks9121]

Nope, neck is still hot in position 1. Bcuz I didn't successfully separate the inner winding lead from the shield ground, and that's what happens when you do that!

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

😁👍

[@Channel-dc1lw]

I'm an FC. You've been following you. Can I have 3 pot volume strats and selector 5way as a gift for me? I'll keep it very well. If I do, I'll send you my address as a delivery. I'm short of money, so I want a good piece from you. I'm Thai.

[@NoNameNo.5]

this....looks amazing, and mine....looks like shit. starting over