Nashville Telecaster Wiring Mod

[seymour625]

I apologize if what I am looking for exists somewhere on this site or somewhere else. I am looking to mod my Nashville Tele. The plan is to remove the 5 way switch and replace with a 4 way switch rigged up to the Bridge and Middle. Instead of going to the Volume from the switch, I want to run to a 3 way toggle (on/on/on). The Neck would be wired directly to the 3 way toggle. What I'm hoping, is that position 1 of the 3 way toggle would run whatever the 4 way switch is sending, position 2 would add the Neck to the toggle's position 1, and position 3 would be Neck by itself. The 3 way toggle would then run to the Volume. Is this a viable plan? I've seen schematics for the 4 way switch. In those, it calls for altering/adding a grounding wire for the neck pickup. Since I would not be including the Neck in this setup into the 4 way, would I then need to do that grounding procedure for the Middle pickup? I've also seen what looks to be an additional ground from the Bridge. Would I need to be adding an additional ground from the Bridge? I've sort of put together a wiring diagram. Please excuse the crudeness of using a spreadsheet for it.

[seymour625]

I tried to tidy up my drawing a bit.

[newey]

Your plan is viable, certainly. The reason for the separate ground wire is that, at least in the "classic" Tele neck pickups, the cover was connected to the signal return. Adding the series connection with the 4-way screws this up, so a separate ground wire is typically run. Given that your neck pickup is not being wired in series with anything else, no need for concern on this point.

Your wiring of the 4-way switch is problematic. I don't know if you can read a schematic or not, but this is the way the 4-way should be wired. You'll just write the word "middle" where it says "neck" and proceed accordingly. I'll supplement this with a wiring diagram in a bit.

[newey]

And here's a diagram, of just the 4-way wiring, the rest will be as per your diagram.



Apologies for my crappy drawing of the 4-way switch. Lug placement on these, the spacing between the lugs, can vary a bit on these so it's best to check for the common lugs with a meter. Once you know the commons, the rest falls into place.

[seymour625]

Newey...thanks for the replies! Correct...that official looking schematic is way beyond what I can read, and no apologies necessary for the drawing! Mine is at least as bad as yours! That was my first effort at such a creation...I'm glad it was understood by someone who knows this stuff much better than I do. Here is a link to a wiring diagram that I based my Bridge & Middle scheme on. It's about 1/2 way down the page under the heading "Alternate 4 Way Switch Wiring".


sixstringsupplies.co.uk/pages/telecaster-4-way-switch-wiring

[newey]

seymour625-

I should have been clearer when I said your version is "problematic". Your version correctly implements the exaample diagram you posted, and it will do what you want it to do. When I said "problematic", it is only because, in your veriosn, the middle pickup is left "hanging from hot" when the selector is set to Position #1 (bridge only). This is not really a deal-breaker, but hanging coils are to be avoided where possible. The schematic (and my diagram based on it) avoid the hanging coil by shorting the unused middle pickup at that position. A hanging coil may not make any difference, but in theory could be noisier than it otherwise would be, so best to avoid it where possible.

The hanging coil can be eliminated on your diagram fairly simply. Just run a jumper wire between lug L1 and Lug R2 on your scheme. This will then short the middle pickup to itself.

Other than that, the two versions are equivalent.

[seymour625]

Newey...

Thanks for the follow-up. I think I may have it now...probably stick with my diagram as I have studied it quite a bit...don't want to confuse myself! I'll be sure to jump the L1 to L2 to eliminate the hanging hot of the middle pickup. The only question I have left (I think!), would be regarding the additional(?) ground from the bridge the diagrams I have seen online seem to indicate. When I open the control cavity, I don't see such a wire coming from that section...just the Hot to the selector, and a ground to the volume, and then a ground from the Volume going to the output. If I do need to attach an additional ground, would/could I run it to the Tone? Also, would I attach it to the pickup or the underside of the bridge plate? This pic I think shows what I am talking about in regards to the additional bridge ground.

[newey]

L1 to R2, don't know whether that was just a typo, but to be clear.

The ground wire there, labeled "bridge ground", is exactly that, a wire connecting the bridge plate (assuming this has the regular Tele bridge plate) to the ground point in the control cavity, which is in turn wired to the output jack ground lug. This wire is important for noise reduction, it has nothing to do with the signal from your pickups, it's just grounding the bridge, and thereby grounding the strings. There should be a tiny hole drilled between the bridgeplate area and the control cavity. You thread a wire through, solder one end to the underside of the plate and the other end to the grounding point in the control cavity- which is typically to the back of one of the pots.

Now, with Teles, though, there is a caveat- I think, I could be wrong on this. All the Tele bodies I've ever seen or worked on had that hole for the ground wire, but these were modern, Asian-made copies. But, IIRC, the vintage Teles may not have had that hole for a separate wire. They relied on the fact that the baseplate of the bridge pickup was a) metal, and b) connected to the negative signal wire of the pickup. So, metal strings over metal saddles riding on a metal bridge and baseplate are thus all connected to the pickup's negative wire, and then to the output ground. Again, I could be wrong on that. But you should plan on running that wire.

[seymour625]

Oops. Not a typo...just my brain making a mistake. Yes, you did say L1 to R2. Thank you for pointing that out. I don't recall seeing an extra hole for a bridge plate ground wire, just the one for the wires from the pickup. I assume I would just run the bridge plate ground wire through that "tunnel". Mine is Mexican-made from 2000. With amps not cranked (which is most of the time), the noise isn't too noticeable. But, when turned up (or if anyone within a 1000 yard radius has the wrong kind of lights on!), there is a good bit of hum. I can normally get most of it to subside by resting my pinky on the side of the plate that sticks up about 1/8" from the base of the plate. I truly appreciate the guidance!

[seymour625]

One further question if I may. I'm looking at a 3 way on/on/on toggle. Do you know what all might need to be done in regards to possible jump wires within the Toggle? I'm looking for Toggle Position 1 to accommodate signal from the 4 Way Switch, Position 2 to accommodate the 4 Way + Neck, and Position 3 to accommodate the Neck.

www.amazon.com/SALECOM-Position-Guitar-Toggle-Switches/dp/B01JDUB4A2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=PZZRWO85AY3P&keywords=on%2Fon%2Fon%2Btoggle&qid=1679244253&sprefix=on%2Fon%2Fon%2Btoggle%2Caps%2C287&sr=8-3&th=1

Thanks!

[newey]

That toggle switch looks pretty expensive, if you shop around a bit I'm sure you cab get it cheaper.

As for the switching, it will be wired as follows:



The short green lines on the switch show the internal switch connections in the center position (so that you can make sure yours is wired the correct way 'round). The green lines are not wires.

[seymour625]

Thank You! So I'll only need to add one jumper on the toggle. I'll shop around for better pricing. It will probably all come out in the wash when factoring in shipping. At least with that amazon link, shipping is already included in the price...and that comes with 3 toggles...which means I might have to eventually get another Nashville Telecaster. After all...we wouldn't want to let a toggle sit around the house and do nothing!

THANKS!!!