2 Pickup Telecaster Five Way Blade Switch Options

[syddd]

This is a long shot, but here goes...

I really enjoy the snappiness of the standard Fender 5 way blade switch and want to use in a telecaster.

What are my options for unique selections without the superswitch, besides the Bill Lawrence mod?

I am looking for a wiring set-up where the Bridge and Neck pickup selections are at either end of the throw

[newey]

The "Bill Lawrence mod", for those who may not know, puts the "neck alone" selection at position 3 on the 5-way, with the bridge at position 1, and N + B at position 2. Positions 4 and 5 then add a capacitor for a "strangled N + full Br" setting at position 4, and the neck alone through a cap at position 5.

Although BL put the cap on the neck pickup, I've always thought of this as sort of like combining regular Tele wiring with the Esquire wiring (where the cap is for the (single) bridge pickup).

Not much else you can do with a 5-way and only 2 coils. You can't do OOP with the standard 5-way, and even your options using a cap are limited if you specify that the N and B alone setting have to be at positions 1 and 5. Series between the 2 coils could be done but not with the individual pickups at the endpoints, and there would be redundant settings.

[newey]

The "Craig Anderton mod" has series, plus a cap setting, but not with the bridge alone at one end- the series connection has to go to one end of the switch.

guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/6726/tone-telecaster-using-strats-switch

[syddd]

That's a very interesting one newey!

That gave me a lightbulb moment of putting a tone control on position 4 which I was having difficulty with!

1 N
2 N + B
3 (N+R1) + B
4 ([N+R1] + B) + Tone Control
5 B

[newey]

Why the resistor? If you use a cap across the neck to ground, it will reduce the highs. A resistor will just cut output across all frequencies. If that's what you want, fine- that is typically done to "tame" one pickup so its output level matches better with the other one, for example, if one is a high-gain overwound type. If you want the tone to change, the cap will do that.

[frets]

Hi guys😺😺😺,

I’ve got two diagrams for a Tele 5-Way that might help (or might not)



I like the 2nd one personally and use around a 10nF cap.  You can lower that.  That’s assuming you’re using a 22nF Tone Cap.

[newey]

Well, OK, I was wrong on the OOP, see frets' diagram #1 above. Note also that the position numbering is swapped between the two diagrams.

Frets' 2nd one is the Anderton mod, as I linked to above.

[syddd]

Mar 22, 2021 8:12:45 GMT -5 newey said:

Why the resistor? If you use a cap across the neck to ground, it will reduce the highs. A resistor will just cut output across all frequencies. If that's what you want, fine- that is typically done to "tame" one pickup so its output level matches better with the other one, for example, if one is a high-gain overwound type. If you want the tone to change, the cap will do that.

Yes that's it, I have a gold foil in the neck which can overpower the bridge. Currently I have a Tele with the middle position wired so that I have the bridge in parallel to a 25k pot wired in series with the neck to dial this in, but I just want that flexibility to switch in a blended tone.

[newey]

Well, your diagram looks good to my tired eyes.

[frets]

Sydd!!

It looks good to me too. I didn’t realize this idea was yours until just now. I’ve built several Tele’s with these 5-Ways and in my opinion, they really are worth the extra position. 😺😺😺

[syddd]

Thanks Frets, I just had to try to make it work. I've added a tidier diagram, which I might add to the module subforum

The second diagram you posted is really interesting! I have seen the first one (aka Bill Lawrence wiring) I have tried it before but it isn't for me as the neck pickup with the bass cut isn't a good position by itself for my ears. Although the half out of phase is a very useful option