Post by syddd on Jan 23, 2022 3:13:23 GMT -5
These different wiring schemes give the user an option to utilise the standard 5-way blade switch as for the Telecaster whilst giving additional tonal variety. They also have an intuitive layout where you have your neck and bridge pickup selection still in positions 1 and 5 of your selector switch.
I've drawn these up because in my opinion, any megaswitch variant I have tried lacks the robust mechanical feel of the tried and tested standard 5-way which you will find in your stratocaster.
The Nashville Tele Modified Wiring
The Nashville Telecaster wiring gives the player the option to easily select the option of all three pickups without having an additional knob for blending in the middle pickup. However, if you want to only have a middle pickup blended in on certain positions, this wiring can be easily adapted so that position 4 will be Neck + Bridge with a middle blend.
The tone capacitor value will vary according to your preference but I suggest between 2nF-47nF. 2nF will be very subtle, 5nF will sound almost like a cocked wah, 10nF is quite a balanced sound and for my ears starts to sound a little jazzy without getting very dark. 22nF and upwards will be very warm and dark.
Neck
N+B (With fixed tone capacitor)
N+B (standard Tele Middle position)
N+M+B
B
2 Pickup Modified Wiring
The second wiring diagram is for a two pickup telecaster and gives the player the option of two additional parallel sounds, position three for cutting the volume of the neck pickup, and position four the same as position three except with a fixed tone capacitor for for taking off a bit of the high end with the reduced volume of the neck pickup.
N
N+B (standard Tele Middle position)
Ncut + B (reduced volume neck pickup + bridge)
(Ncut + B)[tone cap] - (reduced neck pickup + bridge with a fixed tone capacitor to reduce highs)
B
This is probably more useful for a Telecaster that has a higher output pickup in the neck - as positions four and five are there to balance out the two pickups.
The capacitors can be adjusted according to taste - however using the diagram listed I would start with a resistor value R1 = 25kOhms and C1 = 5nf, with C2 = 2nf. The higher value of C2, the more treble roll-off you get.
The circuit will work without R1 or C1, however if you only have resistor R1 in the circuit, the volume of the neck pickup will be reduced however the pickup will sound duller. If you only have C1, the low end will be cut from the neck pickup, however you might find a lack of perceivable volume drop.
Experimentation is the key for resistor and capacitor combinations in order to find something that works for you.
A note that for this layout, you may experience small popping between positions 3 and 4 as capacitor C1 looks to discharge to ground through capacitor C2.
I've drawn these up because in my opinion, any megaswitch variant I have tried lacks the robust mechanical feel of the tried and tested standard 5-way which you will find in your stratocaster.
The Nashville Tele Modified Wiring
The Nashville Telecaster wiring gives the player the option to easily select the option of all three pickups without having an additional knob for blending in the middle pickup. However, if you want to only have a middle pickup blended in on certain positions, this wiring can be easily adapted so that position 4 will be Neck + Bridge with a middle blend.
The tone capacitor value will vary according to your preference but I suggest between 2nF-47nF. 2nF will be very subtle, 5nF will sound almost like a cocked wah, 10nF is quite a balanced sound and for my ears starts to sound a little jazzy without getting very dark. 22nF and upwards will be very warm and dark.
Neck
N+B (With fixed tone capacitor)
N+B (standard Tele Middle position)
N+M+B
B
2 Pickup Modified Wiring
The second wiring diagram is for a two pickup telecaster and gives the player the option of two additional parallel sounds, position three for cutting the volume of the neck pickup, and position four the same as position three except with a fixed tone capacitor for for taking off a bit of the high end with the reduced volume of the neck pickup.
N
N+B (standard Tele Middle position)
Ncut + B (reduced volume neck pickup + bridge)
(Ncut + B)[tone cap] - (reduced neck pickup + bridge with a fixed tone capacitor to reduce highs)
B
This is probably more useful for a Telecaster that has a higher output pickup in the neck - as positions four and five are there to balance out the two pickups.
The capacitors can be adjusted according to taste - however using the diagram listed I would start with a resistor value R1 = 25kOhms and C1 = 5nf, with C2 = 2nf. The higher value of C2, the more treble roll-off you get.
The circuit will work without R1 or C1, however if you only have resistor R1 in the circuit, the volume of the neck pickup will be reduced however the pickup will sound duller. If you only have C1, the low end will be cut from the neck pickup, however you might find a lack of perceivable volume drop.
Experimentation is the key for resistor and capacitor combinations in order to find something that works for you.
A note that for this layout, you may experience small popping between positions 3 and 4 as capacitor C1 looks to discharge to ground through capacitor C2.
I'm sure someone will make use of them in the not-too-distant future, as we've already had requests for such things. (Thought admittedly not very recently.)