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Thread: Tele 4-way switch

  1. #1
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Tele 4-way switch

    So I just bought myself the Tele 4-way switch kit from Stewart-McDonald. I'm putting it (or will be, next week, when I get some time) into my MIM standard Tele with Texas Specials.
    Has anyone done this, use it?
    Any tips or tricks?

    I plan to wire up the switch and pots outside the guitar, on a piece of scrap plywood, then attach the pickup wires when I install it.

    Per the instructions I have to remove the ground from the neck pickup cover and wire it separately to the pots.
    ********************************
    "Do you call sleeping with a guitar in your hands practicing?"
    "It is if you don't drop it."
    - Trent Lane, Daria, Episode 1-2.

  2. #2
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    Re: Tele 4-way switch

    I used one on my Tele knockoff, when I upgraded the pickups to Texas Specials. It is really fat in the 4th (series) position!
    FWIW I ended up with an.033 cap for the tone, and it gives the pickups a more usable sweep.

  3. #3
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: Tele 4-way switch

    As an update, I got the new wiring buttoned up last night. Only got to play a few minutes but I'm really enjoying it.
    THe guitar seems to have a lot more oomph with decent components too it, rather than the stock mini-pots it had before.
    The wiring was pretty straightforward, though a lot of little jumpers needed to go from one lug to another on the switch,
    As it turns out, with the TS Tele pickups, there was already a third wire on the neck pickup, and a quick email to Stew-Mac customer service confirmed
    I didn't need to do anymore tweaking on it.
    THe hardest part was having to take a Dremel to the pickup cavity to enlarge it for the new pots - way bigger than the originials.
    ********************************
    "Do you call sleeping with a guitar in your hands practicing?"
    "It is if you don't drop it."
    - Trent Lane, Daria, Episode 1-2.

  4. #4
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Tele 4-way switch

    It sounds like it went well. Enjoy it!

  5. #5
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Tele 4-way switch

    never hogged out a guitar body before, that probably would have stopped me. mostly because I don't have a tool like a dremel hanging around.

  6. #6
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Tele 4-way switch

    What model Tele is it that you had to route it out to install full size pots? I've only had 3 Tele style guitars, but they all fit full size pots.

  7. #7
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: Tele 4-way switch

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    What model Tele is it that you had to route it out to install full size pots? I've only had 3 Tele style guitars, but they all fit full size pots.
    it's a '98 MIM Tele.
    The pots would barely sneak in, but the plate wouldn't line up with the existing screw hole near the back.
    I ended up dremeling it out a bit to give a bit more clearance, fot the pots as well as the wires, and drilled a new hole for the plate screw.
    ********************************
    "Do you call sleeping with a guitar in your hands practicing?"
    "It is if you don't drop it."
    - Trent Lane, Daria, Episode 1-2.

  8. #8
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Tele 4-way switch

    I'm surprised it had smaller pots in it. My '99 MIM Jazz Bass had full size CTS pots in it.

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