Telecaster Wiring Issues (lots of detail)

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bobandshawn

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Hey everyone,
I've recently built my own 52 hot rod Tele with a Seymour Duncan mini-humbucker in the neck position and Fender single coil in the bridge using the following wiring diagram :

http://www.boblutz.com/pickup_schematics.pdf

This is my problem...The humbucker booms in the first position (great), the single coil rings in the third position (great), but when both are on (the middle position), it sounds real tinny and lame...almost underpowered in some way. Has anyone seen or heard of anything like this before? Here are the specs:

Seymour Duncan Mini Humbucker in Neck (16.4K)
Fender High Output Single coil in Bridge (8.5K)
2 - 250K Pots
1 - .1 mF Cap

Thanks in advance for any help or opinions!

Bob
 
It could be out of phase. Try reversing the wires on the neck pickup.
 
Thanks JCH - but it has four wires...which should I swap?

Bob
 
Sorry - my bad - there are FIVE wires (Red, White, green, black, bare). I used the wiring diagram from the Seymour duncan website (in my original post).

~Bob
 
Thank you JCH - swapping the green and black wires did the trick!!! I was hesitant to try because of the wiring diagram I got from Duncan Seymour - but you were right!

~Bob
 
If you want some real fun, replace the current volume control with a push pull volume control. Then wire the humbucker so that when you pull up on the volume knob, it turns off the coil closest to the bridge pickup. Then you have the best of all worlds. Humbucker and, by shutting off one of the coils, a traditional tele neck single coil that remains active.

I use this configuration and it adds some nice tonal options.
 
bobandshawn said:
Thank you JCH - swapping the green and black wires did the trick!!! I was hesitant to try because of the wiring diagram I got from Duncan Seymour - but you were right!

~Bob
Click to expand...

Fender winds their pickups backwards from the rest of the world, so you ALWAYS have to wire one pickup backwards when you use a Fender pickup (I always do it with the Fender pickup). Just one of those things. If you'd asked, I would have mentioned it before you started. I'm pretty sure it is on at least some of Seymour Duncan's wiring diagrams too, though obviously not all of them.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
Fender winds their pickups backwards from the rest of the world, so you ALWAYS have to wire one pickup backwards when you use a Fender pickup (I always do it with the Fender pickup). Just one of those things. If you'd asked, I would have mentioned it before you started. I'm pretty sure it is on at least some of Seymour Duncan's wiring diagrams too, though obviously not all of them.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...

Yeah, I posted a link to the different manufacturer's color code from the Seymour Duncan site in my response-it's amazing how many variations are out there...
 
Anfontan said:
Yeah, I posted a link to the different manufacturer's color code from the Seymour Duncan site in my response-it's amazing how many variations are out there...
Click to expand...


The issue with Fender pickups isn't just the color code. They actually wind them backwards. It inverts the polarity of all their pickups, so you have to wire them backwards.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Thanks to the advice given here I fixed my last wiring problem (pickups out of phase). That being the case I was wondering if some of you experts could look at the schematic below and tell me if I can use my two existing 250K pots to install the bridge hotrail (currently have the one mini-humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge) - or should I buy new 500's?

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=tele_2hum

Thanks again in advance!

Bob
 
bobandshawn said:
Thanks to the advice given here I fixed my last wiring problem (pickups out of phase). That being the case I was wondering if some of you experts could look at the schematic below and tell me if I can use my two existing 250K pots to install the bridge hotrail (currently have the one mini-humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge) - or should I buy new 500's?

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=tele_2hum

Thanks again in advance!

Bob
Click to expand...

500's would perform better. Is there something you don't like about the tele bridge pickup?
 
JCH,
In all honesty my number one guitar is an American Strat which I love. I used to have a Telecaster Flame Maple Top with two humbuckers that covered the rest of the spectrum. Unfortunately, it had a 15" neck radius which I found I didn't like so I sold it.

I decided to build my own tele from scratch so thought I would eventually wind up with a dual humbucker configuration again when I could afford it. It's a work in progress and I appreciate all your input.

Bob
 
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That's cool Bob; Post a picture of your tele. I'd like to see it. I was just curious about the bridge pickup, because my tastes lean more towards single coils.

The 500k pots would be better suited for humbuckers. You could also try changing the value of the tone capacitor too if you feel like experimenting.
 
Hey JCH,
Nice to have your interest. I'm posting three pics of my recent projects. The first is a 62 (year I was born) Stratocaster I put together with vintage correct pickups, bridge etc. in Surf Green. The next two are of my most recent project which was a 52 Hot-rod telecaster. Vintage 5 hole pick guard, vintage correct bridge, JB Jr. mini humbucker in the neck and a hot Fender pickup in the bridge position. All American Parts from Ebay - gotta love it - took some time and research - but half the price.

http://www.boblutz.com/Surfer_close.jpg
http://www.boblutz.com/Tele_Wall.jpg
http://www.boblutz.com/Tele_Closeup.jpg
 
Nice job Bob, they look great. Thanks for the pictures. I like the natural finish on the tele. The five hole pickguard along with the vintage bridge give it a cool vibe.
 
bobandshawn said:
...could look at the schematic below and tell me if I can use my two existing 250K pots to install the bridge hotrail (currently have the one mini-humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge) - or should I buy new 500's?
Click to expand...

Up to you, really. The 500k's will be a bit brighter, but there is no reason you have to do so. It is certainly not "better," just different. And not much different at that.


bobandshawn said:
I decided to build my own tele from scratch so thought I would eventually wind up with a dual humbucker configuration again when I could afford it. It's a work in progress and I appreciate all your input.
Click to expand...



Just a comment - Hot Rails cost just as much as Seymour Duncan's full sized humbuckers, so how exactly are you saving money by not just doing what you wanted in the first place?



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light,
I'm not saving any money either way. I had access to the Fender single coil so that's what's in the bridge position now. I'll eventually replace it with a hotrail or mini-humbucker because that is what the bridge can accomodate. Going with a full size humbucker means a new bridge.:)

~B
 
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