Author Topic: Telecaster 4-way switch?? (Read 4979 times)

cokecan72 · « **on:** February 26, 2007, 09:42:10 PM »

Hey guys, first off....what an awesome forum :D

right, I've got a project goin on at the min. i managed to find an old 70's tele body with a bigsby on it and i've been buildin it up slowely, i've slapped a strange re-issue/relic neck on it thats been aged to hell and some cheapo jap pickups in it for the time being.

Now i've pretty much decided on some Country Boys as I'm tryin to get that awesome classic Tele twang :), but for the wiring im not sure. I was originally goin for the generic 3-way switch etc, but i've been reading a bit about the 4-way mod on here and I have to say im intregued, though still a little confused as to what the outcome actually is?

from what i know it lets you select bridge, neck-bridge in parallel, neck, neck-bridge in series right?

what kind of sound does having the neck and bridge in series give and the same in parallel? which way is it normally done on a 3-way set-up, series or parallel?

sorry for all the questions, just tryin to wrap my head around it :)

Thanks all

Philly Q · « **Reply #1 on:** February 26, 2007, 10:08:26 PM »

Welcome! :D

The standard 3-way gives you bridge, neck & bridge in parallel, neck. The 4-way adds, as you mentioned, neck & bridge in series, which is a thicker "humbuckerish" sound. It's good for a fatter lead tone.

I've got a 4-way on my Thinline, and although it's good to have an extra sound available (without losing any of the standard ones), I'm not enormously keen on it. But then I'm a humbucker guy, and to me it sounds like a "fake humbucker" tone - just as split humbuckers sound like "fake single-coils" rather than the real thing.

Our resident 4-way enthusiast is Mr 38th. I'm sure he'll have more info for you!

cokecan72 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 26, 2007, 10:24:48 PM »

all my guitars are single coils so having something with more of a humbucker tone would be quite welcomed :)

I've seen mr38th "pimping" the 4-way mod so i look forward to hear what he has to say to :)

38thBeatle · « **Reply #3 on:** February 26, 2007, 11:51:58 PM »

Thanks for the build up Philly and right on cue I appear straight from an Albert Lee gig. Yes the 4 way is as you have said and I have Country Boys installed in my MIM Tele(courtesy of Ron at R/2E).
I have always been a fan of the Tele in- between tones so I generally have no problems with a Tele at all(but I am in the main a Strat player says he who is really a bass player!). The"4th" position is bloody lovely through a just breaking up amp and seems to do both the chordy things(with volume backed off a tad) and then whack it back up for the lead break. As Philly says, it can be somewhat h/b ish (with the emphasis on the ish) but a useful extra when all your guitars are singles. For the sake of the few extra quid and the fact that it keeps the normal tones intact, there is no reason not to do it in my view.If you hate it then you just don't use it. There is a demo I did in the players section somewhere and i did link to it in another post recently. It aint perfect (especially after the guy I watched tonight!) but it gives an idea of what each setting sounds like. Waffle over you can all come out now.

cokecan72 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2007, 09:50:49 AM »

just had a listen to that sound clip. definatly made my mind up 100% on the CB's :D

that 4th position really does sound awesome, noticably fatter than any other position. think i may have to go ahead with this mod, and as you say, if i really dont like it i dont have to use it as the 3 original positions are still there and unchanged

Thanks for your help guys, i'll report back in a week or so when i get it all sorted :)