HELP!! 4 WAY SWITCHING ON A TELE?

[steve gray]

so i have bought the country boy pickups with the  intention of adding the 4 way switch.. but i just called my local luthier and he told me that in order to do thing, with most pickups  i need to have them custom for in order to use a 4 way switch.. is that true ? or do the country boys come ready to use with a 4 way switch?

[Twinfan]

Custom in what way?

As far as I know, your luthier is talking rubbish.

[WezV]

i havnt done it but isnt it something to do with the common ground with the metal pickup cover and normal ground wire... basically you need to remove the ground from the metal pickup cover (neck) and give it its own ground wire.. i think :?

Alternatively ask tim to do it when ordering pickups

[Twinfan]

Oops - my bad   :oops:

[badgermark]

It's easy. Requires you snipping a wire from the neck pickup, might void your warranty with Tim though.

You have to cut the little piece of wire that goes from the metal case to the black wire, then solder on another wire to the pickup cover and earth to the back of a pot. Not hard- still took me 2 hours to wire up that bloody switch though.

[Philly Q]

You have to cut the little piece of wire that goes from the metal case to the black wire, then solder on another wire to the pickup cover and earth to the back of a pot.

Agreed.

I wonder if it's something that could be offered as an option when ordering Tele pickups, since the 4-way switch is such a popular mod?

[WezV]

I thought Tim did do it as a seperate wire on request.. if not  - just ask him nicely

[lulusg]

All you have to do is make the request to Tim, you can buy the switch at BKP too.....!

[Philly Q]

I should've known Tim would have it taken care of!  :)

If I ever have a change of heart about those 4-way switches I know where to go.

[Tellboy]

I thought Tim did do it as a seperate wire on request.. if not  - just ask him nicely

Yes - if you let Tim know you will be using a 4 way switch he will supply the neck pickup with the additional wire on the cover. (he did this with my Boss set). It's fairly easy to modify a standard tele neck pickup yourself for 4 way switching - just cut the link of the existing ground wire to the cover and solder a new lead to the cover  and run back to the main earthing point (usually the volume pot). This certainly should not be beyond the capabilities of any luthier !!!!

Ooops ... sorry just read Badgermark has already said this !! And yes I agree the switch is a pig..I had all my connections back to front initially and had to completely redo it.

[steve gray]

thanks guys.. i got my country boys in today, so i am going to contact a diff luthier and see if he can manage it.