Tele Special Pickguard design

[-CB-]

I'm not sure if I'm going that route, or using a gibson style toggle, really. I should probably play with a toggle-equipped guitar for a while, and see which I like.

The mini toggles wont have room between the pots.

As it is... there is barely... barely room for one mini toggle there

 

[line6man]

Have you thought about getting one of those plates with just the blade switch cut, but no pot holes so you can do you own?

I'm thinking I should go for a different wiring scheme. A push pull pot for series/parallel instead of the toggle. It would make this easier.

Remember that the series/parallel switch was a 3PDT set up to bypass the pickup selector switch in series mode so that you will have sound in all positions.
A push/pull pot is only a DPDT switch, so you will lose that functionality.
You will need to make sure that the pickup selector is not on the bridge pickup soloed setting when you go into series mode, otherwise you will get no output.

I'm not sure how big of a deal this is to you though?

 

[Mor Paul]

I think I'll look up how to wire a 4 way switch with series and parallel options when I get home.

 

[tfarny]

CB is right there is just not room in there for a bunch of useless extra controls. Max, lay out the sounds you really want, in order of preference, and I'll try to work up a diagram for you that doesn't look like a Dr Who walkie talkie. A 5-way mega switch and a couple of push pull pots can do a lot of stuff without needing routing and such. For instance, out of phase in series is cool but in parallel it's useless, to me, so that can be a stop on the 5-way instead of a separate control. etc. etc.

 

[Mor Paul]

CB is right there is just not room in there for a bunch of useless extra controls. Max, lay out the sounds you really want, in order of preference, and I'll try to work up a diagram for you that doesn't look like a Dr Who walkie talkie. A 5-way mega switch and a couple of push pull pots can do a lot of stuff without needing routing and such. For instance, out of phase in series is cool but in parallel it's useless, to me, so that can be a stop on the 5-way instead of a separate control. etc. etc.

I'd prefer staying as close to a 3 way switch as possible, since I like the basic neck/both/bridge choices. I'm not really a fan of a single switch that has too many options.

I think my current best option is
4 way switch (neck, parallel, series, bridge)
Volume control
Humbucker miniswitch (north coil, both, south coil)
Tone control with push-pull (phase)

I don't think the phase will be much of an issue, since I won't be using it as much as the other options.

Think someone can draw up a diagram for that? This will only require a single miniswitch to be drilled, which is not unreasonable to me.

 

[Mor Paul]

Okay, update time on the pickguard. Seeing as it's Superbowl Sunday, the only thing on TV is that superbowl, and there's no more chip dip. The only option left was to print out my design and see how it fit my guitar.

I'd call that a pretty good fit, though I think I'll trim the edge down a bit.

 

[Kostas]

I never liked how close the Tele switch is to the volume knob.

That's why I like the idea of the angled switch.

Watch these plates http://shop.seeker.co.nz/shop_items_1.aspx?mnu=tele

 

[-CB-]

May I humbly suggest you make that top little piece above the pickup, at the same angle as the piece between the pickups?

 

[DangerousR6]

May I humbly suggest you make that top little piece above the pickup, at the same angle as the piece between the pickups?

Agreed.... :laughing7:

 

[erogenousjones17]

What about cutting it off flush with the edge of the pickup, like an LPS pickguard?

 

[Mor Paul]

May I humbly suggest you make that top little piece above the pickup, at the same angle as the piece between the pickups?

I'll try that tomorrow. I mocked it up before, and it didn't seem right to me.

What about cutting it off flush with the edge of the pickup, like an LPS pickguard?

I'll try that too. The main reason I didn't do that was because the LPS has the humbucker higher up, so the gap between the cutaway and the pickguard isn't larger.

 

[Mor Paul]

Okay, just tried making the pickguard smaller, so that the top is flush with the pickup. I couldn't get the angled side to look good, though.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I don't think Doug has enough butterfly guitars!!  :toothy11:

 

[DangerousR6]

I don't think Doug has enough butterfly guitars!!  :toothy11:

:doh:

 

[Mor Paul]

Here it is with the outside edge of the pickguard moved in. I was thinking it would look stupid, but it looked really good to me.

 

[Mor Paul]

EDIT: Resized the huge image.

 

[Unwound G]

Looking good, Max.

 

[JaySwear]

I never liked how close the Tele switch is to the volume knob.

i'm about a month and a half late for this one, but what about reversing the control plate? i prefer it with all my teles.

hard to accidentally hit the toggle. if i'm going to hit anything, it'll be a knob that will most likely not move.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Puts the volume knob a little closer for pinky swells too.

 

[-CB-]

Max ol bean... how about moving the entire upper edge of the pickguard up some more, about a half inch, so the line that it makes will cause just a hint of wrap around at the lower edge of the neck