Questions for 3 pickup T players

[GaryMcT]

Which tone do you end up using most, neck/middle or bridge/middle? I'm curious so that I know which one to make hum-cancelling (if I go for 3 pickups.) I'm assuming that neck/bridge has to be hum-cancelling.

[bbjonz]

I'm going to do the same thing to my Classic T Contoured. Currently, it has TV1 VA1 TV3, and I want to replace the TV1 with a stacked hb, probably a TD0. I have a TD0 in the front of my Hollow Classic T Contoured and it sounds great. I like the idea of having the option of having both a warmer jazz tone and a spanky single-coil sound off the front pup, in combo with the middle pup for "quack" and with the bridge pup for traditional T sounds.

And Tom, if you are reading this, will a TD0 fit into the TV1 slot without having to mod the guitar or pick guard?

Joe


Which tone do you end up using most, neck/middle or bridge/middle? I'm curious so that I know which one to make hum-cancelling (if I go for 3 pickups.) I'm assuming that neck/bridge has to be hum-cancelling.

[tom]

all the tele neck pickups are the same size, direct replacement.
i am not a 3 pu tele guy. i have had several, and when the middle pickup goes in they cease to be t's for me. they somehow cross the line into the strat camp, where i do not belong. i'm just a 2 pickup guy.
if i were a 3 pu guy, i'd go for the bridge/middle, and neck/bridge combos being quiet.

[sylvanshine]

I like to use the mini switch as a tap. That way hum cancelling is an option.

[bbjonz]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the info. I love Strats but I find them difficult to play--my hand hits the controls and the pickup selector. And this is true on Classics as well, even though the volume knob is a bit farther a way from the bridge. Over time, I've discovered that I like the way a Tele body feels, and with contours it's even better. So the logical choice for me was to go with a 3-pup Tele as my Strat.

Jay, that's my plan, but I prefer push-pull pots.

[MojoRojo]

My Hollow Drop Top Tele (with switcheroo) is a great alternative. It is HSH. I am a life long neck pickup lover, and the neck on full with the middle on in either direction covers a ton of single coil ground - hum free, with some kahoonies to boot....you should try one....it is good for you!

[GaryMcT]

I like to use the mini switch as a tap. That way hum cancelling is an option.

Jay, do you have pics of your T with a mini switch? Is it on the control plate? I'm tempted to go with three pickups (add a VA1 in the middle of the existing TD3 and TD1-) and make the stacks optionally split when the are by themselves via a mini switch.

If I stick with two pickups, I think I'd rather have a three way and a mini-switch instead of a 5-way.

Of course, I could just leave it like it is since there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. :)

[sylvanshine]

Gary-

The T with a mini is on a double humbucker guitar. I use the mini as a master splitter with a 3-way switch. It gives me 6 very usable sounds out of a 2 pup guitar.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n109/sylvanshineband/07-02-06Pcontrols.jpg

[GaryMcT]

all the tele neck pickups are the same size, direct replacement.
i am not a 3 pu tele guy. i have had several, and when the middle pickup goes in they cease to be t's for me. they somehow cross the line into the strat camp, where i do not belong. i'm just a 2 pickup guy.
if i were a 3 pu guy, i'd go for the bridge/middle, and neck/bridge combos being quiet.

Do I want VA1 or VA1R in the middle to make the bridge/middle and neck/bridge combos quiet with my TD1- TD3+ hollow T?

Thanks!
Gary

[tom]

you want a va1 for those combos to cancel. the neck middle will not cancel, cause you can't have all three. but you knew that:o

[GaryMcT]

I'm going to go ahead and pull a single out of an old strat of mine to see if I want a middle pickup on my Hollow T before ordering a VA1. Any idea which winding on a Fender is the same as a VA1? Neck or middle? I vaguely remember Anderson pickups being opposite in some way to the Fender ones, so I'm confused. :)

[GaryMcT]

I'm going to go ahead and pull a single out of an old strat of mine to see if I want a middle pickup on my Hollow T before ordering a VA1. Any idea which winding on a Fender is the same as a VA1? Neck or middle? I vaguely remember Anderson pickups being opposite in some way to the Fender ones, so I'm confused. :)

I'll answer myself in case this info is useful to anyone else. A strat neck pickup is the same winding direction as a va1.

So far I'm really happy with having. A middle pickup in my hollow T. I wired it so that the middle position is still neck/bridge. I like position 4 (bridge/middle) to be humcancelling for dirty stuff. The middle pickup is low enough that I don't hit it, and it produces some serious quack.

Has anyone tried bridge/middle in series to get a more humbucking-style tone?

[tom]

to my ears, it doesn't really sound like a humbucker, it just sounds like a much darker version of the bridge middle sound. doesn't cut through well.

[GaryMcT]

to my ears, it doesn't really sound like a humbucker, it just sounds like a much darker version of the bridge middle sound. doesn't cut through well.

Thanks for the info. Doesn't sound that desirable. :)

Are your tele control plates with a hole for a mini-switch standard from somewhere, or do you make those yourself? I'm contemplating a switch for hum-cancelling versus not for positions 1 and 5 with the TD's, and I don't really like push/pull knobs too much.

[tom]

we drill the extra hole in a standard plate. we put the hole closer to the tone knob so there's room for the pinky to do volume swells.