Tele wiring - Nocaster to modern - will I still get the same tone?

brucegill

Hi guys Got a Nocaster with original spec wiring (so muddy bass in p1, neck in p2, bridge and neck in p3 with a blend nob). So no tone controls at all. The first position is pointless to me. But the other two sound amazing. I love the blend control for neck and bridge too. So, if I wired it to standard modern 3 way with tone (I like a .01uf cap), will I still get the sounds I have now from neck or bridge? Obviously I loose the blend control, I'm just worried that adding a tone cap etc will effect the tone, even when the tone pots fully open. Think that makes sense. Cheers Bruce

Loobs

Yes. Cap only affects tone when the pot is used.

brucegill

Loobs said:

Yes. Cap only affects tone when the pot is used.

Thanks for the reply mate. Sorry, can I just confirm what you mean? Yes, I'll get the same sound on the neck pup as long as my tone pot is rolled all the way open? Or, yes, it'll effect the tone as theres now a cap on the pot that was once a blend nob? Cheers!

fretfinder

@ICBM?

ICBM

Actually the tone pot has a small effect even when it's turned up full, unless it's a 'no-load' type. If you want the exact sounds you have now, it's best to get one of those - Fender (and others) do sell the correct version for a Tele.

brucegill

@ICBM, MANY thanks!!! Much appreciated thanks @fretfinder too.

skay

No, you won't get the same tone, close but not exactly the same.

I wired my Nocaster up with the modern wiring for a while fairly soon after I bought it, as it's what lots of people on TGP suggested, I was younger and more impressionable back then ;-)

I feel you loose the clarity of the neck pickup with the modern wiring and I was never happy with the middle both-pickups setting regardless of endless height adjustments. I also noticed that I lost the punch from the bridge, my JD Tele was out-twanging it, so I changed it back to stock and everything was much improved to my ears.

The neck pickup is once again very stratty and clear (something I love) and the bridge is so punchy and powerful, I'd use the phrase 'piano strings' if I was posting on TGP :-D

I like blending in the neck pickup to tame highs instead of muffling the bridge with a tone pot, but most times just turning down the volume pot a fraction takes off enough edge to act as a decent tone control anyway.

brucegill

@skay, many thanks!!! That JUST the info I needed. I have changed but to my ears it wasn't the same. Very nice but quite what I remembered it as originally. And I know what you mean about TGP!

I asked the above to confirm my thoughts. And it has!

Thanks guys, really appreciate the help and info. This really is a Great forum! 

Will break the soldering iron out tonight.

Now the only question is do I go all original or run a modern 3 way with a blend rather than a tone? found this online:

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o67/echorrigan/Telecaster_with_No_Tone_amp_Blend_in_Position_Two_zps72f23eac.jpg

brucegill

Came home for "lunch" and reverted the wiring back to standard nocaster minus the resistor (replaced with a jump lead so you don't get the volume drop) and a lower cap for the "dark" neck setting. Im much happier.

May look at very low cap so the dark setting is more usable. I've got a .01uf in there now rather than the stock .05uf, but still not much use.

May get a no load tone pot as ICBM mentioned, just to try. But that blend pot is super usable.

Thanks again guys