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Installing a P90 into my Thinline


TheBumRush

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So I have a 72 Thinline Tele that I just got and I'm wanting to install a P90 in between the humbuckers on it. Can anyone tell me how to do this? What kind of switch would I need to use to switch between the three pickups? I have basic soldering skills, but I'm not good with knowing how to wire things that I'm unfamiliar with.

 

Any input would be wonderful, thanks guys.

 

DSCN0115.jpg

 

That's what it looks likes.

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Honestly, I'm not sure. But have you thought about putting a Duncan P-Rails in the neck position? You'd only need a replacement pickguard--I think.

 

Anyway, you'd have several new sounds at your disposal including P90 and a blade single coil. When you combine the two you get the humbucking tone.

 

You could put a 5-way switch or even one of those super strat switches that give you ten or more settings.

 

The other thing to consider is that the Wide Range humbuckers are splittable. You could simply install a new 5 way switch and wire it up Seymour Duncan style. I would do this first before mangling my Thinline to make room for the P90. This is how I would wire the pickups:

 

* Position 1: Bridge pickup

* Position 2: Outside coils- parallel (deep, clear sounding tone)

* Position 3: Series single coils- inside coils of each pickup wired in series for faux single coil sound

* Position 4: Parallel single coils

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So I have a 72 Thinline Tele that I just got and I'm wanting to install a P90 in between the humbuckers on it. Can anyone tell me how to do this? What kind of switch would I need to use to switch between the three pickups? I have basic soldering skills, but I'm not good with knowing how to wire things that I'm unfamiliar with.


Any input would be wonderful, thanks guys.


DSCN0115.jpg

That's what it looks likes.

 

Some hints:

http://www.onlineseats.com/upload/concerts/236_con_lang1.gif

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Of course it's going to require you to route out a large section of wood under the pickguard and route the pickguard itself. I would check to see how close to the edge of the pickguard a P90 is going to to go. It might end up looking a little strange, but if you're into it, then go for it.

 

As for wiring, the easiest option would be to go for the Nashville Tele wiring. All you really need is a 5-way switch. Personally I would swap the pots for higher value ones to clean up the WideRange humbuckers a bit as well, but you don't have to do it.

 

There are a lot of wiring options, but if you're not good with wiring, the Nashville setup would probably be the easiest. I'm sure you could find a wiring diagram by Googling "Nashville Telecaster wiring diagram" or something similar.

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1. Those pickups in the tele are bigger than regular ones.

2. You need a pickguard that will fit the ones you are buying.

3. Install.

 

 

You should read his post again. He wants to put a P90 in the space between the two stock humbuckers. He's not swapping out the original pickups, he's just adding one more.

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I had the same idea with my 72 reissue but never did it. Id pick the p rail for sure though. How microphonic are your stock pups? I couldnt turn it up past speaking volume before they fed back. I thought it was the hollow body but it was the pups.

 

Also they sounded dull-I dont know why Fender picked 250K pots for this model.

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Of course it's going to require you to route out a large section of wood under the pickguard and route the pickguard itself. I would check to see how close to the edge of the pickguard a P90 is going to to go. It might end up looking a little strange, but if you're into it, then go for it.


As for wiring, the easiest option would be to go for the Nashville Tele wiring. All you really need is a 5-way switch. Personally I would swap the pots for higher value ones to clean up the WideRange humbuckers a bit as well, but you don't have to do it.


There are a lot of wiring options, but if you're not good with wiring, the Nashville setup would probably be the easiest. I'm sure you could find a wiring diagram by Googling "Nashville Telecaster wiring diagram" or something

similar.

 

 

This sounds like probably the best option that there is. What kind of combinations does the 5 way switch do? And yeah, definitely switching the pots out for 500k.

 

Yeah, probably strange, but I have an LP with an onboard delay pedal with like 7 knobs and two switches, I'm used to weird.

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I had the same idea with my 72 reissue but never did it. Id pick the p rail for sure though. How microphonic are your stock pups? I couldnt turn it up past speaking volume before they fed back. I thought it was the hollow body but it was the pups.


Also they sounded dull-I dont know why Fender picked 250K pots for this model.

 

 

I haven't had a chance to test it out a whole lot, I've had it for about two weeks and only one gig so far (amp has been at the drummer's house). I used it for two songs at our last show and it was definitely a little dull, I'm going to be changing the pots to 500k for sure.

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This sounds like probably the best option that there is. What kind of combinations does the 5 way switch do? And yeah, definitely switching the pots out for 500k.


Yeah, probably strange, but I have an LP with an onboard delay pedal with like 7 knobs and two switches, I'm used to weird.

 

 

The 5-way switch with the Nashville wiring gives you:

 

1. neck

2. neck and middle

3. middle

4. middle and bridge

5. bridge

 

Going with the 500k pots is a good idea. It should really help those stock pickups shine. Like Davo17 said, I don't know why Fender insists on putting 250k pots in there. They really make those pickups sound way too dark.

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I haven't had a chance to test it out a whole lot, I've had it for about two weeks and only one gig so far (amp has been at the drummer's house). I used it for two songs at our last show and it was definitely a little dull, I'm going to be changing the pots to 500k for sure.

 

 

That guitar is far from being dull. It is more articulate than My Tom Anderson with a very chimey sparkly tone. To each their own,good luck whatever you do.:)Spend some time and eq your amp for it.2 songs at a gig really doesn't say much because you probally had your stuff set up for a different guitar.

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