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How to install

Helpful Instruction info

Please note that

  • You need a Neck pickup that has atleast 3 wires for this circuit to work. Not having this will cause the switch not function as designed
  • Pickup wire colors may vary so check with your manufacturer to confirm their color code.

We want to show you the key parts you will be working with, and tell you the names so when we get to installing it, it makes sense!

  1. Neck Pickup: Hot wire "+"
  2. Neck Pickup: Finish wire "-"
  3. Neck Pickup: Cover Ground wire
  4. Output wire: Hot "+"
  5. Output wire: Ground "-"
  6. Bridge Pickup: Hot wire "+"
  7. Bridge Pickup: Ground wire "-"
  8. Tailpiece Ground wire
  9. Sheilding Ground wire

 

Fitting the kit to your control plate.

Adjusting pot distances

Using either pliers, ratchet, or a wrench. Loosen the nuts holding the pots to the pcb. Adjust the pots so the kit will fit your control plate. Just be careful not to

  1. Damage the Solder joints
  2. Overtighten the nuts.

Terminal block

Like with the body. Here's a simplified diagram of the terminal block we will be working with

  1. Neck Pickup: Hot wire "+"
  2. Neck Pickup: Finish wire "-"
  3. Neck Pickup: Cover Ground wire "NG"
  4. Bridge Pickup: Hot wire "+"
  5. Bridge Pickup: Ground wire"-"
  6. Output Jack: Hot wire "+"
  7. Output Jack: Ground wire "-"
  8. Tailpiece Ground wire

Helpful tip

While pressing down the terminal button with either a flathead screw driver or your finger. Slide the exposed section on the wire in at an angle that matches the terminals slope. Test the connection by lightly pulling on the wire.

Neck pickup Install

Install your Neck Pickups "Hot" to the first hole

Install your Neck Pickups "Ground" to the Second hole

If you have one Install your Neck Pickups Cover ground wire to the Third hole.

Bridge Pickup's install

Install your Bridge Pickups "Hot" to the fourth hole

Install your Bridge Pickups "Ground" to the Fifth hole

Output Jack install

Install your Output jacks white "Hot" wire to the sixth hole

Install your Output jacks orange "Hot" wire to the seventh hole

Earthing ground install

Earthing ground

A lot of instruments how more then one "Earthing ground" If your telecaster has multiple. You will want to combine them by tightly wrapping the exposed wires together. Here what this guitar had.

  • Tailpeice ground: Wire coming from your guitars tailpiece. Some vintage style telecasters will not have this and instead will use a copper baseplate on the bridge pickup to make the similar connection 
  • Shielding ground: If your guitar has shielding you will want to have a wire that connects the sheilding to the harness.

Install your tailpiece wire(s) to the last open hole

Before we finish the install

Adjusting VVC

All our Solderless kits include our VVC. (Volume voicing circuit) This switch allows you to switch between 2 voicings.

  1. Down: Your Volume retains more low end as you use the Volume
  2. Up: Your Volume retains more High end as you use the Volume

And thats it!

Test the controls before restringing the bass by lightly taping the pickups with a metal object.

Need help or have a question?

feel free to contact us [link at the bottom of this page] But here are some common issues you might run into

Need help with your pickup?

 

 

"My Neck pickup only has 2 wires"

    • In order for this circuit to properly work we need to play with the neck pickup's "Finish" wire. When your 2 wire pickup was made. The builder added the finish wire to the neck cover making it be "always grounded." This eans We can't properly control the neck pickup

"My pickup(s) sounds weak"

    • This is fairly common when one or more of your pickup wires is not properly seated, or can not make a proper connection. Make sure there is enough exposed wire and that the wire is properly seated in the terminal block.
  • "My pickup(s) wires are too small"

    • If your pickup wires are too small for the terminal block we recommend bending the exposed wire over the covered wire, or wrapping it a few times to create more surface area.  

It's not working or doesn't sound right?

  • The controls are scratchy when i use them"
    • This usually happens when you have a wire(s) not making a proper connection in the terminal block. Make sure there is enough exposed wire and that the wire is properly seated in the terminal block.
  • "There is a bad hum that goes away if i touch the knobs."
    • This usually happens when your tailpiece ground is not properly seated or missing.
    • This can also happen if your guitar has sheilding in the cavity. You will want to add the wires attached to the shielding to the same hole as the tailpiece ground
  • "There is a bad hum that get's louder when i touch anything metal
    • This happens when you install the output jack wires backwards. uninstall the output jack wires and place then in the correct location.
  • "I cant get any sound from the thing"
    • Make sure you put the pickup wires in the correct spot and that they are properly seated in the terminal block.
    • Confirm that the exposed section of the wire is seated in the terminal block and not just the casing of the wire.
    • Make sure that there is no environmental issue causing a short. An Example on this would be the Output jack, or lever switch touching the shielding in your cavity or an exposed pickup wire is also touching something other then the terminal block
  • "The switching controls are not acting as they should"
      • The switch goes 1.-N&B, 2.-N&B, 3.-N, 4.-N
        • This usely happens when your Neck pickup's finish wire is either not in the correct location, or is being grounded. Confirm both that it is in the 2nd terminal spot and that you have a 3 wire neck pickup
      • The switch goes 1.-off, 2.-N, 3.-N, 4.-off
        • This happens when you have an issue with the Bridge pickup. Confirm that your pickups wires are in the correct location and are properly seated in the block
  • "My volume feels different then before"
    • This is because of 2 factors.
      1. How we designed the volume and tone circuit. It's different from your stock circuit
      2. We use our own Audio pots. A lot of brands will use Linear in the volume.

 

Other issues

"My old knobs don't fit the pots"

  • We use US spec solid shaft pots. Meaning the shaft is 1/4th (6.35mm) A lot of Import brands, or MIM & MIJ Fenders will use a 6mm Solid shaft knob which will not fit our pots. If this is what you have then you will need to purchase replacement knobs. Just make sure to confirm you are purchasing 1/4th (6.35mm) knobs as some brands wont tell you which version they have.