Adding a middle pickup to my Tele!

More Mad Mod Time, this time, with my G&L ASAT Tele, adding a middle pickup and turning it into The Nashville Tele!

Step 1: Remove strings, bridge plate, control plate, and of course, pickups!

Step 2: Mark body for routing middle pickup cavity. Carefully route the cavity, in steps, till getting the proper depth for the new pickup.

Originally, I had a 4 way switch, volume and tone control. The Mod called for a 5 way switch, and an extra volume control added to the neck pickup so I could select it, independantly of the pickup selector switch, giving me the options of any pickups (including all three) on or any other combo of selections. Cool!

Step 3: Remove all controls from control plate.

Step 4: Mark and drill additional hole for extra tone control. I used a mini 250K push-pull pot. This would give me the Strat set-up: Master volume, tone control for middle pickup, and tone control for neck pickup. The little switch under the center tone control, was to turn on the neck pickup, even if it was not selected on the new 5 way Strat switch I was adding.

Step 5: Re-install the pickups in their positions, and route the pickup wires into the control cavity. The new pickguard did not line up with the G&L bridge plate or under the bottom of the fingerboard, requiring some grinding with the Dremel and some hand filing.

Step 6: Install the 5 way selector switch, push-pull tone control, and solder conections in place.

Of course, their was the inevitable re-positioning of the controls to fit neatly in the control cavity when the plate was re-installed.

Step 7: Test the pickups with the control plate uncovered, using a small screwdriver and lightly tapping the pickups with the switch and other controls.

Step 8: Install the modified pickguard and screw down. Install the control plate and screw down. String up and test.

Step 9: Major Twang!

The end result: 1. Switch far right: Bridge pickup
2. Switch, one click to left: Bridge & new middle Strat pickup.
3. Switch one more click to left: Center pickup.
4. Switch one more click to left: Center and Neck pickups.
5. Switch last click to left: Neck pickup alone.
By using the Push-pull switch in positions 1 or 2, you acheive Bridge and Neck, or all three at once, giving seven selections to choose from!

As it turned out in the trial run, the new middle Strat pickup was out of phase with the Tele pickups. Back to the control plate and reverse the Strat pickup wires and WOW!