Lipstick in a Tele - Middle Position

[Greenmachine]

I've a question for you guys.

I'm thinking about putting a lipstick pickup in my Squire Tele between the neck and bridge pickups in the middle position. I want to be able to switch to the middle position alone so that I only get the lipstick pickup. I don't mind having some out-of-phase positions like in a strat, but that's not really what I'm after. I typically don't use those positions in my strat or tele; usually it's either just bridge or just neck.

I've been looking at the GFS site here:

GFS Pro-Tube Lipstick Tube Pickup- GLOSS BLACK

and I thought because my neck is at 7.65 ohms and my bridge at 6.65, that I should get the middle position (6k) one that GFS sells (reverse wound/reverse polarity).

Can anyone foresee any issues I might have e.g. will I need to get a new rotary switch? do GFS pickups stink? how's shipping to Canada? should I wire it like a strat with a 5-way rotary switch?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.

[soundguruman]

With so many advanced humbucking pickups,
why would anybody mount a lipstick pickup in a "squire?"

You can give the crappiest guitar and the crappiest amp to a good guitar player...
and it will still sound good. Why is that?

[Peter Naglitsch]

Why not just go ahead and try. I havent tried the GFS lipsticks, but generally they (lipsticks in general that is) provide a sound alternative that differs from most other pickups out there. The GFS are sheep enough. Just try them out. If they are "close but no cigar" you might try a high brand version and still have just wasted 30 bucks. I have tried my hands on winding lipsticks and they sound great. Something that realy sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. Please just don't ask me to wind one for you. They are a real PITA to make...

For the combo of stock Tele bridge and neck pickups and a middle lipstick you just need a standard 5-way switch.

[Greenmachine]

Why not just go ahead and try. I havent tried the GFS lipsticks, but generally they (lipsticks in general that is) provide a sound alternative that differs from most other pickups out there. The GFS are sheep enough. Just try them out. If they are "close but no cigar" you might try a high brand version and still have just wasted 30 bucks. I have tried my hands on winding lipsticks and they sound great. Something that realy sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. Please just don't ask me to wind one for you. They are a real PITA to make...

For the combo of stock Tele bridge and neck pickups and a middle lipstick you just need a standard 5-way switch.

Thanks Peter. Does the middle position on a strat switch select just the middle pickup? I always thought it was the combo of the neck and bridge. Are you saying I should just stick it in there with a 5-way and wire it all like a stock strat?

[big_teee]

This Diagram should be what your looking for.
Wiring Diagram
It would be 3 single coils, 5 way, 1 Volume, and 1 tone.
That would give you middle only in Pos. 3.
2 & 4 would be parallel with bridge and neck.
T

[David Schwab]

With so many advanced humbucking pickups,
why would anybody mount a lipstick pickup in a "squire?"

You can give the crappiest guitar and the crappiest amp to a good guitar player...
and it will still sound good. Why is that?

What does this comment have to do with anything?

He doesn't want a humbucker. Lipstick pickups have a certain tone. A lot of STrat players replace their middle pickup with lipsticks.

Also this has nothing to do with the guitar or the player. Please stop posting crap, OK?

[David Schwab]

Thanks Peter. Does the middle position on a strat switch select just the middle pickup? I always thought it was the combo of the neck and bridge. Are you saying I should just stick it in there with a 5-way and wire it all like a stock strat?

The middle position on a Strat switch is the middle pickup. You can't get neck and bridge on a Strat with the stock switch, but you can get that on a Tele. Just get a 5 way Strat switch and wire it as you would a Strat. You will lose neck and bridge together, but you stated you don't use that anyway.

My Tele has three pickups, but I can't select the middle by itself. I get neck and bridge on that setting because I use a different switch.

Regarding the DC resistance of your pickups. Keep in mind that the neck pickup is wound with 43 gauge wire, so it reads higher than the bridge, which is probably wound hotter. it should be anyway. The stock Squire pickups are probably not the best out there.

If you get a reverse wound middle pickup you will have to assume it's reversed in comparison to the two you have, and those might be reversed, so it will only hum cancel with one of them.

Generally for a lipstick you don't want it too hot, or you lose that tone. 6K is probably good.

[Greenmachine]

This Diagram should be what your looking for.
Wiring Diagram
It would be 3 single coils, 5 way, 1 Volume, and 1 tone.
That would give you middle only in Pos. 3.
2 & 4 would be parallel with bridge and neck.
T

Hey-hey, right on man, that's just what I needed! Can anyone tell me if I'll have any polarity problems? E.g. Are my tele neck and bridge reverse polarity with each other? I'm such a noob regarding pickups.

You guys are really helpful.

[Greenmachine]

The middle position on a Strat switch is the middle pickup. You can't get neck and bridge on a Strat with the stock switch, but you can get that on a Tele. Just get a 5 way Strat switch and wire it as you would a Strat. You will lose neck and bridge together, but you stated you don't use that anyway.

My Tele has three pickups, but I can't select the middle by itself. I get neck and bridge on that setting because I use a different switch.

Regarding the DC resistance of your pickups. Keep in mind that the neck pickup is wound with 43 gauge wire, so it reads higher than the bridge, which is probably wound hotter. it should be anyway. The stock Squire pickups are probably not the best out there.

If you get a reverse wound middle pickup you will have to assume it's reversed in comparison to the two you have, and those might be reversed, so it will only hum cancel with one of them.

Generally for a lipstick you don't want it too hot, or you lose that tone. 6K is probably good.

That's awesome David, thank-you.

The pickups aren't stock, they're a beautiful sounding set from Reilander Pickups (The twang set, not the hot set). I can only assume that they're wound in the typical tele set fashion. So if I understand you correctly, I should purchase the middle position lipstick from GFS (6k, reverse wound/reverse polarity) and just hope for the best knowing I might get a weird out-of-phase sound in one of the positions? I can live with that.

Thanks.

[Peter Naglitsch]

If you get an out of phase sound, just flip the two leads and presto, you have reversed the reverse polarity.

And with a so called super switch I think it is possible to get say
1. Bridge tele pickup
2. Bridge Tele + middle lipstick in paralell
3. Midle lipstick
4. Bridge + neck in paralellell (or maybe even in series?!?)
5. neck pickup

Just don't ask me for THAT diagram

[Mark Hammer]

I modded my Turser Tele to "Nashville" style (Strat pickup in the middle position). Because I like the N+B position on a Tele (who doesn't?) I wanted to be able to get it without involving anything expensive or complex.

If you use a standard 5-position switch, but flip the hot leads from the neck and bridge pickups, you get the following:
Pos 1 - neck only
Pos 2 - neck + bridge
Pos 3 - bridge only
Pos 4 - middle + bridge
Pos 5 - middle only

If you flip the neck and middle leads, instead, you get the following:
Pos 1 - middle only
Pos 2 - middle + neck
Pos 3 - neck only
Pos 4 - neck + bridge
Pos 5 - bridge only

You get to keep the traditional Tele N+B setting, and get to introduce one of the "cluck" combinations found on a Strat. Which one you want is a matter of your tastes, and which switch arrangement you find less distracting. I use the first arrangment on mine. The first three positions are the "Tele settings", and the remaining two are the "Strat settings". In the second configuration, the last 3 positions are the Tele settings. Some folks like to be able to throw the switch all the way back to rock, and some folks throw it all the way forward. Your pick.

Note that this has implications for what ends up being hum-rejecting. For the first configuration, you will want the bridge to be RWRP, relative to the other two pickups, in order to get hum-rejection in positions 2 and 4. For the second configuration, you will want the neck pickup to be the odd man out in order to get hum-rejection in positions 2 and 4.

[Greenmachine]

Wow, these are some excellent options. Thanks to everyone!

[Mark Hammer]

ERRATUM: I should have checked the post over. That first configuration should involve flipping the middle and bridge leads, NOT the neck and bridge.

Sorry for the confusion.