Green push back wire.

[Telemachos]

Good evening everybody. I remember having seen Telecaster bridge PUs w. green cloth wire instead of white. What year did it replace the yellow or the white hot wire? Was it about mid sixties ?

[Jim Shine]

There was a period of time from about mid 1966-the end of cloth wire where color substitution is very common. I can't speak for Telecasters, but my observations of multiple, unmolested guitars with same "off" specs as as follows.

Mid-late 1966 black looks to have run out and green used in its place. Most common on Jaguars. All those black grounds connecting the shields done in green.

Some 1967 and numerous 1968 Stratocasters wired with odd color combinations. Usually orange replaces white, green replaces black. The entire pickguard assembly wired in these two colors. I have also seen some wired in green and blue.

I have seen all other models wired in alternate colors during that time, but never enough to see trends.

I so not believe at all these were revisions or changes. Simply a period where a color ran out and rather than stop production waiting for the correct color, they just made due with what was on hand. Until of course 1968. I suspect some of the weirdness going on there was an attempt to burn up the old inventory while switching over to the vinyl jacketed wire.

[Telemachos]

Yeah, this makes sense. I too have seen odd color combinations and it could also be seen in Fender amps too. here's a pic of my 69 Stratocaster where they used green cloth wire on all else but the pickups.

And here's a nice picture of a repro PU

[big_teee]

Fender used a lot of the Green in their Amps.
Maybe they ran out of a color, and got some green from the Amp Dept?

[Jim Shine]

Fender used a lot of the Green in their Amps.
Maybe they ran out of a color, and got some green from the Amp Dept?

Isn't the amp wire different?

They had plenty of guitar wire in various colors kicking around due to the surplus of materials they ordered in '66 for Jaguars and Jazzmasters. They were making so many of them up that point and expected them to continue high production, that when orders tapered off some materials took almost 10 years to get used up.

[Telemachos]

I purchased a roll of green cloth wire from mojotone but I didn't know it was a solid core type. Not exactly what you would want in guitar. Perfectly O.K. for amps and stuff. Anyone know where I can obtain the correct type of green or blue cloth wire?

[Jim Shine]

I used to make my own with dye. But I see you can get it from any Fender parts dealer now. Angela Instruments sells it too. I believe the only color not currently offered is orange.

[Telemachos]

Thanks for pointing me to Angela's. Very cool.

[big_teee]

Tube Depot sells stranded in 20 Ga, all colors.
https://tubedepot.com/products/20-ga...00-volt-rating

[Jim Shine]

Angela has stranded. You may have to email them, but they definitely have had it in the recent past. That other stuff has a PVC inner layer. Not bad if accuracy isn't important.

[big_teee]

Angela has stranded. You may have to email them, but they definitely have had it in the recent past. That other stuff has a PVC inner layer. Not bad if accuracy isn't important.

Your right I missed that.
I only use the white black and yellow cloth wire.
I get mine from mojo.
I use more 2 and 4 wire cable, I like the mojo 22 gauge pvc pre-tinned for hookup wire.
On amps I use PVC and Teflon.
Colors are not that important to me, but I'm not that big on vintage specs.
GL,
T

[Telemachos]

Yes I noticed that Angela's sells the stranded type too. The tube depot stuff with the laquered non push back cloth wire is interesting too. But on the vintage clone PU I'll probably stick on the push back type. That's what the customers usually want.

[big_teee]

The way to get customers to like modern components and wire, is to charge extra for all the old type parts.
All the old type wire and techniques cost the winder more, and I charge more for it.
I charge extra for PE, and HFV wire, I don't charge extra for white, black, yellow cloth wire from the pickups.
I do charge extra if I use cloth wire in the control cavity, because it takes longer to connect and use.
I charge a lot extra if you want string on a tele pickup, because I don't like messing with it.
Guess what, usually they let me build the pickups with modern parts, because it costs them less.
None of these Vintage things IMO make much difference in the Tone of the pickups.
But I guess YMMV!
T

[Telemachos]

I'm with you

[copperheadroads]

cool