Grateful Dead Music Forum

Hey kids. So I have decided after many years on my guitar that I just don't love it like I should.

A few years back I dropped a set of Gibson '57 Classics in there and it really made a big difference for the sound. Next I replaced the 250K volume pot with a 500K that opened up the pickups really nicely. However, I just never loved the neck. It's a little wide for me and as far as the maple board, I really like ebony boards and nothing else. Enter Warmoth. They had a neck in stock exactly as I would want it. Maple with an ebony board. Had them fret it and I just got in the mail yesterday and frankly it's gorgeous and crafted perfectly!

So now I think I'd like to drop a set of Duncan Pearly Gates in there I think and three way switch them like a bunch of guys have done here with their Strats. Any recommendations for the way to go? I guess what I would like is to have the ability to tap them and maybe run them in series, parallel and/or out of phase though I'm not exactly sure what all of that does. On my Strat I have Duncans in them and I have the middle and bridge set up to be coil tapped with a two way switch. That I understand, humbucker or single coil, pretty easy. For the Tele, I'd like to see what you guys think is a good way to go as far as series, parallel which I am a little foggy about. Basically grab as many tonal options as I can with a two pickup guitar. Any help, opinions, etc will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

The mod you are talking about is not a Strat mod. It's an Ibanez mod for tri-sound.

Maybe you missed my thread a week back on just having this done. And I use a pair of PGs! Don't worry, though, it's not technical.

The mod requires 2 3-way on-on-on switches:
Up = series
Mid = single
Down = parallel

Then say convert your tone pot to a push pull to set the neck and bridge out of phase.

To help wrap your mind around it... A humbucker is a dual coil pickup:
Series runs one coil into the other (high output)
Single shorts one of the coils (low output)
Parallel merges the two coils (med-high output)
Out of phase neck and bridge uses the single of each out of phase (lowest output)

This thread should help you out....
http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/discus/ ... 1127747524

Six thanks man, that was what I was looking for. I think I can expect some great things out of this guitar with this mod. I'll keep you updated.

BTW, you will love this mod! I do! My bandmates were floored to say the least.

However, this is much more impressive with rhythm guitar than lead, per say.

But there are huge benefits for both!!!

My new favorite setting is to have the switch set to both pickups with the neck in parallel and the bridge in series!

It freakin' nails the Tex-Mex stuff like nobody's business. Doing this weakens the neck slightly but keeps its robust tone and volume while allowing the bridge to step up a little higher and just a dash of snap, sass and twang! BEAUTIFUL!!!

Then for songs like Masterpiece or Me & Bobby McGee I pop them both in series! It's kinda p90 sounded. Very full & rich but not robust humbucking nor thinner and crisp like singles!

(yes I know singles are not alway thin but when you tap them on a humbucking pickup and you amp is set for humbuckers they are)