Support / Fender Telecaster Thinline 4 Way Switch Wiring Diagram & Fitting Instructions

Fitting Instructions

The good news is Telecaster Thinline with 4 Way Switch is one of the more simple guitars to replace the wiring harness, because the wiring harness is attached to the large pickguard, which can be removed and worked on with ease.

Removal

1. Find somewhere safe, dry and secure to place your Telecaster Thinline guitar while you work on it.
2. Remove Strings.
3. Undo the screws that hold the pickguard to the body. Do not undo the 8 x pickup screws by mistake.
4. Undo the Nut that hold the jack socket housing.
5. Carefully lift the pickguard up and cut all wires from the body to the pickguard closest to the pots. These are a few ground wires (normally black in colour).
6. Remove the pickguard away from the guitar.
7. Put the guitar safely out the way for the time being.

Replacement

1. Working on the pickguard, cut the 4 x pickup wires from the pots, leaving the wires as long as possible.
2. Cut the wires from the switch and jack socket at the pots, leaving the wires as long as possible.
3. Remove the control knobs and the nuts and washers from the front of the pickguard. You should now be able to remove all 4 old pots from the pickguard. Please note: if you are replace the switch and the Jack socket or the pickups, this is the time to do it.
4. At this point you may want to clean the front of pickguard where the old pots have been.
5. You will need to check the size of the holes for the pots as on some pickguards they are drilled small for cheap electrical components. If they are small, the best way to enlarge them to 10mm to fit CTS pots, is to use a round file.
6. The pickguard is now ready to fit the new harness.
7. From here everything is in reverse using the wiring diagram below.
8. Fit the new wiring harness into the pickguard with its new nuts and washers.
9. Solder the 4 pickup wires to the pots (refer to wiring diagram).
10. Solder the switch and jack Socket wires to the pots (refer to wiring diagram).
11. The pickguard is now ready to go back into the guitar.
12. Solder the ground wires from the body and bridge back to the pots (refer to wiring diagram).
13. Fit the pickguard back into place, but don’t screw it down yet.

Testing

1. Plug the guitar into an amp and with something small and metal you should get a response from the pickups by gently tapping the pickup poles/posts. – Or you may have a Multimeter!
2. If Everything is working, screw the pickguard into place and re-string.

Tools & Equipment

• Philips (Cross head) Screwdriver.
• Flat headed screwdriver on some models
• Small adjustable spanner/wrench.
• Good quality soldering iron.
• Wire Cutters.
• Masking tape for keeping things in place or out the way while working.

Tips

• When soldering the wires to the back of a pot, do not overheat / cook the pot.
• Keep wires tidy and neat and make sure all components are grounded.

Wiring Diagram

Download the printable PDF

Fender Telecaster Thinline Vintage Wiring Harness 4 Way Switch

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Fender Telecaster Thinline 4 Way Switch Wiring Diagram & fitting Instructions