Nashville Tele Switching With 5 Way Lever And 3 Toggle Switch

The “Nashville Tele” switching system is one of the most popular and versatile ways to wire up a guitar. It allows you to achieve a wide range of tones and sounds with just two pickups, thanks to its combination of two three-way toggle switches and a five-way lever switch. This system was originally designed for the Fender Telecaster, and it has since been adopted by many other guitar manufacturers. Understanding how to properly wire up a Nashville Tele configuration can be a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, you can create an amazing variety of tones with just a few simple parts.

The Nashville Tele switching system is easy to configure and install. All you need is a five-way lever switch, two three-way toggle switches, a volume knob, and a tone knob. This setup will allow you to select from five different pickup combinations, as well as control the volume and tone of your sound. In this article, we’ll go over the wiring diagram for a Nashville Tele configuration and discuss some of the different tones you can achieve with this setup.

How to Wire a Nashville Tele Configuration

Wiring a Nashville Tele configuration is a fairly straightforward process. First, you will need to connect the two three-way toggle switches to the five-way lever switch. The three-way toggle switches are used to select which pickups are active at any given time. The five-way lever switch is then used to select which pickup combinations you want to use.

Next, you will need to connect the volume and tone knobs to the five-way lever switch. There are two leads for each knob, and these should be connected to the appropriate terminals on the five-way switch. Finally, you will need to connect the output jack and ground to the volume knob.

Once the wiring is complete, you can start to experiment with different pickup combinations and settings to achieve a variety of tones. Below is a diagram of how the Nashville Tele configuration should be wired.

Nashville Tele Wiring Diagram

Tones You Can Achieve With a Nashville Tele Configuration

With a Nashville Tele configuration, you can achieve a wide range of tones, from bright and twangy to thick and crunchy. Here’s a breakdown of the various pickup combinations and their corresponding tones:

Bridge/Middle Pickup: This setting produces a bright, twangy tone that is great for country and rockabilly styles.

Bridge/Neck Pickup: This setting produces a smooth, mellow tone that is perfect for blues, jazz, and other mellow styles of music.

Middle/Neck Pickup: This setting produces a warm, full-bodied tone that is great for rock, blues, and other styles of music.

All Three Pickups: This setting produces a thick, crunchy tone that is great for heavier genres of music such as metal and punk.

You can also use the volume and tone knobs to further shape the sound. Turning up the volume will make the sound louder and brighter, while turning down the volume will make the sound softer and more mellow. Likewise, turning up the tone knob will make the sound brighter, while turning down the tone knob will make the sound darker.

Conclusion

The Nashville Tele configuration is a great way to get a wide variety of tones out of just two pickups. With its combination of two three-way toggle switches and a five-way lever switch, you can easily select from five different pickup combinations and control the volume and tone of your sound. Understanding how to properly wire up a Nashville Tele configuration can be a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, you can create an amazing variety of tones with just a few simple parts.

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