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Post subject: Telecaster Switch Question
Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:15 pm
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Hi Guys,

First, I'm so happy to say that as of last night I'm the proud owner of a very nice Tele, something I've wanted for a very long time.

About 6 months ago I traded a very nice Larrivee acoustic for a Gibson SG Standard; my first electric guitar. Was a spontaneous thing and I can't say I loved the SG. Yesterday I was able to trade for a 1998/99 American built Deluxe Nashville Tele. Even though the guitar needs some setup work, I have to say I'm loving it already, exactly what I was expecting, and it's in near mint condition, at least given it's been played for 12 years. I have no idea what this Tele is worth, so I hope I got a good deal with the trade.

My real question is that this guitar has 2 switches. The first is the normal 5 position switch you'd expect to see. The other is a very small toggle between the 2 knobs. Does anyone have any idea what it does? I have the guitar in the shop for a proper setup so I haven't time to play with it too much to try and figure out what it does.

Cheers and thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Switch Question
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:56 pm
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Nowadays those guitars are made in Mexico, I believe you scored a MKII Tele Plus, nice find.
However, I cant see a picture from work but I dont believe the second switch is original.


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Switch Question
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:59 pm
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From wiki...

"Telecaster Pluses from 1989 to 1995 (Version One) had a short style bridge (somewhat similar to that of the Stratocaster), with the bridge pickup having a small metal pickup ring which was not part of the bridge mechanism. The control plate also differed from the standard Telecaster; due to an extra mini switch between the tone and volume knobs, which was used to select different pickup settings, it switches the bridge pickup in and out when the front pickups are selected - giving the guitar an expanded range of different tones. This wiring scheme was available on the American Deluxe Tele for about two years. Guitars made from about 1995 until 1997 (Version Two) also featured a bound contoured alder body with ash veneers, a regular Telecaster bridge plate and three Gold Lace Sensor Tele pickups. Telecaster Plus and Deluxe Plus models were all replaced by the American Deluxe Telecaster in 1998."

Hope this helps!

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Switch Question
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:03 pm
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yea yea

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Switch Question
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:15 am
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fendersguitargurl wrote:
yea yea



yeah yeah yeah :D

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Switch Question
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:35 am
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Miami Mike wrote:
From wiki...

"Telecaster Pluses from 1989 to 1995 (Version One) had a short style bridge (somewhat similar to that of the Stratocaster), with the bridge pickup having a small metal pickup ring which was not part of the bridge mechanism. The control plate also differed from the standard Telecaster; due to an extra mini switch between the tone and volume knobs, which was used to select different pickup settings, it switches the bridge pickup in and out when the front pickups are selected - giving the guitar an expanded range of different tones. This wiring scheme was available on the American Deluxe Tele for about two years. Guitars made from about 1995 until 1997 (Version Two) also featured a bound contoured alder body with ash veneers, a regular Telecaster bridge plate and three Gold Lace Sensor Tele pickups. Telecaster Plus and Deluxe Plus models were all replaced by the American Deluxe Telecaster in 1998."

Hope this helps!


hintonagus - please post photos of your Tele; I suspect you have an American Deluxe Tele from the first year or so of production.

All that Miami Mike posted is 100% correct. However, when it was introduced in 1998 the American Deluxe Tele carried forward that Nashville pickup configuration used by the Tele Plus Version 2 - except of course it now had Vintage Noiseless pickups (a chrome-covered Tele neck pickup, an "aged" covered Strat middle pickup, and a black bobbin bridge pickup) with the same wiring as Tele Plus V2. Other differences from the Tele Plus V2 were rolled neck edges, abalone dots, and a chrome headstock decal. Fender dropped the ash veneers used on the old Tele Plus V2; the American Deluxes had either a an alder body or an ash body depending on the color. I'm remembering that the transparent teal, transparent white (which had a tortoise shell pickguard and tortoise shell binding), and the trans red were ash; the solid colors and 3-color burst were alder. I can't remember if there was a 2-color burst Am Dlx Tele with an ash body back then or not; I know the color/body wood combos are correct for the Am Dlx Strats of this era.

The "Nashville" pickup configuration didn't last very long - the Am Dlx series came out in March 1998; what I don't remember is when in 1999 the Am Dlx Tele changed to a "standard" 2-pickup configuration. It could have been as early as January or as late as July.

Hope that help.


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Switch Question
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:14 pm
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Hi, this is excellent information. I'll try posting some pics here tomorrow. It has the three pickup configuration you describe.


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