Can You Help Me Wire This? (Klein Tele Pickup Content)

[Kam]

So, I just got me a Klein Tri-State to put in the bridge of my Tele. For those of you who're too lazy to click the link, it's a single coil with two taps, giving an available three levels of output. Pretty cool concept, really.

Trouble is that I have no idea how to wire it and I can't find a wiring diagram on their site.

It has four wires coming from it; black, red, white and yellow. I'm pretty sure the black one is the ground, as it seems to be connected to the baseplate.

The bro I bought it from also included the switch he had used with it. It's a three position mini-switch with six lugs on the back. I want to use the switch to select which tap I'm using but, other than that, it's just a regular Tele wiring scheme, with a master tone and volume and a three-way pickup switch.

So, has anyone used one of these before? Or does anyone know a good way of working out what each wire is for and where to put it?

I've sent an Email to Klein about it, but no one's gotten back to me yet. I assume they're all busy with the whole Independance Day thing, so I'm sure they'll help me out when they can, but I'm just super impatient and I really want to hear this thing.

Thanks for any light you may shed on this situation, lads.

[Gypsyblue]

Got a multi meter? You'll need one. Hold one probe to the ground wire and then hold the other probe to the three other wires one at a time. The wire with the highest DC resistance will be the hottest output and the one with the lowest will be the weakest output.

I don't know how to wire your switch without seeing it. Sorry.

[Kam]

Thanks for that, man. I do have a multimeter, so I'll give that a go tomorrow.

I'll also try to get a picture of the switch, too. It looks exactly the same as this one, though....

[Kam]

Bump.

[Kam]

Bump?

[ItsaBass]

Is the switch an on/on/on switch?

[Kam]

I'm not 100%, but I think it is. If it isn't and I need one, I can easily pick one up.

[ItsaBass]

Here is an idea. If it is an on/on/on switch, the middle would be full power, up would be the next strongest tap, and down would be the weakest tap.

Looking at your switch from the back so that you have two vertical columns of three lugs each, let's number the lugs left to right. The first row of two has lugs 1 and 2. The middle row of two has lugs 3 and 4. The bottom row of two has lugs 5 and 6.

So, here is my idea:

- connect the ground wire from the pickup to the shell of the volume pot.
- connect hot wire from pickup selector switch to lug 2.
- connect a diagonal jumper from lug 2 to lug 3.
- connect the weakest hot wire to lug 5.
- connect the middle output hot wire to lug 1.
- connect the full output hot wire to lug 6.

This will work for sure in the up or the down position. However, my basic electronic knowledge is extremely rusty, so I am not sure about the middle position. In that position, you've got the hot wire from the pickup selector switch coming in and seeing all three tap wires as options for a path. I don't remember where the current goes in that situation. Part of me thinks that it goes three separate ways, split up depending on the resistance on each path, and then meets up again to form the full output. But part of me thinks that the different resistances of the three paths will result in most of the current going through the weakest tap wire, and you not getting full output. I don't know. But maybe worth a shot.

[Funkfingers]

Resistance meter time.

From the product photograph, it is self-evident that the black and white conductors are either end of the coil.

If I were winding that pickup, I would bring out the tap points to exactly the same places that Klein has done. It is the only practical option, really.

The published output statistics could match your readings in one of two ways;
1) Measurements between black and each of the other conductors will match the Klein stats.
2) Measurements between white and each of the other three conductors will match.

In case 1, the yellow, red and white conductors are outputs.

In case 2, the black, yellow and red conductors are grounds.

Simples.

[Kam]

Resistance meter time.

From the product photograph, it is self-evident that the black and white conductors are either end of the coil.

If I were winding that pickup, I would bring out the tap points to exactly the same places that Klein has done. It is the only practical option, really.

The published output statistics could match your readings in one of two ways;
1) Measurements between black and each of the other conductors will match the Klein stats.
2) Measurements between white and each of the other three conductors will match.

In case 1, the yellow, red and white conductors are outputs.

In case 2, the black, yellow and red conductors are grounds.

Simples.

Got a multi meter? You'll need one. Hold one probe to the ground wire and then hold the other probe to the three other wires one at a time. The wire with the highest DC resistance will be the hottest output and the one with the lowest will be the weakest output.

I don't know how to wire your switch without seeing it. Sorry.

Done. Thanks, guys. I know what each of the wires are now. So, all I need to do is figure out how to attach them to the switch.

Here is an idea. If it is an on/on/on switch, the middle would be full power, up would be the next strongest tap, and down would be the weakest tap.

Looking at your switch from the back so that you have two vertical columns of three lugs each, let's number the lugs left to right. The first row of two has lugs 1 and 2. The middle row of two has lugs 3 and 4. The bottom row of two has lugs 5 and 6.

So, here is my idea:

- connect the ground wire from the pickup to the shell of the volume pot.
- connect hot wire from pickup selector switch to lug 2.
- connect a diagonal jumper from lug 2 to lug 3.
- connect the weakest hot wire to lug 5.
- connect the middle output hot wire to lug 1.
- connect the full output hot wire to lug 6.

This will work for sure in the up or the down position. However, my basic electronic knowledge is extremely rusty, so I am not sure about the middle position. In that position, you've got the hot wire from the pickup selector switch coming in and seeing all three tap wires as options for a path. I don't remember where the current goes in that situation. Part of me thinks that it goes three separate ways, split up depending on the resistance on each path, and then meets up again to form the full output. But part of me thinks that the different resistances of the three paths will result in most of the current going through the weakest tap wire, and you not getting full output. I don't know. But maybe worth a shot.

My knowledge of electronics is much more basic than yours, but most of that seemed to make sense. I guess I'll give that a go, when I get a chance, and see how it goes. That's the cool thing about Teles; it's easy to work on the control cavity without having to remove all the ****ing strings and scratchplate. Thanks, dude.

By the way, I checked the switch again. It's definitely an on-on-on.