So you've decided to upgrade your Telecaster's® electronics. You've got your 920D Custom wiring harness on the way, and now you're wondering: can I actually do this myself?
Short answer: yes. A Tele® is actually one of the more approachable guitars to rewire, since there's less crammed into one spot. Let's walk through it step by step.
Written by Bennett, Director at 920D Custom
•
Updated
STEP 1
Remove your strings
First things first, take off your strings. You don't need to remove all of them if you don't want to, but at minimum, loosen them enough to get them out of your way. This also gives you clear access to the bridge plate, which you'll need later.
Once the strings are off, wipe down your fretboard. You're already here, might as well.
Once the strings are off, wipe down your fretboard. You're already here, might as well.
STEP 2
Remove the control plate
Unscrew the 2 screws holding the control plate and lift it out. It's still tethered to the guitar by wires running to both pickups and the bridge ground, so go slow. Pull it just far enough to create slack in the wires so you can flip it over.
STEP 3
Take a photo (seriously)
Before you touch a single wire, pull out your phone and take a few photos. Get close-ups of how the bridge and neck pickup wires land on the 3-way switch, how the bridge ground wire attaches to the volume pot, and how the output jack is wired. This is your safety net if you get lost halfway through.
Masking tape labels help too, things like "bridge hot," "neck hot," or "bridge ground" so you're not guessing later.
Masking tape labels help too, things like "bridge hot," "neck hot," or "bridge ground" so you're not guessing later.
STEP 4
Desolder/cut the old electronics
Since the output jack usually lives right in the body itself, start there, it's the simplest connection on the whole guitar. Unscrew the output jack from the body and leave it attached to the original harness.
Next, desolder or cut the two pickup wires (bridge and neck) from the 3-way switch, along with both ground wires. Keep track of which is which: the bridge wire runs down from the bridge plate, and the neck wire comes up from the small pickguard.
Finally, desolder the bridge ground wire from the back of the volume pot. There's also usually a small wire running to the bridge or screwed into the body, this is the ground wire for the bridge plate. Keep track of it, you'll need to reattach it to your new harness later.
Next, desolder or cut the two pickup wires (bridge and neck) from the 3-way switch, along with both ground wires. Keep track of which is which: the bridge wire runs down from the bridge plate, and the neck wire comes up from the small pickguard.
Finally, desolder the bridge ground wire from the back of the volume pot. There's also usually a small wire running to the bridge or screwed into the body, this is the ground wire for the bridge plate. Keep track of it, you'll need to reattach it to your new harness later.
STEP 5
Remove the old harness
Once everything's disconnected, the old control plate assembly should lift free of the guitar entirely.
Set the old harness aside. You're not throwing it away yet, it's your backup in case something goes sideways. Once you know the new harness works, you can toss it or keep it as a spare.
Set the old harness aside. You're not throwing it away yet, it's your backup in case something goes sideways. Once you know the new harness works, you can toss it or keep it as a spare.
STEP 6/7
Install the harness and solder in pickups
Your 920D harness comes pre-wired on its own control plate, all you need to do is wire in the two pickups and the bridge ground (if you have one).
Drop the new control plate into place and route the bridge and neck pickup wires toward the switch the same way the original harness did. Leave a little slack in both, pickups need room to move when you adjust their height later.
Now connect your pickups. Your 920D harness will have a wiring diagram showing the connection points for bridge and neck, match each pickup to its spot on the 3-way switch. Each pickup has a hot wire and a ground wire. For a standard 3-way harness, the hot wires go to their designated lug on the switch, and the ground wire gets soldered to the back of the volume pot.
Here's how to make a clean solder joint: tin the wire with a small amount of solder first, then hold it against the connection point, heat both the wire and the pot or lug with your iron, and apply just enough solder to make a solid connection. It should look shiny and smooth, not blobby. Don't hold the iron on the joint too long, a few seconds is enough.
Drop the new control plate into place and route the bridge and neck pickup wires toward the switch the same way the original harness did. Leave a little slack in both, pickups need room to move when you adjust their height later.
Now connect your pickups. Your 920D harness will have a wiring diagram showing the connection points for bridge and neck, match each pickup to its spot on the 3-way switch. Each pickup has a hot wire and a ground wire. For a standard 3-way harness, the hot wires go to their designated lug on the switch, and the ground wire gets soldered to the back of the volume pot.
Here's how to make a clean solder joint: tin the wire with a small amount of solder first, then hold it against the connection point, heat both the wire and the pot or lug with your iron, and apply just enough solder to make a solid connection. It should look shiny and smooth, not blobby. Don't hold the iron on the joint too long, a few seconds is enough.
STEP 8
Install the output jack
Because the jack is mounted directly on the body, this part's easy: just push the jack through the control plate hole and tighten the included nut. Make sure the connection is solid and that no stray strands of wire are touching anything they shouldn't. If the jack casing touches the body, it can ground out your signal, so be careful.
STEP 9
Reattach the bridge/body ground wire (if you have one)
This is what keeps your Tele® quiet. Take the ground wire coming from the bridge plate or body and solder it to the back of either pot on your new harness, alongside your other ground connections.
STEP 10
Test before you close it up
Don't screw the control plate back down yet. Plug in your guitar and turn on your amp. Tap each pickup with a screwdriver, you should hear a signal through the amp in all three switch positions (bridge, bridge+neck, neck). Turn the volume and tone knobs to make sure they respond smoothly.
If something's not working, don't panic. Go back to your wiring diagram and double-check your connections. A cold solder joint or a wire on the wrong switch lug is usually the culprit. Reflow any joints that look sketchy and test again.
If something's not working, don't panic. Go back to your wiring diagram and double-check your connections. A cold solder joint or a wire on the wrong switch lug is usually the culprit. Reflow any joints that look sketchy and test again.
STEP 11
Reassemble your guitar
Once everything's working, it's time to button it up. Carefully lower the control plate back into place, tucking the bridge ground wire and pickup wires into the cavity as you go. Make sure no wires are getting pinched under the edge of the plate.
Screw the control plate back down, but don't overtighten, you'll strip the screw holes. If you removed the neck pickup's pickguard, reattach it too.
Screw the control plate back down, but don't overtighten, you'll strip the screw holes. If you removed the neck pickup's pickguard, reattach it too.
STEP 12
Restring and play
Put your strings back on, tune up, and plug in. Play some chords, hit some riffs, and feel the difference across all three pickup positions.
What if something goes wrong?
If you're getting no sound at all, check your output jack connections first, since it's mounted right on the control plate, it's an easy spot for a wire to get stressed while reassembling.
If one pickup isn't working, double-check the wiring for that pickup at the 3-way switch. Make sure the hot wire is on the correct lug and the ground wire is connected to the back of the volume pot.
If you're getting hum or noise, check your bridge ground connection first. Make sure that wire is soldered securely and that the bridge plate itself is making good contact with the body.
Still stuck? Reach out. We have seen it all and can walk you through troubleshooting.
If one pickup isn't working, double-check the wiring for that pickup at the 3-way switch. Make sure the hot wire is on the correct lug and the ground wire is connected to the back of the volume pot.
If you're getting hum or noise, check your bridge ground connection first. Make sure that wire is soldered securely and that the bridge plate itself is making good contact with the body.
Still stuck? Reach out. We have seen it all and can walk you through troubleshooting.
Installing a wiring harness in a Tele® is one of the more forgiving mods you can do, fewer components crammed into one spot means fewer places for something to go wrong. Your Tele® just got a serious upgrade. Now get out there and play it.