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Control Assembly - Standard Wiring - For Telecaster®

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Description

Technical Specs

Wiring / Instructions / Customisation

Telecaster® Loaded Control Plate

This is a fully assembled loaded control plate for the Fender® Telecaster® — the complete control circuit, soldered up and ready to go, just waiting for your pickups to be connected.

Each plate is fully fitted with:

CTS® potentiometers (250k)
Oak Grigsby® 3-way switch
Cornell Dubilier® tone capacitor
Switchcraft® mono output socket
22 AWG cloth-covered, waxed vintage-style wire
Knobs and switch tip in your choice of colour

The Wiring

This is what we now consider the “standard” Telecaster® control layout:

Master Volume
Master Tone
3-way selector switch for two pickups:
- Bridge
- Neck + Bridge (parallel)
- Neck

It’s a simple and reliable setup that’s been standard on most Telecaster® models since 1967.

A Quick Bit of History

While we now associate this wiring with 250k pots, that standard didn’t fully take hold until 1979.

From 1967 to 1979, Fender® used the same switching arrangement but fitted the Tele® with 1 Meg pots, which made the guitar noticeably brighter. Prior to that, 250k pots were used, but with a different switching scheme altogether.

So, in a sense, this plate reflects a blend of Telecaster® history — taking cues from both the late-’60s to ’70s era and the earlier models that shaped the design.

Gibson®, Epiphone®, Squier®, Fender®, Stratocaster®, Strat®, Telecaster® and Tele® are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and Gibson Musical Instruments Corporation. Axesrus® has no affiliation with FMIC.

Knobs & Tips

We’ve expanded the Loaded Control Plates to include your choice of knobs and switch tip, giving you a bit more flexibility in the final look of your build. It’s all very cosmetic, of course — but as with most things in the guitar world, there are a few historical quirks worth mentioning. So let’s dig in a little.

Switch Tips

Let’s start with the switch tips, since they’ve got a bit more variation than you'd expect for something so small.

  
BarrelBarrel tips were the very first style of switch tip Fender® used — showing up on the original Broadcaster® and Esquire® models, and even on some of the early two-pickup prototypes in the late 1940s. That small, round shape has come to be seen as the “classic” Telecaster® tip — but strangely enough, it was only standard until 1955, when Fender® replaced it with the now-familiar Top Hat style.
The barrel tip did eventually make a comeback, but its reintroduction is a little murky. It first reappears around 1980, not on American-made Fenders®, but on “lawsuit” era Japanese models. When Fender Japan and Squier® began producing historical reissues, they stuck closely to the correct period details — including switch tips. By 1987, when Fender® USA resumed full production, we see the barrel tip officially return on American instruments as well.
So, for period-correct builds, a rough guideline would be:

    1949–1955, and then again 1987 to present.

Top HatTop Hat tips were the second style of switch tip used on Telecasters®, introduced around 1956 and used almost exclusively up until 1983, when Fender® halted U.S. production.
As you’d expect, the Top Hat switch tip’s history runs more or less as a mirror image of the Barrel tip. But interestingly, the Top Hat never really disappeared. While U.S. models dropped them after 1983, Fender® Japan and Squier® continued to use them — albeit somewhat inconsistently.
Things got more complicated after 1987, when U.S. production resumed and historically accurate reissue models became common. These typically used switch tips that matched the era being replicated — so the Top Hat tip remained in circulation, just not always on modern standard models.
These days, the general pattern is:
Modern Telecasters® → usually barrel tips
1950s reissues → barrel tips
1960s–1970s reissues → Top Hat tips

Tear DropOK — this one isn’t a traditional Telecaster® switch tip. The Tear Drop tip is far more commonly associated with the Stratocaster®, and as far as I’m aware, Fender® has never released a production Tele® with a Tear Drop switch tip fitted as standard.
That said, it’s still an option!

    It’s a bit sleeker than the Barrel or Top Hat, slightly smaller, and generally a bit more robust. Probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re after something a little different — something that subtly sets your guitar apart — this might be just the trick.

Knobs

Like switch tips, Telecaster® knobs have their fair share of historical quirks and period-correct details that are worth knowing — especially if you're aiming to match a specific era or just want your build to feel “right.”

While it’s easy to write them off as just cosmetic, there are some subtle differences in shape, finish, and even construction that have changed over the years — and they can really help bring a guitar together visually.

So, let’s take a look at the options.

  
Dome Topped KnobsWhen the Telecaster® first hit the scene — still wearing its Broadcaster® badge — it came fitted with what we now call “heavy dome topped” knobs. But those originals weren’t quite the same as the modern dome tops you’ll find today.
The modern dome top has a gentle curved shoulder, but the actual face of the knob is fairly flat — a very tidy, pleasing shape. The originals, however, had a much steeper, more aggressive dome — with a continuous radius across the entire top. They’re still available today if you're after historical accuracy… but to be blunt, they’re not the prettiest.
That original style lasted until around 1953, when it was replaced by the more refined dome top we’re familiar with now — the one shown here. This version stuck around until 1955–56, at which point flat-topped knobs took over — likely around the same time Fender® switched to the Top Hat switch tip, suggesting a broader cosmetic redesign.
As for modern production:
You won’t often see dome tops on current Fender® USA guitars
But they do still appear on vintage reissues, both in the heavy dome and light dome styles, depending on the model and year being replicated

Flat Topped KnobsThis is the “modern” Telecaster® knob — stepping in to replace the dome-topped style around 1956, and holding its ground pretty much ever since.
One interesting quirk is the knurling. Early versions had a much more aggressive grip pattern, which gave a rugged, tactile feel — perfect for sweaty gigs and quick adjustments. Over time though, the knurling has become noticeably finer on production models.

    We stick with the heavy knurling approach ourselves — partly for that vintage vibe, but mainly because it just works better. The finer it gets, the worse the grip gets, simple as that.
What’s funny, though, is that despite the flat-top being the dominant knob style for nearly 70 years, most people — given the choice — still reach for the dome top. Why?

    No idea. Nostalgia? Style? It's a mystery. But the flat top’s the real workhorse.

Position Marker KnobsA bit of a twist on the usual — Position Marker knobs are basically dome-topped knobs with a small dimple pressed into the top face, designed to give you a subtle visual cue about the knob’s setting.
In practice?

    Honestly, I don’t think it works very well. The dimple’s so subtle it’s often hard to spot — and if you can see it clearly, you’ll probably notice the screw holding the knob on the pot right there too, which kind of defeats the purpose.
That said, it does look sleek, and if you want it as an option, I’m not here to judge.
As far as I know, Fender® never fitted position marker knobs on any production Telecasters®, so if you want one, you’re definitely going for something a little more bespoke.

  
Bakelite KnobsI’m including these more because they look cool than for any Telecaster® history — Bakelite knobs are most famously found on the Fender® Mustang, Jazz® Bass, and Jaguar®.
They’re designed to fit solid shaft pots — just like the Telecaster® — and they make for big, chunky, and very positive-feeling knobs. The thick white line gives a clear indication of position, making them highly functional.
Not exactly historically accurate for a Telecaster®, and definitely not the prettiest, but if you want something bold and practical, they’re a solid option.



  
Stratocaster® KnobsNot a Telecaster® knob, but a Strat® one — and we offer these partly because they let me indulge my creative side.
We provide Strat® knobs with a choice of font colors, so it makes sense to match the control plate colors with the font:
Gold plates come with black knobs and gold font
Silver and Chrome plates get silver font for neck knobs
Black plates get white font (though black font on black knobs is available if you’re interested!)
Compared to traditional Telecaster® knobs, these give a much clearer and more legible indication of position — a definite upgrade if clarity is your priority.
One important note: Strat® knobs use split-shaft pots, not the solid shaft pots standard on Telecasters®.

    But no worries — we include two spare reducer bushes with your order, so you can easily convert back to standard Tele knobs if you want.


  
Metal UFO KnobsI’ve always had a soft spot for Metal UFO knobs — they actually trace back to the Fender Elite series from the 1980s (minus the Fender® logos, of course).
They’re the same size and shape as Strat® knobs but made of metal and electroplated, giving them a sleek, industrial feel.
They look pretty cool on a Telecaster® — kind of a halfway house between classic and modern styling.
Just a heads-up: unlike Strat® knobs, these have no numbers or lettering — they’re simply that shape in metal.

What is an Assembly?

I’ve been a bit lax about explaining this over the years because the photos mostly spoke for themselves — but since we’re sharing more detailed product info nowadays, it’s a good time to clarify exactly what an Assembly is.

In short, an assembly is all the electronics, fully wired up and mounted on a pickguard or control plate, ready to drop straight into your guitar.

It’s a super easy way to completely overhaul your guitar’s electronics without needing to do a lot of soldering — or even fully understand what’s going on under the hood.

That’s basically it: you add your own pickups to the wiring loom, and you’re ready to install it in your guitar.

With our assemblies, we don’t cut corners. We use CTS pots, Cornell Dubilier capacitors, 22 AWG cloth-covered wire, and a Switchcraft mono socket.
The switch may vary depending on the guitar model — some switches just won’t fit certain guitars — but we always use the best quality switch we can for each job.

While it’s not completely solder-free, the soldering you do need to do is minimal. We even include a bit of solder and some heat shrink tubing to make it easier and save you any extra expense.

You will need a soldering iron, I’m afraid — that’s unavoidable given how most guitars are designed — but beyond that, installing an assembly is a dream.
Very little can go wrong, very little you need to learn, and it opens the door to making a huge upgrade to your instrument.

Why Upgrade?

This has been rattling around in my head for a while, so here’s everything laid out in black and white:
Why should you fit a completely new wiring loom to your guitar (not even counting pickups)?

Two very good reasons:

You want a completely fresh look.
New control plate, knobs, screws, bolts, washers — whatever colours you want, all factory-fresh and perfect.
If you’re anything like me, it feels like a brand-new guitar. We’ve got you covered.
You want reliability.
New, high-quality parts, soldered perfectly, tested, working, and backed by a warranty that really upsets our accountant.
That’s exactly what we offer.

What we do with these loaded plates (and all our wiring looms, control plates, assemblies, and pickups):

Everything is brand new and shiny — top-tier quality throughout.

Generally, that means CTS pots, Switchcraft sockets, and Oak Grigsby switches — all rated to last decades, not just years.
Every connection is hand soldered point-to-point, heat shrunk where possible to prevent shorts and provide mechanical strength.

That’s what you want from a wiring upgrade: reliability.

Assemblies at this level are a complete cosmetic overhaul, backed by wiring that just works and is very unlikely to fail anytime soon.

But… a few myths might be colouring your decision:

If I had a pound for every time someone proudly told me they’d “completely replaced the wiring with CTS pots/Fender switches/Gibson caps and definitely heard the difference,” I’d be very rich.

Honestly? Swapping pots, switches, or sockets just to chase tone differences is usually pointless.
They’re mostly passive components — they don’t actually create tone.

Pots – Resistance Isn’t Futile

Okay, here’s the truth: pots do affect your tone, especially the volume pot.

Think of your volume pot as a kind of high pass filter to ground (or low pass filter to live, if you prefer).
The pot’s resistance value changes the cutoff frequency:

1 Meg pot lets the highest frequencies pass (cutoff very high) — brighter sound
500k pot cuts a bit more high end — a bit darker
250k pot cuts even more — darker still

Larger pot values = brighter guitar, usually paired with darker pickups.
Smaller pot values = darker guitar, usually paired with brighter pickups.

That’s why humbuckers often come with 500k pots, single coils with 250k — it’s a heard convention, not a scientific law.

But what about “blind upgrades”?

If you’re just swapping from, say, Alpha 250k pots to CTS 250k pots, the tonal effect is minimal or zero.
In essence, a pot at rest is just a resistor in parallel with the pickup — and a 250k resistor is a 250k resistor, no matter the brand.

So claims like “my guitar sounds better after swapping to CTS pots” are mostly nonsense.
Unless you’re changing the resistance value, you’re not changing the frequency filtering — and therefore not the sound.

Tapering Off

There’s a bit more nuance when you turn the volume knob down:
The pot becomes a combination of resistors in series and parallel, affecting the signal in a more complex way.

Different pot brands and tapers can change how the guitar sounds when the volume is adjusted — but usually, players don’t mean “it sounds better when volume is at 6” when they say the pots changed their tone.

Taper mostly affects playability and feel — linear pots can feel unresponsive, while audio taper pots tend to behave more smoothly.

Resistance Summary

Bottom line:
A 250k pot is a 250k pot. Swapping brands with the same value won’t magically improve tone.
You might get better feel, longer life, and shinier parts, but not a better sound.

Pickups

Here’s the real deal: the tone starts and ends with the pickups and strings.
They’re the six bits of steel and copper coils that generate your signal.

If you want to fix tonal niggles, start with strings, then pickups.
Pots and wiring should just work and be reliable — if they’re not, replace them for reliability, not tone.

Switches & Sockets

These are passive parts with near-zero resistance, so they don’t affect tone either.

However, quality matters for feel and reliability:

Switches that feel solid and have make-before-break contacts (silent switching) are worth it.
Sockets with tight, noise-free connections are essential.

They won’t get you Hendrix tone, but they’ll keep your guitar working smoothly.

Capacitors

Caps do affect tone in a clear way — they set the frequency range your tone pot filters.

Bigger caps filter more high end when you roll off tone, giving a darker sound
Smaller caps filter less, retaining more brightness

Think of the tone pot as a volume control just for high frequencies, and the capacitor decides how much of those highs are affected.

But…

Most guitars use caps between 0.01µF and 0.047µF — and while a big cap can roll off a lot of highs, you probably won’t notice much difference when the tone knob is wide open.

Caps don’t usually break either — guitar voltages are so low that capacitors last forever.

So unless you really like tweaking your tone pot, caps aren’t a big deal. Just pick a common value (like 0.047µF) and move on.

In summary:
Upgrading wiring is mostly about reliability, feel, and cosmetics — not chasing mythical tonal improvements from pots, switches, or caps.

If you want better tone, start with good pickups and fresh strings, then build your setup from there.

Warranty & Returns

Why This Matters

Ideally, I wouldn’t have to write this section. But in the spirit of honesty and transparency—especially given how custom pickups and wiring looms are made—it’s important to be clear about your rights as a consumer and give insight into how we actually build these parts.

How We Do It

Our pickups and wiring looms are 100% custom made. There’s no pre-made stock waiting on a shelf. When you click “Add to Cart,” your order is built from scratch to your exact specifications.

That means our team carefully selects the parts, then hand-winds, solders, drills, assembles, cleans, and tests each item to the highest standard. All done in-house, at a very small scale.

Because of this, production is not instant:

Simpler items take a few days.
More complex builds can take about two weeks.
We operate a strict first-in, first-out queue.

At full capacity, we produce roughly 6 custom items per day, ensuring high attention to detail on every product.

Returns

Because every item is made specifically for you—custom-built, labor-intensive, and tailored to your order—pickups and wiring looms fall under custom work according to our Terms and UK distance selling regulations.

This means:

No returns or refunds.
No “try it and return if you don’t like it.”
Once a pickup is wound or a loom assembled, it belongs to you.

We understand this might feel strict, but it’s necessary to keep custom craftsmanship sustainable.

Warranty

All Axesrus wiring looms and loaded plates come with a 5-year warranty.
Pickups have a lifetime warranty.
The wiring warranty is shorter because wiring components are more prone to wear and damage over time.

This warranty covers manufacturing faults only—not damage caused by installation or misuse.

We never require registration, limit support to 12 months, or refuse warranty if you sell your gear secondhand. We’re proud of our products and support them for the long haul.

Repairs & Replacements

We do not accept wiring looms back for refund.
But if a manufacturing fault appears within the warranty period, we reserve the right to repair or replace the part.

Damage vs Fault

DIY installation can lead to minor imperfections—we won’t fault you for imperfect solder joints or a little burnt flux. However, damage caused by installation errors (like excessive solder shorts or broken parts) is not covered by warranty.

Lead Times & Cancellations

Lead times are published and cannot be shortened (no jumping the queue).
Once you place an order, work begins and the contract is binding—no cancellations or refunds.
Parts may be partially built quickly, but testing and finishing take time.

Modifications

If you want to modify your loom after purchase (different pots, switches, knobs, or wiring), we’re happy to help—usually charging just parts and postage.
Extent of modifications and feasibility are at Axesrus’s discretion and typically not covered by warranty.

Warranty & Ownership

Officially, the warranty is limited to the original purchaser, but we understand gear changes hands.

We’ll honor a 12-month warranty from original purchase for subsequent owners, provided we know the original buyer and date.
Technical support is available regardless, but we’ll ask for proof the product is Axesrus-made.

Specifications & Tolerances

Component specs are subject to manufacturing tolerances (usually ±10%), temperature shifts, and material changes outside our control.

If specs drift, we update website info accordingly, but these variations are not warranty issues.

Warranty Postage

Beyond the initial 14-day period, any shipping costs for warranty repairs or replacements are the customer’s responsibility. We appreciate this can be costly internationally, but it’s a necessary policy.

Colours

We know that for most people, when it comes to guitar parts, the usual palette is Chrome, Black, or Gold. But as you’ve probably noticed, there are quite a few more options out there.

To give you a better idea, here are some photos showcasing various common color finishes available.

 

ChromeChrome — or more accurately, “chromium plated” — is widely regarded as the best electroplating finish available for guitar hardware.
It is:
Hard-wearing
Resistant to abrasion and corrosion
Able to take a high polish to achieve a mirror-like shine
Relatively affordable to produce
Chrome plating officially replaced nickel plating in the 1930s, but guitars were relatively late to adopt it. Fender® began using chrome hardware in the 1950s, and it became common in the 1970s.
Even then, it wasn’t unusual to see chrome and nickel parts side by side on the same guitar.


 

  Nickel

Nickel plating was well established long before electric guitars existed and, although largely replaced by chrome plating over time, many manufacturers continued to produce nickel-plated parts.
Compared to chrome, nickel is:
Slightly softer, so it wears quicker
Less reactive, meaning it’s less likely to rust from sweat (though in practice, sweat corrosion on nickel can be quite common)
Nickel is often prized for its warmer, more pleasing hue — a silver tone with a subtle hint of yellow.

   
 

   Gold
Gold electroplating has faced challenges in recent years — often dismissed as “not real gold,” but it truly is genuine gold plating.
However, gold is a soft and expensive metal applied as a thin electroplated layer over a much harder base material. This means:
It wears through relatively quickly
Has poor abrasion resistance
Lower-karat gold used to reduce costs has lost some of its naturally unreactive qualities
Gold plating costs are heavily influenced by the price of gold. While plating costs remain fairly steady, the shade of gold plating can vary as gold prices fluctuate — typically becoming lighter in color.

   

 
CosmoCosmo, officially known as Ruthenium and sometimes called “Black Nickel,” is a dark grey metal plating with a sleek, almost gunmetal grey appearance.
Scratch and abrasion resistant, offering durability
Relatively unreactive compared to many other finishes
Most commonly found on Ibanez® guitars, especially on Edge tremolo systems and Gotoh machine heads — a signature look for years
Not a common finish, but perfect if you want something different and stylish

  Black

Black plating is… complicated. I’ve asked numerous factories for details, and every answer has been different: Black Chrome, Black Zinc, Zinc Oxide, Nickel Oxide — honestly, I’m not sure anymore. So, I’ll humbly fall on the sword of ignorance.
I strongly advise against using black plating on large parts like humbucker covers or tremolos. While they look incredible when new, after a year you’ll likely be cursing them.
That said, black plating works fine for screws, bolts, and small parts where wear and fingerprints aren’t as noticeable.

  Unplated

It’s a bit unfair to lump all unplated metals together — they don’t all look the same, and unplated parts are relatively rare compared to plated ones.
Here are the common materials you’ll find unplated:
Mild steel: Dark bluish-grey, prone to corrosion and oxidation
Stainless steel: Flat grey, more common because it resists rust. Most people prefer it polished to a mirror finish (like nickel or chrome plating), but polishing is labour-intensive and raises cost
German silver: Slightly yellow-grey, often used on metal pickup covers
Brass: A “mucky yellow” colour, distinctive and warm-toned

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