DIY Thinline Telecaster Build – Wiring a P90 into the Telecaster Neck Position

I wanted to build a really high quality Thinline Telecaster with a P90 in the neck for some time now. For the past few months I kept my eyes out for a used body and when I saw the one in this video, I snatched it up. It came with a black and a white pickguard with the P90 hole. I have not built a Telecaster on a Warmouth body before and really wanted to check them out.
Here are the components of what went into the build and the specifications.
Warmouth Thinline Body
The body is made of Swamp Ash with a Swamp Ash Laminate Top. There is white binding on both the top and bottom sides. The finish of the front and back is what Warmouth refers to as Black-Brown-Yellow Burst and it is a gloss poly finish.
• Neck Pickup Rout: P90
• Bridge Pickup Rout: Tele
Picked up in Mint condition on Reverb for $465. I went to the Warmouth website and entered all of the specifications, and the body priced out at $847.
Neck P90 Pickup
I have purchased three times from Red Rock Guitar Pickups from their Reverb Store and have been pleased each time. Here are the specs of the P90 I purchased this time.
• Red Rock Guitar Pickups are handmade in a small shop located in upper Michigan.
• Each pickup is hand built one at a time
• Staple P90 neck pickup with custom open top raw nickel cover
• Custom cut Alnico 5 staple magnets
• 42awg magnet wire
• Vintage style braided wire
• Wax potted
Reverb Store for $110 plus $8 S&H

For the Bridge Pickup I went with a classic that I like from Fender, the Pure Vintage ’64 Telecaster(R) Bridge Pickup.
• Color: Black and Chrome
• Cover Color: Bridge: Black
• Pickup Configuration: SS
• Lead Wire: Cloth-covered
• Magnet Type: Alnico 5
• Magnet Wire: Enamel-coated
• Pole Pieces: Staggered bridge pickup
• Bobbin Material: Fiber
• Output: Vintage
• DC Resistance: Bridge: 6.0K
• Inductance: Bridge: 2.8 Henries
• Price $39
Neck
I am sorry if I am a broken record on the necks lately. I purchased a Fender Player II Telecaster neck with Rosewood and added a set of Fender Classic Gear tuners.
• Neck Material Maple
• Neck Shape Modern C
• Neck Joint Bolt-on
• Radius 9.5″
• Fingerboard Material Slab Rosewood
• Number of Frets 22
• Scale Length 25.5″
• Nut Width 1.650″
• Nut Material Synthetic Bone
From the Stratosphere eBay store, I paid $329.

For the wiring harness I build something custom to this guitar’s pickup configuration.
Here are the components I used.
• CTS 500k Linear (Audio) Volume Pot
• CTS 250k Linear (Audo) Tone Pot
• 470k Resistor goes from ground to Bridge Pickup Lug on 3-Way Switch
• .022 uF Capacitor
• Oak Grigsby 3-Way Blade Pickup Selector Switch
Parts together – $45
Here is my thinking as to why I built this harness:
CTS 500k Audio Volume Pot:
500k Volume Pot for P90: The 500k pot is a good choice for a P90 in the neck position. P90s are fatter and have more output than standard single coils, and a 500k pot will help retain their clarity and high-end sparkle. A lower value (like 250k) would make the P90 sound too dark or muddy, especially in the neck position.
CTS 250k Audio Tone Pot:
250k with .022 uF Cap: This is a very common and effective combination for a Telecaster bridge pickup. It provides a useful range of tone roll off for that bright, biting pickup.

Tone Control for P90: While 250k is often used for P90s, some players prefer 500k tone pots to keep even more highs available. However, with the .022uF cap, a 250k tone pot will still provide plenty of usable tone shaping for the P90 in the neck, especially if you’re going for warmer, jazzy, or bluesy tones.
470k Resistor goes from Back of Volume Pot ground to Bridge Pickup Hot Lug on the 3-Way Pickup Selector Switch:
Impact on Tele Bridge Pickup: The 470k resistor effectively loads the bridge pickup slightly, bleeding off around 235 to 250k to ground. This will for all intents make the Bridge Single Coil pickup see the 500k Volume pot as a 250k Pot.
Oak Grigsby 3-Way Blade Pickup Selector Switch:

Overall Sonic Character of this Configuration:
1. You get the fat, rich, and powerful neck tones of a P90, suitable for jazz, blues, and thick rock rhythms.
2. You retain the classic, biting, and twangy bridge tones of a Telecaster, perfect for country, funk, and cutting lead lines, with the resistor subtly mellowing it.
3. The middle position parallel blend offers a NEW full, articulate sound that combines the strengths of both pickups, creating a harmonically rich and dynamic tone.