Seymour Duncan Little '59 / Vintage Stack — Complete Telecaster Tonal Solution Kit

The Seymour Duncan Little '59 / Vintage Stack Complete Telecaster Kit combines one of the most popular and versatile Telecaster pickup pairings with a complete 4-way wiring upgrade — CTS 250K pots, an Oak Grigsby 4-way switch, Hosco Paper in Oil capacitor and Switchcraft output jack. This kit expands your Telecaster's tonal range significantly in both directions — warmer and fatter at the bridge, cleaner and quieter at the neck, and with the added series position that the 4-way switch unlocks, a thick, high-output combined tone that a standard 3-way Telecaster simply cannot produce.

The Little '59 Bridge Pickup — PAF Tone in a Tele Format

The Seymour Duncan Little '59 is a single-coil-sized humbucker built to the dimensions of a standard Telecaster bridge pickup — it drops directly into the bridge position without any routing or modification. The pickup is wound to deliver PAF-style humbucker tone: warm mids, tight lows and sweet highs, with the hum-cancelling performance that a standard Tele bridge single-coil cannot provide.

The standard Telecaster bridge pickup is one of the most characterful single-coil designs ever made — bright, snappy, slightly aggressive, with a twang and cut that no other pickup replicates. It also hums, thins out under overdrive and can become harsh under heavier playing. The Little '59 retains the fundamental Tele snap and articulation while adding the body, warmth and hum-free performance of a humbucker. Blues, rock, country rock and roots players who want more warmth and sustain from the bridge without losing Tele character find the Little '59 the ideal solution.

• Format: Single-coil-sized humbucker — direct drop-in, no routing
• Tone: PAF-style warmth, tight lows, rich mids, sweet smooth highs
• Construction: Hum-cancelling — eliminates 60-cycle hum in bridge position
• Conductors: 4-conductor plus shield — coil split capable if push-pull pots added later
• Hand built: Santa Barbara, California, USA
• Ideal for: Blues, classic rock, country rock, roots, singer-songwriter

The Vintage Stack Neck Pickup — Classic Tele Tone Without the Hum

The Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack is a stacked-coil design that preserves the traditional Telecaster neck pickup character — clear, articulate, warm but not muddy, with the vintage Tele voicing that has defined country, blues and clean electric playing for decades — while completely eliminating the 60-cycle hum that plagues standard single-coil neck pickups.

A stacked humbucker places two coils vertically on top of each other rather than side by side. The result is a hum-cancelling pickup that occupies the same physical space as a single-coil and maintains very close to single-coil tonal characteristics — without the low-level hum that makes studio recording with a standard single-coil neck pickup frustrating and that becomes intrusive at high stage volumes.

• Format: Stacked-coil single-coil size — direct drop-in replacement
• Tone: Traditional Telecaster neck clarity and warmth — vintage voiced
• Construction: Hum-cancelling stacked coil design
• Hand built: Santa Barbara, California, USA
• Ideal for: Clean tones, rhythm work, country, blues, expressive lead playing

Why 250K Pots — Not 500K

Even though the Little '59 is technically a humbucker, 250K potentiometers are the correct choice for this kit. The reason is the Vintage Stack neck pickup — a pickup voiced as a traditional Telecaster single-coil. Fitting 500K pots would make the Vintage Stack bright and harsh, losing the warm, vintage Tele neck character that makes it special.

250K pots suit both pickups in this set — providing the slight high-frequency roll-off that keeps the Vintage Stack warm and musical, and producing the correct tonal balance from the Little '59 in a Telecaster context. This is one of the most common errors made when wiring Telecaster upgrades — and this kit uses the correct specification throughout.

The 4-Way Switch — The Upgrade Most Tele Players Do Not Know They Need

A standard Telecaster uses a 3-way switch: bridge, bridge and neck in parallel, neck. The Oak Grigsby 4-way switch in this kit adds a fourth position — bridge and neck in series. This is a genuinely significant tonal addition that deserves explanation.

Parallel vs Series — What the Difference Sounds Like

In the standard parallel position (position 2 on a 3-way switch), both pickups run simultaneously but independently — each contributing its signal separately. The tone is clean, balanced and chimey — the classic Tele both-pickup sound.

In the series position (position 4 on the 4-way switch), both pickups run in series — the output of one feeds into the input of the other. The result is significantly higher output, a thicker, fuller tone with a pronounced midrange emphasis and a warmth that approaches humbucker territory. Series Tele tone is one of the most distinctive and useful sounds available from a two-pickup guitar — P-90-like in character, with a depth and presence that neither pickup produces alone.

The Four Switch Positions

The 4-way switch is a direct replacement for a standard Telecaster 3-way switch — it fits the same mounting location and requires no routing or body modification.

The Complete Wiring Kit Components

2x CTS 250K Precision Audio Taper Potentiometers — Short Shaft

CTS 250K short shaft pots — the correct specification for Telecaster control plates and pickguard mounting. Short shaft pots seat correctly through the thin metal control plate of a standard Telecaster. CTS audio taper provides a smooth, consistent volume and tone sweep with tighter resistance tolerance than economy pots. These are hand-metered within +/- 8% tolerance — significantly tighter than standard production pots.

USA spec thread: 3/8" x 32. 3/8" diameter brass threaded collar. 24 spline fine brass split shaft. Includes nut, dress washer and lock washer.

1x Oak Grigsby 4-Way Lever Switch

The Oak Grigsby 4-way is a premium quality lever switch that fits the standard Telecaster switch slot — a direct replacement for the original 3-way. It adds the series position as the fourth switch position, giving the guitar a tonal range that no standard 3-way Telecaster can achieve. Includes mounting screws. Switch tip not included.

1x Hosco Japan .047uF Paper in Oil Capacitor

The Hosco .047uF Paper in Oil capacitor is a premium Japanese-made tone component — slim profile at 25 x 13 x 6mm, rated at 630Vdc. At .047uF this is the correct value for the 250K pot / single-coil-voiced pickup combination in a Telecaster — producing a warm, musical tone roll-off when the tone control is reduced. Paper in Oil capacitors are regarded by luthiers and electronics technicians as producing a smoother, more musical roll-off than standard ceramic or polyester film alternatives. Made in Japan to ±20% tolerance.

1x Switchcraft Mono Output Jack — EP-0055

The Switchcraft 11 is the standard of quality in guitar output connections — reliable, consistent and significantly more durable than generic alternatives. The flat-plate format is the correct specification for standard Telecaster output jack mounting. Includes nut and washer.

Professional Installation Available

Our workshop team at Angkor Music can install this complete kit professionally. Drop your guitar into our Altona workshop or use our mail-in guitar service.

angkormusic.com.au/guitar-repairs

Specifications

Expert Advice at Angkor Music

At Angkor Music Melbourne we are authorised Seymour Duncan dealers and stock the full Seymour Duncan Telecaster range. If you have questions about this kit, whether it suits your specific Telecaster model, or want to discuss other Telecaster upgrade options, our team is happy to advise. Visit us at 4 Drake Boulevard, Altona or contact us online.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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