By Ed Malaker
Posted 04/23/2026
Question
Hi,
Thank you for posting the Esquire wiring diagram/manual.
I’m currently modifying a Squire Tele into an Esquire and I try to you use the Korean 3-way switch. Unfortunately, the soldering lugs are all on the same side. Puzzling!!
Could you tell me what’s the right order. Hope to hear from you.
Theo
Answer
Hello Theo, thanks for reading Humbucker Soup and thanks for the great question. It looks like you are looking for a standard Fender Esquire wiring diagram that uses a Korean 3-way switch instead of the common 3-way switch we see in most guitars.
The good news is that the lugs on both switch types match up.
Standard Oak Grigsby Style
The open-frame CRL / Oak Grigsby has 8 lugs arranged in 2 rows of 4.
Each side has 3 switched lugs (throws) and 1 common.
C N M B – Top/Left (Common, Neck position, Middle position, Bridge position)
N M B C – Bottom/Right
Korean Import Style (COR-TEK)
- The closed frame Korean Import has 8 lugs arranged in a straight line
- The 8 lugs divide into two sets of 4 lugs, with each set having 3 switched lugs (throws) and 1 common lug, same as the standard.
- The downside to these switches is that they are not as standardised as the Grigsby style, and you can find them with multiple layouts. The only way to know for sure which one you have is to test it with a multimeter.
Most Common Layouts for COR-TEK switches
- B M N C C B M N – most likely yours, but if the diagram doesn’t work, we’ll have to look at the other options.
- C B M N C B M N
- C B M N B M N C
Wiring The Fender Esquire
Once we know the lug layout, converting the diagram is pretty simple. Connect the wires that go to the common in the diagram using the Grigsby switch to the common of the COR-TEK, matching the left side of the Grigsby to the first four of the COR-TEK. Continue, matching the rest of the lugs until you complete all 8. The rest of the diagram and components will remain the same.
