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Tinkercaster

Bare Knuckle wiring

Bare Knuckle two humbuckers, 3-way toggle, two volumes, two tones

Two humbuckers · Toggle · Two volumes · Two tones

Bare Knuckle's wiring for two 4-conductor humbuckers: 3-way toggle, two 550k volumes and two 550k tones, a 0.015 µF neck tone cap and a 0.022 µF bridge tone cap. Transcribed from the manufacturer wiring sheet and checked against the engine.

Viewed from the back of the controls, as you solder them.

Open interactive diagram ↗
Bare Knuckle two humbuckers, 3-way toggle, two volumes, two tonesBare Knuckle two humbuckers, 3-way toggle, two volumes, two tones: Two humbuckers · Toggle · Two volumes · Two tones. Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck humbucker (4-conductor)Bridge humbucker (4-conductor)550k550kGibson15nF550k550kTAD22nFredblackgreenwhitebareredblackgreenwhitebareT1T2T3T4lug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3ablug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3abtipsleevegroundNeck humbucker (4-conductor)Bridge humbucker (4-conductor)3-way toggle switchNeck volume 550kNeck tone 550kNeck tone 0.015uFBridge volume 550kBridge tone 550kBridge tone 0.022uFOutput jackBridge ground wire

Open the interactive diagram to zoom, move components and try the switches.

Parts and values

In the drawingValuePart
Neck humbucker (4-conductor)Source: Neck Pickup (4-conductor humbucker)—Bare Knuckle JuggernautExample partSame wiring for Bare Knuckle Abraxas, Bare Knuckle Aftermath, Bare Knuckle Black Dog, Bare Knuckle Cold Sweat, Bare Knuckle Crawler, Bare Knuckle Emerald, Bare Knuckle Holydiver, Impulse Bridge (Josh Smith), Miracle Man Bridge, Bare Knuckle Mule, Bare Knuckle Nailbomb, Bare Knuckle Painkiller, Bare Knuckle Ragnarok, Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell, Bare Knuckle Silo, Bare Knuckle VHII, Bare Knuckle Warpig
Bridge humbucker (4-conductor)Source: Bridge Pickup (4-conductor humbucker)—Bare Knuckle JuggernautExample partSame wiring for Bare Knuckle Abraxas, Bare Knuckle Aftermath, Bare Knuckle Black Dog, Bare Knuckle Cold Sweat, Bare Knuckle Crawler, Bare Knuckle Emerald, Bare Knuckle Holydiver, Impulse Bridge (Josh Smith), Miracle Man Bridge, Bare Knuckle Mule, Bare Knuckle Nailbomb, Bare Knuckle Painkiller, Bare Knuckle Ragnarok, Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell, Bare Knuckle Silo, Bare Knuckle VHII, Bare Knuckle Warpig
3-way toggle switchSource: 3 Way Toggle Switch (Switchcraft 3 way toggle switch)—Switchcraft 3-Way ToggleAs specified
Neck volume 550kSource: BKP/CTS 550K Neck Vol550kBare Knuckle 550k Audio PotAs specified
Neck tone 550kSource: BKP/CTS 550K Neck Tone550kBare Knuckle 550k Audio PotAs specified
Neck tone 0.015uFSource: 0.015µF capacitor (Bare Knuckle alu/paper/oil)15nFPaper-in-Oil .015µFExample part
Bridge volume 550kSource: BKP/CTS 550K Bridge Vol550kBare Knuckle 550k Audio PotAs specified
Bridge tone 550kSource: BKP/CTS 550K Bridge Tone550kBare Knuckle 550k Audio PotAs specified
Bridge tone 0.022uFSource: 0.022µF capacitor (Bare Knuckle alu/paper/oil)22nFTAD Mustard .022µFExample part
Output jackSource: Jack Socket (Standard jack socket)—Switchcraft #11Generic
Bridge ground wireSource: Bridge Ground Wire—Bridge ground wireGeneric

Every pickup is the maker's own. “As specified” means the sheet names that part. “Example part” means the sheet names no model: the pickup shown is one of the maker's with the same leads, and any pot, cap or switch with the same value and lugs will do. “Generic” is a plain part such as a ground wire. “Not on the sheet; stand-in” means the sheet prints no value for that part, so the value shown is the usual one, not the maker's.

Connections

In soldering order: grounds first, then the switch, the pickups and the signal path.

#FromToHow
1Neck pickup blackNeck volume casing'Black & Bare' runs up to the solder joint on the left of the neck volume.To a pot casingblack
2Neck pickup bareNeck volume casingShield or groundbare
3Bridge pickup blackBridge volume casing'Black & Bare' runs up to the solder joint at the bottom of the bridge volume.To a pot casingblack
4Bridge pickup bareBridge volume casingShield or groundbare
5Neck volume lug 1Neck volume casingLug bent onto the casing; the black square marks the solder.To a pot casingblack
6Neck tone lug 1Neck tone casingLower lug bent onto the casing with a black square.To a pot casingblack
7Bridge volume lug 1Bridge volume casingTo a pot casingblack
8Bridge tone lug 1Bridge tone casingLower lug bent onto the casing with a black square; the top lug is hollow and unused.To a pot casingblack
9Toggle frame lug (Tag 4)Neck volume casingThin black wire looping left to the neck volume casing joint.To a pot casingblack
10Neck volume casingBridge volume lug 1Dotted ground line.Wireblack
11Bridge volume lug 1Bridge tone casingDotted ground line.To a pot casingblack
12Bridge tone casingNeck tone casingDotted ground line.To a pot casingblack
13Bridge Ground WireBridge tone casingDotted line labelled 'Bridge Ground Wire'.To a pot casingblack
14Jack socket ground lugNeck volume casingThe sheet draws a ground symbol here, not a wire (see transformations).To a pot casingblack
15Toggle Tag 1Neck volume lug 2Wiregrey
16Toggle Tag 2Bridge volume lug 2Wiregrey
17Toggle output tag (Tag 3)Jack socket signal lugGrey wire along the top to the jack lug that carries no ground symbol.Wiregrey
18Neck pickup greenNeck pickup whiteGreen and white end in one black heat-shrink tip ('Green & White, See Key'): soldered together and insulated.Joined and insulatedgreen
19Neck pickup redNeck volume lug 3The volume's lugs point right in this back view, so the lower lug is lug 3 and the top lug, bent onto the casing, is lug 1.Wirered
20Bridge pickup greenBridge pickup whiteGreen and white end in one black heat-shrink tip ('Green & White, See Key').Joined and insulatedgreen
21Bridge pickup redBridge volume lug 3Wirered
22Neck volume lug 3Neck 0.015µF capacitorWireblack
23Neck 0.015µF capacitorNeck tone lug 2The tone's lugs point left, so its middle lug is the wiper; the top lug is drawn hollow and left unused.Wireblack
24Bridge volume lug 3Bridge 0.022µF capacitorWireblack
25Bridge 0.022µF capacitorBridge tone lug 2Wireblack

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Toggle 1 · neckThe sheet lists '1. Bridge, 2. Bridge & Neck in Parallel, 3. Neck'; the board numbers the toggle from the neck side, so its position 1 is the sheet's position 3. The grey wire from Tag 1 goes to the neck volume's wiper, from Tag 2 to the bridge volume's wiper.Neck humbucker (4-conductor) (both coils).
Toggle 2 · bothThe sheet lists '1. Bridge, 2. Bridge & Neck in Parallel, 3. Neck'; the board numbers the toggle from the neck side, so its position 1 is the sheet's position 3. The grey wire from Tag 1 goes to the neck volume's wiper, from Tag 2 to the bridge volume's wiper.Neck humbucker (4-conductor) (both coils) and Bridge humbucker (4-conductor) (both coils) in parallel.
Toggle 3 · bridgeThe sheet lists '1. Bridge, 2. Bridge & Neck in Parallel, 3. Neck'; the board numbers the toggle from the neck side, so its position 1 is the sheet's position 3. The grey wire from Tag 1 goes to the neck volume's wiper, from Tag 2 to the bridge volume's wiper.Bridge humbucker (4-conductor) (both coils).

Checked with the Tinkercaster wiring engine against the switching the source describes.

  • The sheet does not print a pot taper; the simulator treats the pots as linear.
  • The capacitors are value matches for the sheet's Bare Knuckle paper-in-oil caps, not the same parts.
  • The Bare Knuckle pickup definitions are unverified catalog entries.

Before you solder

Ticks are kept in this browser only, as a reminder. They are not a check of your joints. New to soldering? Read the soldering cheat sheet .

Check before plugging in

    Measure across the output jack with a multimeter on its resistance range. No exact readings are given where the source does not specify the pickups.