Tinkercaster
Seymour Duncan wiring

Phat Cat neck and humbucker bridge with a three-way toggle, two volumes and one tone

Phat Cat + humbucker · Three-way toggle · Two volumes · One tone

A Phat Cat in the neck and a Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge, each on its own 500k volume, then a three-way toggle and a 500k master tone with a .047 µF capacitor across the output.

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Viewed from the back of the controls, as you solder them. Select a component to move, rotate or flip it. Follow wires and try the switches in simulation mode. Use Full screen for a closer look.

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Parts and values

In the drawingValuePart
Neck pickup (Phat Cat)Source: Neck Pickup (Phat Cat)—Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)Generic
Bridge pickupSource: Bridge Pickup—Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic
3-way toggleSource: 3-Way Toggle—Switchcraft 3-Way ToggleExample part
Bridge volume 500k500kCTS 500k Audio PotExample part
Neck volume 500k500kCTS 500k Audio PotExample part
Master tone 500k500kCTS 500k Audio PotExample part
.047 capSource: .047 cap (drawn green)47nFOrange Drop .047µFExample part
Output jackSource: Output Jack—Switchcraft #11Example part
Bridge ground wire—Bridge ground wireGeneric

“Example part” means any part with the same value and lugs will do; the source does not name a brand. “Generic” stands in for an unspecified pickup: check your own pickup's lead colours before you solder.

Specific to this wiring

  • The Phat Cat has a single braided lead: the centre conductor goes to the neck volume's left lug and the braid to its casing.
  • On the humbucker, the red and white leads are soldered together and taped off.
  • Each volume's middle lug goes to the toggle; the toggle's output goes to the master tone's left lug, which also feeds the jack tip.
  • The bridge ground wire and the jack sleeve both end on the tone casing, which is linked to the neck volume casing.
  • The toggle tags are not labelled in the source, so they are mapped by what each does.
  • The source's legend: the grey Solder mark is the location for ground (earth) connections.

Understand this wiring

All Seymour Duncan wiring guides →

Connections

In soldering order: grounds first, then the switch, the pickups and the signal path. Choose Show to highlight a connection in the drawing.

#FromToHow
1Bridge greenBridge volume casingTo a pot casinggreen
2Bridge bare shieldBridge volume casingDrawn grey beside the green.Shield or groundbare
3Bridge volume right lugBridge volume casingLug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
4Phat Cat braidNeck volume casingShield or groundbare
5Neck volume right lugNeck volume casingLug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
6Toggle frame lugNeck volume casingTo a pot casingblack
7Bridge volume casingNeck volume casingTo a pot casingblack
8.047 capMaster tone casingTo a pot casing
9Neck volume casingMaster tone casingTo a pot casingblack
10Bridge ground wireMaster tone casingWireblack
11Master tone casingJack sleeveWireblack
12Bridge volume middle lugToggle bridge lugWireblack
13Neck volume middle lugToggle neck lugWireblack
14Toggle output lugMaster tone left lugWireblack
15Bridge redBridge whiteSoldered together and taped off.Joined and insulatedred
16Bridge blackBridge volume left lugLabelled Black in the source.Wireblack
17Phat Cat centre conductorNeck volume left lugWireblack
18Master tone left lugJack tipWireblack
19Master tone middle lug.047 capWire

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Rhythm (neck)Neck Phat Cat through the neck volume.Neck pickup (Phat Cat).
BothBoth pickups together.Neck pickup (Phat Cat) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel.
Treble (bridge)Bridge humbucker through the bridge volume.Bridge pickup (both coils).

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

  • The Phat Cat is simulated as a generic two-conductor single coil; hum and phase describe that generic model, not the Phat Cat.
  • The source does not label the toggle positions; they follow the usual neck, both, bridge order.
  • Pickup resistance is not specified, so no numeric meter readings are given.

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

  • In each toggle position, the meter across the jack should read the selected pickup, or both in parallel in the middle.
  • The taped red–white joint should read open to ground.

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.