Tinkercaster
Seymour Duncan wiring

Standard Telecaster wiring

Two single coils · Three-way blade · One volume · One tone

The classic Tele harness: neck and bridge single coils on a three-way blade, one 250k volume and one 250k tone with a .047 µF capacitor. Middle position runs both pickups in parallel.

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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 pickupSource: Seymour Duncan neck pickup (white and black leads)—Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)Generic
Bridge pickupSource: Seymour Duncan bridge pickup (white and black leads)—Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)Generic
3-Way Switch—CRL 3-Way BladeExample part
Volume 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
Tone 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
.047 capSource: .047 cap (drawn green)47nFOrange Drop .047µFExample part
Output Jack—Switchcraft #11Example part
Ground wire from bridgeSource: ground wire from bridge—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

  • Each pickup's white lead goes to a common lug on the switch: the neck to the top of one side, the bridge to the bottom of the other.
  • Three short jumpers join four of the other lugs into one output, which runs to the volume's input lug. Two lugs stay empty.
  • The source does not number the switch positions; the lugs are mapped by what they do (neck, both, bridge).
  • The volume and tone casings are joined by a wire drawn dashed in the source.

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
1Neck blackVolume casingTo a pot casingblack
2Bridge blackVolume casingTo a pot casingblack
3ground wire from bridgeVolume casingShield or groundblack
4Volume right lugVolume casingLug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
5.047 capTone casingTo a pot casing
6Tone casingJack sleeveWireblack
7Volume casingTone casingDrawn dashed in the source.To a pot casing
8Neck whiteSwitch top-right lug (common)Wirewhite
9Bridge whiteSwitch bottom-left lug (common)Wirewhite
10Switch top-left lugSwitch second left lugJumperblack
11Switch second left lugSwitch third right lugJumperblack
12Switch third right lugSwitch bottom-right lugJumperblack
13Switch bottom-right lugVolume left lug (input)Wireblack
14Volume middle lugJack tipWireblack
15Volume left lugTone left lugWireblack
16Tone middle lug.047 capWire

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Neck—Neck pickup.
Neck + bridge—Neck pickup and Bridge pickup in parallel.
Bridge—Bridge pickup.

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

  • Pickup resistance and magnet polarity are not specified, so no numeric meter readings or hum-cancelling claims 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 blade position, the meter across the jack should read the selected pickup, or both in parallel in the middle.
  • With the volume at zero, tip and sleeve should read as a short.

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.