Tinkercaster
Seymour Duncan wiring

Telecaster 1953 dark-circuit wiring

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

Vintage Tele dark circuit: bridge with tone, neck with tone, and neck with a bassy .05 µF preset. Two 250k pots and two .05 µF capacitors.

Open interactive diagram ↗
Telecaster 1953 dark-circuit wiringTelecaster 1953 dark-circuit wiring: Two single coils · Three-way blade · One volume · One tone · Bassy preset. Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck pickupNeck pickupBridge pickupBridge pickup3-Way SwitchVolume 250k · 250k250kTone 250k · 250k250k.05 cap preset · 50nF50nF.05 cap tone · 50nF50nFOutput JackBridge GroundwhiteblackwhiteblackT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8lug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3ababtipsleeveground

Viewed from the back of the controls, as you solder them. Open the interactive diagram to zoom, move components and try the switches.

Parts and values

In the drawingValuePart
Neck pickup—Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)Generic
Bridge pickup—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
.05 cap presetSource: .05 cap (preset, drawn green)50nFOrange Drop .05µFExample part
.05 cap toneSource: .05 cap (tone, drawn green)50nFOrange Drop .05µFExample part
Output Jack—Switchcraft #11Example part
Bridge Ground—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

  • Switch positions printed on the sheet: 1. Bridge with Tone; 2. Neck with Tone; 3. Neck with bassy preset with Tone.
  • One .05 cap is the tone capacitor; the other .05 cap is the bassy preset on the switch.
  • Pickup hot leads are drawn yellow.
  • Solder = location for ground (earth) connections.

Connections

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

#FromToHow
1.05 cap preset bVolume 250k casingWireblack
2Neck pickup gndVolume 250k casingWireblack
3Bridge pickup gndVolume 250k casingWireblack
4Bridge Ground groundTone 250k casingWireblack
5Volume 250k lug1Volume 250k casingWireground
6.05 cap tone bTone 250k casingWireblack
7Volume 250k casingTone 250k casingWireblack
8Tone 250k casingOutput Jack sleeveWireblack
9Neck pickup hot3-Way Switch T1Wireyellow
103-Way Switch T13-Way Switch T2Wireyellow
11Bridge pickup hot3-Way Switch T3Wireyellow
123-Way Switch T43-Way Switch T8Wireblack
133-Way Switch T8Volume 250k lug3Wireblack
143-Way Switch T5.05 cap preset aWireblack
15Volume 250k lug2Output Jack tipWireblack
16Volume 250k lug3Tone 250k lug1Wireblack
17Tone 250k lug2.05 cap tone aWireblack

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Neck with bassy preset with Tone3. Neck with bassy preset with Tone (sheet numbering; catalog position 1)Neck pickup.
Neck with Tone2. Neck with ToneNeck pickup.
Bridge with Tone1. Bridge with Tone (sheet numbering; catalog position 3)Bridge pickup.

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

  • Dark-circuit preset and tone capacitors share the neck path; only pickup selection is asserted in expectedStates.

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.