# Telecaster 1953 dark-circuit wiring

Canonical page: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/seymour-duncan/tele-1953

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.

Drawing: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/seymour-duncan/tele-1953.svg (back of controls)

## Parts and values

- Neck pickup: Neck pickup; generic (Single-coil pickup (two-conductor))
- Bridge pickup: Bridge pickup; generic (Single-coil pickup (two-conductor))
- 3-Way Switch: 3-Way Switch; compatible example (CRL 3-Way Blade)
- Volume 250k: Volume 250k; 250k; compatible example (CTS 250k Audio Pot)
- Tone 250k: Tone 250k; 250k; compatible example (CTS 250k Audio Pot)
- .05 cap preset: .05 cap (preset, drawn green); 50nF; compatible example (Orange Drop .05µF)
- .05 cap tone: .05 cap (tone, drawn green); 50nF; compatible example (Orange Drop .05µF)
- Output Jack: Output Jack; compatible example (Switchcraft \#11)
- Bridge Ground: Bridge Ground; generic (Bridge ground wire)

## 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

1. .05 cap preset b → Volume 250k casing (wire, black)
2. Neck pickup gnd → Volume 250k casing (wire, black)
3. Bridge pickup gnd → Volume 250k casing (wire, black)
4. Bridge Ground ground → Tone 250k casing (wire, black)
5. Volume 250k lug1 → Volume 250k casing (wire, ground)
6. .05 cap tone b → Tone 250k casing (wire, black)
7. Volume 250k casing → Tone 250k casing (wire, black)
8. Tone 250k casing → Output Jack sleeve (wire, black)
9. Neck pickup hot → 3-Way Switch T1 (wire, yellow)
10. 3-Way Switch T1 → 3-Way Switch T2 (wire, yellow)
11. Bridge pickup hot → 3-Way Switch T3 (wire, yellow)
12. 3-Way Switch T4 → 3-Way Switch T8 (wire, black)
13. 3-Way Switch T8 → Volume 250k lug3 (wire, black)
14. 3-Way Switch T5 → .05 cap preset a (wire, black)
15. Volume 250k lug2 → Output Jack tip (wire, black)
16. Volume 250k lug3 → Tone 250k lug1 (wire, black)
17. Tone 250k lug2 → .05 cap tone a (wire, black)

## What each position does

- Neck with bassy preset with Tone: Neck pickup. Source: 3. Neck with bassy preset with Tone (sheet numbering; catalog position 1)
- Neck with Tone: Neck pickup. Source: 2. Neck with Tone
- Bridge with Tone: Bridge pickup. Source: 1. Bridge with Tone (sheet numbering; catalog position 3)

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

## Check before plugging in



## Source

Tinkercaster's own drawing of the Seymour Duncan diagram Tele\_1953, revision 1. Not the manufacturer's artwork and not endorsed by Seymour Duncan.

See also [all wiring diagrams](<https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/index.md>).