# Telecaster 1966-style wiring

Canonical page: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/seymour-duncan/tele-1966

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

A Tele harness with two single coils on a three-way blade, one 250k volume and one 250k tone with a .05 µF capacitor. Middle position runs both pickups in parallel.

Drawing: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/seymour-duncan/tele-1966.svg (back of controls)

## Parts and values

- Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan neck pickup (yellow and black leads); generic (Single-coil pickup (two-conductor))
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan bridge pickup (yellow and black leads); 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: .05 cap (drawn green); 50nF; compatible example (Orange Drop .05µF)
- Output Jack: Output Jack; compatible example (Switchcraft \#11)
- Ground wire from bridge: Ground wire from bridge; generic (Bridge ground wire)

## Specific to this wiring

- Each pickup's yellow 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).
- Solder = location for ground (earth) connections. The jack sleeve (ground) is the inner, circular portion of the jack; the tip is the hot output.

## Connections

1. Neck pickup gnd → Volume 250k casing (wire, black)
2. Bridge pickup gnd → Volume 250k casing (wire, black)
3. Ground wire from bridge ground → Volume 250k casing (wire, black)
4. Volume 250k lug1 → Volume 250k casing (wire, ground)
5. .05 cap b → Tone 250k casing (wire, black)
6. Tone 250k casing → Output Jack sleeve (wire, black)
7. Volume 250k casing → Tone 250k casing (wire, black)
8. Neck pickup hot → 3-Way Switch T8 (wire, yellow)
9. Bridge pickup hot → 3-Way Switch T4 (wire, yellow)
10. 3-Way Switch T3 → 3-Way Switch T2 (wire, black)
11. 3-Way Switch T2 → 3-Way Switch T6 (wire, black)
12. 3-Way Switch T6 → 3-Way Switch T5 (wire, black)
13. 3-Way Switch T5 → Volume 250k lug3 (wire, black)
14. Volume 250k lug2 → Output Jack tip (wire, black)
15. Volume 250k lug3 → Tone 250k lug1 (wire, black)
16. Tone 250k lug2 → .05 cap a (wire, black)

## What each position does

- Neck: Neck pickup.
- Neck + bridge: Neck pickup and Bridge pickup in parallel.
- Bridge: Bridge pickup.

- Pickup resistance is not specified, so no numeric meter readings are given.

## Check before plugging in



## Source

Tinkercaster's own drawing of the Seymour Duncan diagram Tele\_1966, 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>).