Seymour Duncan wiring

Telecaster two Tele stacks, four-way

Two Tele stacks · Four-way blade · One volume · One tone

Two Seymour Duncan Tele stack pickups on a four-way blade, one 250k volume and one 250k tone with a .047 µF capacitor. Position 4 runs both pickups in series.

Telecaster two Tele stacks, four-wayTelecaster two Tele stacks, four-way: Two Tele stacks · Four-way blade · One volume · One tone. Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck Tele stackNeck Tele stackBridge Tele stackBridge Tele stack4-Way SwitchVolume 250k · 250k250kTone 250k · 250k250k.047 cap · 47nF47nFOutput JackGround wire from bridgeblackgreenwhiteredbareblackgreenwhiteredbareT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8T9T10lug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3abtipsleeveground

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 Tele stack—Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic
Bridge Tele stack—Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic
4-Way Switch—4-Way Tele Mod SwitchExample part
Volume 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
Tone 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
.047 cap47nFOrange Drop .047µFExample part
Output Jack—Switchcraft #11Example part
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

  • Red & white wires get soldered together and taped off (on each pickup).
  • Tele stacks are modelled as generic four-conductor humbuckers with Seymour Duncan lead colours (stand-in).
  • 4-way switch settings printed on the sheet: 1. bridge pickup; 2. bridge & neck pickups parallel; 3. neck pickup; 4. bridge & neck in series (higher output and beefier tone).
  • Solder = location for ground (earth) connections.

Connections

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

#FromToHow
1Neck Tele stack gnd4-Way Switch T5Wiregreen
2Neck Tele stack bareVolume 250k casingWirebare
3Bridge Tele stack gndVolume 250k casingWiregreen
4Bridge Tele stack bareVolume 250k casingWirebare
54-Way Switch T3Volume 250k casingWireblack
6Ground wire from bridge groundVolume 250k casingWireblack
7Volume 250k lug1Volume 250k casingWireground
8.047 cap bTone 250k casingWireblack
9Volume 250k casingTone 250k casingWireblack
10Tone 250k casingOutput Jack sleeveWireblack
11Neck Tele stack hot4-Way Switch T6Wireblack
12Bridge Tele stack hot4-Way Switch T10Wireblack
134-Way Switch T24-Way Switch T3Wireblack
144-Way Switch T64-Way Switch T7Wireblack
154-Way Switch T7Volume 250k lug3Wireblack
164-Way Switch T44-Way Switch T9Wireblack
17Neck Tele stack whiteNeck Tele stack blackWirered
18Bridge Tele stack blackBridge Tele stack whiteWirered
19Volume 250k lug2Output Jack tipWireblack
20Volume 250k lug3Tone 250k lug1Wireblack
21Tone 250k lug2.047 cap aWireblack

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Bridge1. bridge pickupBridge Tele stack (both coils).
Bridge and neck in parallel2. bridge & neck pickups parallelNeck Tele stack (both coils) and Bridge Tele stack (both coils) in parallel.
Neck3. neck pickupNeck Tele stack (both coils).
Bridge and neck in series4. bridge & neck in series (higher output and beefier tone)Neck Tele stack (both coils) and Bridge Tele stack (both coils) in series.

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

  • Pickup resistance is not specified, so no numeric meter readings are given.
  • Stacked single-coil construction is not modelled beyond the two-coil series link.

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.