Tinkercaster
Seymour Duncan wiring

Telecaster wiring with a four-way switch

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

A Telecaster harness that adds a fourth switch position: bridge, both pickups in parallel, neck, and both pickups in series for a louder, thicker sound. It needs a four-way Tele switch, two 250k pots, a .047 µF capacitor and a mono jack.

Open interactive diagram ↗
Telecaster wiring with a four-way switchTelecaster wiring with a four-way switch: Two single coils · Four-way blade · One volume · One tone. Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck pickupNeck pickupBridge pickupBridge pickup4-way switchVolume · 250k250kTone · 250k250k.047 µF tone cap · 47nF47nFOutput jackwhiteblackwhiteblackT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8T9T10lug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3abtipsleeve

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 pickupSource: Neck single coil (white/black leads)—Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)Generic
Bridge pickupSource: Bridge single coil (white/black leads)—Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)Generic
4-way switchSource: 4-Way Switch—4-Way Tele Mod SwitchExample part
VolumeSource: Volume 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
ToneSource: Tone 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
.047 µF tone capSource: .047 cap47nFOrange Drop .047µFExample part
Output jackSource: Output Jack—Switchcraft #11Example part

“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

  • The neck pickup's ground lead (black) goes to the switch, not to ground. The switch grounds it in the positions that use the neck on its own or in parallel, and uses it to link the pickups in series.
  • The neck pickup's metal cover needs its own ground wire to the volume casing. It is not drawn as a lead on the board because the cover is not part of the signal path.
  • The bridge plate ground wire also goes to the volume casing.
  • The tone capacitor sits on the tone pot's middle lug, with the signal on an outer lug.

Understand this wiring

All Seymour Duncan wiring guides →

Connections

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

#FromToHow
1Neck pickup blackSwitch L5Wireblack
2Switch L3Volume casingTo a pot casingblack
3Bridge pickup blackVolume casingTo a pot casingblack
4Volume right lugVolume casingLug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
5.047 capTone casingTo a pot casing
6Volume casingTone casingTo a pot casingblack
7Tone casingJack sleeveWireblack
8Bridge pickup whiteSwitch R1Wirewhite
9Neck pickup whiteSwitch R2Wirewhite
10Switch R2Switch R3Jumperblack
11Switch R3Volume left lug (input)Routed round the right of the switch and over the other leads.Wireblack
12Switch L4Switch R5Jumperblack
13Switch L2Switch L3Jumperblack
14Volume middle lugJack tipWireblack
15Volume left lugTone left lugWireblack
16Tone middle lug.047 capWire
17Neck pickup cover groundVolume casingSeparate cover ground; no board lead for the cover.Shield or groundblack
18Bridge plate groundVolume casingDrawn leaving the page towards the bridge.Wire

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Bridge1. bridge pickupBridge pickup.
Bridge and neck in parallel2. bridge & neck pickups parallelNeck pickup and Bridge pickup in parallel.
Neck3. neck pickupNeck pickup.
Bridge and neck in series4. bridge & neck in series (higher output and beefier tone)Neck pickup and Bridge pickup 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.
  • Hum cancelling in the parallel and series positions depends on the pickups' magnet polarity, which the source does not state.

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

  • Position 1: continuity from jack tip to sleeve through the bridge pickup only.
  • Position 3: continuity through the neck pickup only.
  • Position 4: the reading should be higher than either pickup alone, because the two coils are in series.
  • With the volume at zero, tip and sleeve should read as a short in every position.

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.