TinkercasterParts and values
| In the drawing | Value | Part |
|---|---|---|
| Neck stack | — | Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic |
| Middle stack | — | Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic |
| Bridge stack | — | Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic |
| 5-way super-switch | — | Oak Grigsby 4-Pole 5-Way Super SwitchExample part |
| Volume 250k | 250k | CTS 250k Audio PotExample part |
| Output Jack | — | Switchcraft #11Example part |
| Ground wire to bridge | — | Bridge ground wireGeneric |
| Tone 250k | 250k | CTS 250k Audio PotExample part |
| .047 tone capSource: 047 cap | 47nF | Orange Drop .047µFExample 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
- 5-Way switch settings: Bridge pickup full (hum-canceling); Bridge & middle (both split---hum-canceling); Middle pickup full (hum-canceling); Middle & neck (both split---hum-canceling); Neck pickup full (hum-canceling).
- Green & bare wires from neck & bridge pickups, and WHITE & bare from middle pickup---all get soldred here: the upper Solder spot on the volume casing, which also takes the ground wire to the bridge.
- Switch lead labels as printed: bridge black, neck black, middle red, middle green & black, bridge red & white, neck red & white.
- The source does not number the super switch's lugs or positions; the lugs are mapped by what they do (see the terminal mapping).
- The tone cap is printed '047 cap'.
- Legend: the grey Solder spot marks the location for ground (earth) connections. Jack: Tip (hot output); Sleeve (ground). The inner, circular portion of the jack.
Understand this wiring
- Seymour Duncan humbucker wire colors
See the pickup, recognise its two halves, and learn where each coloured wire goes.
Connections
In soldering order: grounds first, then the switch, the pickups and the signal path.
| # | From | To | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle green | Left wafer lug 8Runs beside the middle black ('middle green & black'). | Wiregreen |
| 2 | Right wafer lug 12 | Tone casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 3 | Neck green | Volume casing (upper Solder spot) | To a pot casinggreen |
| 4 | Neck bare | Volume casing (upper Solder spot) | To a pot casingbare |
| 5 | Bridge green | Volume casing (upper Solder spot) | To a pot casinggreen |
| 6 | Bridge bare | Volume casing (upper Solder spot) | To a pot casingbare |
| 7 | Middle white | Volume casing (upper Solder spot)Drawn as a thin lilac-outlined lead. | To a pot casingwhite |
| 8 | Middle bare | Volume casing (upper Solder spot) | To a pot casingbare |
| 9 | Ground wire to bridge | Volume casing (upper Solder spot) | To a pot casingblack |
| 10 | Volume third lug | Volume casing (lower Solder spot)Lug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing |
| 11 | Volume casing (lower Solder spot) | Jack sleeve | Wireblack |
| 12 | 047 cap | Tone casing | To a pot casing |
| 13 | Tone casing | Volume casing (lower Solder spot) | To a pot casingblack |
| 14 | Bridge black | Right wafer lug 3 | Wireblack |
| 15 | Right wafer lug 3 | Right wafer lug 2Short jumper. | Wireblack |
| 16 | Neck black | Right wafer lug 5 | Wireblack |
| 17 | Right wafer lug 5 | Right wafer lug 6Short jumper. | Wireblack |
| 18 | Middle red | Left wafer lug 3Runs over the top of the switch. | Wirered |
| 19 | Left wafer lug 3 | Left wafer lug 4Short jumper. | Wireblack |
| 20 | Left wafer lug 4 | Left wafer lug 5Short jumper. | Wireblack |
| 21 | Middle black | Left wafer lug 8Runs beside the middle green ('middle green & black'). | Wireblack |
| 22 | Left wafer lug 8 | Left wafer lug 10Jumper. | Wireblack |
| 23 | Bridge white | Right wafer lug 8With the bridge red ('bridge red & white'). | Wirewhite |
| 24 | Bridge red | Right wafer lug 8With the bridge white ('bridge red & white'). | Wirered |
| 25 | Neck white | Right wafer lug 10With the neck red ('neck red & white'). | Wirewhite |
| 26 | Neck red | Right wafer lug 10With the neck white ('neck red & white'). | Wirered |
| 27 | Left wafer lug 1 | Right wafer lug 1Arcs over the top of the switch. | Wireblack |
| 28 | Right wafer lug 1 | Volume first lugDrawn grey, running down past the pickup cables. | Wireblack |
| 29 | Left wafer lug 12 | Right wafer lug 12Loops under the switch. | Wireblack |
| 30 | Volume middle lug | Jack tipHops over the tone-ground wire. | Wireblack |
| 31 | Volume first lug | Tone outer lug | Wireblack |
| 32 | Tone middle lug | 047 cap | Wire |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge pickup full (hum-canceling) | — | Bridge stack (both coils). |
| Bridge & middle (both split, hum-canceling) | — | Middle stack (split to one coil) and Bridge stack (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Middle pickup full (hum-canceling) | — | Middle stack (both coils). |
| Middle & neck (both split, hum-canceling) | — | Neck stack (split to one coil) and Middle stack (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Neck pickup full (hum-canceling) | — | Neck stack (both coils). |
Checked with the Tinkercaster wiring engine against the switching the source describes.
- The sheet wires the middle stack reversed (green and black go to the switch as the series link, white is grounded); the editor checks recognise this reversed-lead wiring (hot and return leads joined as the link). The engine's per-position pickup selection and coil modes match all five legend positions.
- Hum cancelling in the split positions depends on the real stacks' coil polarity, which the generic humbucker model does not describe; the engine reports it as unknown.
- Pickup resistance is not specified, so no numeric meter readings are given.
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
- In positions 1, 3 and 5 the meter across the jack should read one whole stack; in positions 2 and 4 two split stacks in parallel.
- With the volume at zero, tip and sleeve should read as a short.
- Turning the tone down should load the selected pickups through the .047 µF capacitor.
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.