TinkercasterParts and values
| In the drawing | Value | Part |
|---|---|---|
| Neck pickupSource: Neck Pickup | — | Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic |
| Bridge pickupSource: Bridge Pickup | — | Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic |
| 3-way bladeSource: 3 way blade (Seymour Duncan) | — | CRL 3-Way BladeExample part |
| Neck volume 500k push/pull (phase)Source: Neck Volume 500k with Phase Switch | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Bridge volume 500k push/pull (series/parallel)Source: Bridge Volume 500k with Series/Parallel Switch | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Output jackSource: Output Jack | — | Switchcraft #11Example part |
| Bridge ground wireSource: Bridge Ground Wire | — | 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
- Source title: '2 VOLUMES push/pull: Phase, push/pull: Series/Parallel Switch', '3 WAY BLADE'. The neck volume's switch is labelled 'Phase Switch' and the bridge volume's 'Series/Parallel Switch'.
- Both pickups: 'Red & White wires get soldered together and taped off.' Each humbucker stays a full humbucker; the series/parallel push/pull switches the two pickups against each other, not the coils inside one pickup.
- The neck pickup's green and black go to the two middle lugs of the phase switch, whose top and bottom lugs are cross-wired in an X. Its bottom-left lug goes to the neck volume's left lug; its bottom-right lug runs down to the series/parallel switch.
- On the series/parallel switch the two lugs nearest the pot are jumpered. On each side, the top lug's wire and the middle lug's wire pass close enough to touch the wire running past them; the trace follows each wire's curve (left: top lug down to the bridge volume casing, middle lug up to the phase switch; right: middle lug up to the bridge pickup's black, top lug down to the bridge volume's left lug).
- The bridge pickup's green and bare go to the bridge volume casing. The neck volume casing is wired down to the bridge volume casing.
- On the blade, the top two left lugs are jumpered, the second left lug is jumpered to the third right lug, and the bottom two right lugs are jumpered; the bottom-right lug goes to the jack tip.
- Both volumes' right lugs are bent onto their casings. The 'Bridge Ground Wire' and the jack sleeve go to the bridge volume casing.
- The source legend marks the grey 'Solder' spots as the location for ground (earth) connections.
- Sleeve (ground): the inner, circular portion of the jack. Tip: hot output.
- The blade lugs and push/pull lugs are not labelled in the source; they are mapped by what each does.
Understand this wiring
- Seymour Duncan humbucker wire colors
See the pickup, recognise its two halves, and learn where each coloured wire goes.
- Seymour Duncan phase reversal explained
See what swapping two pickup wires changes when you play two pickups together.
- Reading Seymour Duncan push/pull switch diagrams
Turning the knob and pulling it do different jobs. See the actual part, then try its switch connections.
- Seymour Duncan series, split and parallel wiring
Two coils can work in a chain, side by side, or one at a time. See the difference before choosing a switch.
- Seymour Duncan phase switching with coil split or parallel
Two switches interact. See what changes when coil selection and phase reversal share a pickup.
Connections
In soldering order: grounds first, then the switch, the pickups and the signal path.
| # | From | To | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neck green | Phase switch middle-left lug | Wiregreen |
| 2 | Neck bare | Neck volume casing | Shield or groundbare |
| 3 | Neck volume right lug | Neck volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing |
| 4 | Neck volume casing | Bridge volume casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 5 | Bridge green | Bridge volume casing | To a pot casinggreen |
| 6 | Bridge bare | Bridge volume casing | Shield or groundbare |
| 7 | Series/parallel switch top-left lug | Bridge volume casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 8 | Bridge volume right lug | Bridge volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing |
| 9 | Bridge volume casing | Jack sleeve | Wireblack |
| 10 | Bridge Ground Wire | Bridge volume casing | Wireblack |
| 11 | Neck volume middle lug | Blade top-right lugHops over two wires, then runs up over the blade. | Wireblack |
| 12 | Bridge volume middle lug | Blade bottom-left lug | Wireblack |
| 13 | Blade top-left lug | Blade second left lugJumper. | Wireblack |
| 14 | Blade second left lug | Blade third right lugJumper. | Wireblack |
| 15 | Blade third right lug | Blade bottom-right lugJumper. | Wireblack |
| 16 | Blade bottom-right lug | Jack tip | Wireblack |
| 17 | Neck red | Neck whiteSoldered together and taped off. | Joined and insulatedred |
| 18 | Neck black | Phase switch middle-right lugLoops up over the switch before entering the lug. | Wireblack |
| 19 | Bridge red | Bridge whiteSoldered together and taped off. | Joined and insulatedred |
| 20 | Bridge black | Series/parallel switch middle-right lugHops over the volume-to-volume ground wire and arcs over the switch. | Wireblack |
| 21 | Phase switch top-left lug | Phase switch bottom-right lugOne arm of the X; crosses the other arm without joining. | Wireblack |
| 22 | Phase switch top-right lug | Phase switch bottom-left lugOther arm of the X. | Wireblack |
| 23 | Phase switch bottom-left lug | Neck volume left lugHops over the neck bare lead. | Wireblack |
| 24 | Phase switch bottom-right lug | Series/parallel switch middle-left lugThe neck volume's output wire hops over it. | Wireblack |
| 25 | Series/parallel switch top-right lug | Bridge volume left lugHops over the bridge volume's output wire. | Wireblack |
| 26 | Series/parallel switch bottom-left lug | Series/parallel switch bottom-right lugJumper across the two lugs nearest the pot. | Wireblack |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck, neck volume down, bridge volume down | — | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Middle, neck volume down, bridge volume down | — | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck volume down, bridge volume down | — | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, neck volume down, bridge volume pulled (series) | Bridge volume pulled (series): the neck pickup's ground side feeds the bridge pickup's black, so both pickups play in series through the neck volume. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Middle, neck volume down, bridge volume pulled (series) | Bridge volume pulled (series): the neck pickup's ground side feeds the bridge pickup's black, so both pickups play in series through the neck volume. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Bridge, neck volume down, bridge volume pulled (series) | Bridge volume pulled (series): the bridge volume's input lug is left open, so the bridge position is silent. | No pickup reaches the output. |
| Neck, neck volume pulled (phase), bridge volume down | — | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Middle, neck volume pulled (phase), bridge volume down | Neck volume pulled: the neck pickup's phase is reversed. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck volume pulled (phase), bridge volume down | — | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, neck volume pulled (phase), bridge volume pulled (series) | Bridge volume pulled (series): the neck pickup's ground side feeds the bridge pickup's black, so both pickups play in series through the neck volume. Neck volume pulled: the neck pickup's phase is reversed. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Middle, neck volume pulled (phase), bridge volume pulled (series) | Bridge volume pulled (series): the neck pickup's ground side feeds the bridge pickup's black, so both pickups play in series through the neck volume. Neck volume pulled: the neck pickup's phase is reversed. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Bridge, neck volume pulled (phase), bridge volume pulled (series) | Bridge volume pulled (series): the bridge volume's input lug is left open, so the bridge position is silent. | No pickup reaches the output. |
Checked with the Tinkercaster wiring engine against the switching the source describes.
- Hum cancelling and phase describe the generic pickup models, not a measurement of any specific Seymour Duncan model.
- Pickup resistance is not specified, so no numeric meter readings are given.
- The source does not say which knob position does what; this follows the usual push/pull behaviour (pulled joins the middle lugs to the lugs nearest the pot).
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
- Both knobs down: each blade position reads the selected humbucker, or both in parallel in the middle.
- Pull the bridge volume: the neck and middle positions read both humbuckers in series (roughly the sum of both); the bridge position is open.
- Pull the neck volume with the blade in the middle: the two pickups play out of phase.
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.