TinkercasterParts and values
| In the drawing | Value | Part |
|---|---|---|
| Neck pickupSource: Upper Seymour Duncan humbucker (taken as neck) | — | Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic |
| Bridge pickupSource: Lower Seymour Duncan humbucker (taken as bridge) | — | Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic |
| 3-way bladeSource: 3 way blade (Seymour Duncan) | — | CRL 3-Way BladeExample part |
| Volume 500k push/pull (series/parallel)Source: Volume 500k push/pull Series/Parallel | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Tone 500k push/pull (phase)Source: Tone 500k push/pull Phase | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| .047 cap | 47nF | Orange Drop .047µFExample part |
| Output jackSource: Output Jack | — | Switchcraft #11Example part |
| 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: '1 VOLUME push/pull Series/Parallel', '1 TONE push/pull Phase', '3 WAY BLADE'.
- 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 upper pickup's green goes to the volume push/pull middle-left lug instead of the casing. The volume push/pull's two lugs nearest the pot are jumpered together; its top-left lug goes to the volume casing.
- The lower pickup's green and black go to the two middle lugs of the tone push/pull, whose top and bottom lugs are cross-wired in an X. Its top-right lug goes to the tone 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 is the output to the volume.
- The bridge ground wire goes to the volume casing. The volume's right lug is bent onto the casing. The tone's third lug is left unconnected.
- 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 pickups, the blade lugs and the push/pull lugs are not labelled in the source; the upper pickup is taken as the neck, and the switch tags 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 | Volume push/pull middle-left lug | Wiregreen |
| 2 | Neck bare | Volume casing | Shield or groundbare |
| 3 | Bridge green | Tone push/pull middle-left lug | Wiregreen |
| 4 | Bridge bare | Volume casing | Shield or groundbare |
| 5 | Volume push/pull top-left lug | Volume casingLoops left over the neck bare lead. | To a pot casingblack |
| 6 | Volume push/pull bottom-left lug | Volume push/pull bottom-right lugJumper across the two lugs nearest the pot. | Wireblack |
| 7 | Volume right lug | Volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing |
| 8 | .047 cap | Tone casing | To a pot casing |
| 9 | Volume casing | Tone casingHops over the wires it crosses. | To a pot casingblack |
| 10 | Tone casing | Jack sleeve | Wireblack |
| 11 | Tone casing | Tone push/pull top-right lug | To a pot casingblack |
| 12 | Bridge ground wire | Volume casing | Wireblack |
| 13 | Neck black | Blade top-right lug | Wireblack |
| 14 | Volume push/pull top-right lug | Blade bottom-left lug | Wireblack |
| 15 | Blade top-left lug | Blade second left lugJumper. | Wireblack |
| 16 | Blade second left lug | Blade third right lugJumper. | Wireblack |
| 17 | Blade third right lug | Blade bottom-right lugJumper. | Wireblack |
| 18 | Blade bottom-right lug | Volume left lug | Wireblack |
| 19 | Neck red | Neck whiteSoldered together and taped off. | Joined and insulatedred |
| 20 | Bridge red | Bridge whiteSoldered together and taped off. | Joined and insulatedred |
| 21 | Bridge black | Tone push/pull middle-right lugHops over the volume-to-tone wire on the way. | Wireblack |
| 22 | Volume push/pull middle-right lug | Tone push/pull top-left lug | Wireblack |
| 23 | Volume middle lug | Jack tip | Wireblack |
| 24 | Volume left lug | Tone left lug | Wireblack |
| 25 | Tone middle lug | .047 cap | Wire |
| 26 | Tone push/pull top-left lug | Tone push/pull bottom-right lugOne arm of the X; crosses the other arm without joining. | Wireblack |
| 27 | Tone push/pull top-right lug | Tone push/pull bottom-left lugOther arm of the X. | Wireblack |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck, volume down, tone down | — | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Middle, volume down, tone down | — | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, volume down, tone down | — | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, volume down, tone pulled (phase) | — | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Middle, volume down, tone pulled (phase) | Tone pulled: the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, volume down, tone pulled (phase) | — | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, volume pulled (series), tone down | Volume pulled (series): the neck pickup's green feeds the bridge pickup, so both pickups play in series from the neck pickup's black. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Middle, volume pulled (series), tone down | Volume pulled (series): the neck pickup's green feeds the bridge pickup, so both pickups play in series from the neck pickup's black. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Bridge, volume pulled (series), tone down | Volume pulled (series): the blade's bridge-side common (bottom-left lug) is left open, so the bridge position is silent. | No pickup reaches the output. |
| Neck, volume pulled (series), tone pulled (phase) | Volume pulled (series): the neck pickup's green feeds the bridge pickup, so both pickups play in series from the neck pickup's black. Tone pulled: the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Middle, volume pulled (series), tone pulled (phase) | Volume pulled (series): the neck pickup's green feeds the bridge pickup, so both pickups play in series from the neck pickup's black. Tone pulled: the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Bridge, volume pulled (series), tone pulled (phase) | Volume pulled (series): the blade's bridge-side common (bottom-left 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 volume: the neck and middle positions read both humbuckers in series (roughly the sum of both); the bridge position is open.
- Pull the tone 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.