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Tinkercaster

Seymour Duncan wiring

Two humbuckers, standard 5-way blade with coil split, one volume

Two humbuckers · Standard 2-pole 5-way blade · Coil split · One 500k volume

Seymour Duncan sheet: two humbuckers on a standard 5-way lever switch with a 500k volume. Positions 1-3 give bridge, both and neck humbuckers; positions 4 and 5 split through the switch's second pole and the bridge series link.

Viewed from the back of the controls, as you solder them.

Open interactive diagram ↗
Two humbuckers, standard 5-way blade with coil split, one volumeTwo humbuckers, standard 5-way blade with coil split, one volume: Two humbuckers · Standard 2-pole 5-way blade · Coil split · One 500k volume. Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck PickupBridge Pickup500kblackgreenwhiteredbareblackgreenwhiteredbareT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8lug1lug2lug3tipsleevegroundNeck PickupBridge Pickup5 Way BladeVolume 500kOutput JackBridge Ground

Open the interactive diagram to zoom, move components and try the switches.

Parts and values

In the drawingValuePart
Neck PickupSource: Seymour Duncan Neck Pickup—Jazz Model SH-2 NeckExample partSame wiring for '59 Model SH-1 Neck, Duncan Distortion SH-6 Neck, Invader SH-8 Neck, Pearly Gates SH-PG1 Neck, Seymour Duncan SH-3 Stag Mag, Duncan Custom SH-5
Bridge PickupSource: Seymour Duncan Bridge Pickup—JB Model SH-4Example partSame wiring for '59 Model SH-1 Bridge, Duncan Custom SH-5, Duncan Distortion SH-6 Bridge, Invader SH-8 Bridge, Custom Five SH-14, Seymour Duncan SH-3 Stag Mag
5 Way Blade—Oak Grigsby 5-WayExample part
Volume 500k500kCTS 500k Audio PotExample part
Output Jack—Switchcraft #11Example part
Bridge Ground—Bridge ground wireGeneric

Every pickup is the maker's own. “As specified” means the sheet names that part. “Example part” means the sheet names no model: the pickup shown is one of the maker's with the same leads, and any pot, cap or switch with the same value and lugs will do. “Generic” is a plain part such as a ground wire. “Not on the sheet; stand-in” means the sheet prints no value for that part, so the value shown is the usual one, not the maker's.

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 greenVolume Solder spotTo a pot casinggreen
2Neck bareVolume Solder spotDrawn grey.Shield or groundbare
3Bridge greenVolume Solder spotTo a pot casinggreen
4Bridge bareVolume Solder spotDrawn grey.Shield or groundbare
5Blade right row, third lugVolume Solder spotHops over the neck red and white, loops round the right side and back to the Solder spot.To a pot casingblack
6Volume right lugVolume casing (lower Solder spot)Lug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
7Volume Solder spotJack sleeveWireblack
8Bridge GroundVolume Solder spotWireblack
9Neck blackBlade left row, second lugHops over the neck white and red.Wireblack
10Neck whiteBlade right row, bottom lugRuns with the neck red over the top of the switch.Wirewhite
11Neck redBlade right row, bottom lugWith the neck white.Wirered
12Bridge blackBlade left row, top lugHops over the neck green and bare.Wireblack
13Bridge whiteBlade left row, third lugLabelled 'red & white' with the bridge red.Wirewhite
14Bridge redBlade left row, third lugWith the bridge white.Wirered
15Blade left row, bottom lugVolume left lugStraight down, then back up to the lug under the pot.Wireblack
16Volume middle lugJack tipWireblack

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Bridge humbuckerPosition 1: Bridge Humbucker.Bridge Pickup (both coils).
Neck humbucker + bridge humbuckerPosition 2: Neck Humbucker plus Bridge Humbucker.Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel.
Neck humbuckerPosition 3: Neck Humbucker.Neck Pickup (both coils).
Bridge split + neck split (legend: bridge humbucker + neck split)The printed legend says 'Position 4: Bridge Humbucker plus Neck Split', but the drawn wiring (followed here) gives the bridge humbucker split plus the neck split. The legend is wrong for this position; the drawing is a working circuit.Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel.
Bridge splitPosition 5: Bridge Split.Bridge Pickup (split to one coil).

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

  • The printed legend's position 4 ('Bridge Humbucker plus Neck Split') disagrees with the drawing; the expected states follow the drawing (bridge split + neck split).
  • Which coil of each humbucker remains when split follows the Seymour Duncan lead colours of the pickup; hum cancelling in position 4 is not claimed.
  • 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

  • Positions 1, 2 and 3: bridge humbucker, both humbuckers in parallel, neck humbucker.
  • Position 4: expect roughly half the resistance of either split coil (two single coils in parallel), not a full humbucker in parallel with a coil.
  • Position 5: one bridge coil only.

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.