Seymour Duncan wiring

Two humbuckers with a three-way blade, a push/pull phase neck volume and a push/pull split bridge volume

Two humbuckers · Three-way blade · Neck volume push/pull (phase) · Bridge volume push/pull (split) · No tone

Neck and bridge Seymour Duncan humbuckers, each with its own 500k push/pull volume before a three-way blade, and no tone. The neck volume's push/pull reverses the neck's black and green leads. The bridge volume's push/pull splits the bridge by grounding its red–white link.

Two humbuckers with a three-way blade, a push/pull phase neck volume and a push/pull split bridge volumeTwo humbuckers with a three-way blade, a push/pull phase neck volume and a push/pull split bridge volume: Two humbuckers · Three-way blade · Neck volume push/pull (phase) · Bridge volume push/pull (split) · No tone. Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck PickupNeck PickupBridge PickupBridge Pickup3-Way Blade SwitchNeck Volume 500k push/pull phase · 500k500kBridge Volume 500k push/pull split · 500k500kOutput JackBridge groundblackgreenwhiteredbareblackgreenwhiteredbareT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8lug1lug2lug3sw1sw2sw3sw4sw5sw6lug1lug2lug3sw1sw2sw3sw4sw5sw6tipsleeveground

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: Seymour Duncan Neck Pickup—Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic
Bridge PickupSource: Seymour Duncan Bridge Pickup—Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic
3-Way Blade SwitchSource: 3 Way Blade—CRL 3-Way BladeExample part
Neck Volume 500k push/pull phaseSource: Neck Volume 500k push/pull Phase Switch500k500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part
Bridge Volume 500k push/pull splitSource: Bridge Volume 500k push/pull Split Switch500k500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part
Output Jack—Switchcraft #11Example part
Bridge groundSource: 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

  • The source titles the volumes as push/pull coil split and push/pull phase.
  • The neck red and white leads are soldered together and taped off.
  • The neck black and green go through the neck volume's push/pull with an X cross-wire; the hot out feeds the neck volume's input lug.
  • The bridge red and white are soldered together onto the middle lug of the bridge volume's push/pull bottom row; the lug nearest the pot goes to that pot's casing.
  • Each volume's middle lug runs to a blade common; three short wires join four other lugs into one output to the jack tip.
  • Solder = location for ground (earth) connections.
  • The blade tags are not labelled in the source, so they are mapped by what each does.

Connections

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

#FromToHow
1Neck greenNeck phase middle rightWiregreen
2Neck bareNeck volume casingShield or groundbare
3Neck phase bottom leftNeck volume casingTo a pot casingblack
4Neck volume right lugNeck volume casingLug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
5Bridge greenBridge volume casingTo a pot casinggreen
6Bridge bareBridge volume casingShield or groundbare
7Bridge split bottomBridge volume casingTo a pot casingblack
8Bridge volume right lugBridge volume casingLug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
9Neck volume casingBridge volume casingTo a pot casingblack
10Bridge ground wireBridge volume casingWireblack
11Bridge volume casingJack sleeveTo a pot casingblack
12Neck volume middle lugBlade neck commonWireblack
13Bridge volume middle lugBlade bridge commonWireblack
14Blade lugBlade lugWireblack
15Blade lugBlade lugWireblack
16Blade lugBlade lugWireblack
17Blade outputJack tipWireblack
18Neck redNeck whiteTaped series link.Joined and insulatedred
19Neck blackNeck phase middle leftWireblack
20Bridge redBridge split middleWirered
21Bridge whiteBridge split middleWirewhite
22Bridge blackBridge volume left lug (input)Wireblack
23Neck phase top leftNeck volume left lug (input)Wireblack
24Neck phase top leftNeck phase bottom rightOne leg of the X.Wireblack
25Neck phase top rightNeck phase bottom leftThe other leg of the X.Wireblack

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Neck, both knobs down—Neck Pickup (both coils).
Both, both knobs down: in phase—Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel.
Bridge, both knobs down—Bridge Pickup (both coils).
Neck, phase pulled, bridge downNeck alone sounds the same when reversed.Neck Pickup (both coils).
Both, phase pulled: out of phaseNeck reversed against the bridge.Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel.
Bridge, phase pulledThe bridge does not pass through the phase switch.Bridge Pickup (both coils).
Neck, phase down, bridge split—Neck Pickup (both coils).
Both, bridge splitPulling the bridge volume splits the bridge.Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel.
Bridge splitPulling the bridge volume splits the bridge.Bridge Pickup (split to one coil).
Neck, phase and split pulledNeck alone sounds the same when reversed; bridge split does not affect it.Neck Pickup (both coils).
Both, phase and split pulledNeck reversed; bridge split.Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel.
Bridge, phase and split pulledBridge split; phase switch does not affect the bridge.Bridge Pickup (split to one coil).

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.

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 each blade position the jack should read the selected pickup, or both in parallel in the middle.
  • Bridge volume pulled: the bridge red–white link should read continuity to ground.
  • Neck volume pulled in the middle position: the two pickups should be 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.