Tinkercaster
Parts and values
| In the drawing | Value | Part |
|---|---|---|
| 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 bladeSource: 3 Way Blade | — | CRL 3-Way BladeExample part |
| Volume 500k push/pull splitSource: Volume 500k with Split Switch | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Tone 500k | 500k | CTS 500k Audio PotExample part |
| .047 capSource: .047 cap (drawn green) | 47nF | Orange Drop .047µFExample part |
| Output jackSource: 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 volume's push/pull as a split switch that splits both pickups.
- Each pickup's red and white leads are soldered together onto a middle lug of the push/pull switch: bridge on the left, neck on the right.
- The two push/pull lugs nearest the pot are jumpered together and wired to the volume casing; the two lugs furthest from the pot stay empty.
- Each pickup's black lead goes to a common lug on the blade; three short jumpers join four other lugs into one output that loops round to the volume's input lug.
- The tone takes its signal from the volume's input lug, before the volume.
- The bridge ground wire and the jack sleeve both end on the tone casing, which is wired to the volume casing.
- The source legend marks the grey 'Solder' spots as the location for ground (earth) connections.
- The source does not number the blade positions; the lugs are mapped by what they do (neck, both, bridge).
Understand this wiring
- Seymour Duncan humbucker wire colors
See the pickup, recognise its two halves, and learn where each coloured wire goes.
- Seymour Duncan coil splitting explained
A humbucker has two coils. See how a switch lets you use just one of them.
- 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.
Connections
In soldering order: grounds first, then the switch, the pickups and the signal path. Choose Show to highlight a connection in the drawing.
| # | From | To | How | Drawing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neck green | Volume casing | To a pot casinggreen | |
| 2 | Neck bare | Volume casingDrawn grey beside the green. | Shield or groundbare | |
| 3 | Bridge green | Volume casing | To a pot casinggreen | |
| 4 | Bridge bare | Volume casingDrawn grey beside the green. | Shield or groundbare | |
| 5 | Push/pull bottom left lug | Volume casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 6 | Volume right lug | Volume casingLug bent onto the lower solder spot. | To a pot casing | |
| 7 | Volume casing | Tone casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 8 | Bridge ground wire | Tone casing | Shield or groundblack | |
| 9 | Tone casing | Jack sleeve | Wireblack | |
| 10 | .047 cap | Tone casing | To a pot casing | |
| 11 | Neck black | Blade top row, first lug (common) | Wireblack | |
| 12 | Bridge black | Blade bottom row, fourth lug (common) | Wireblack | |
| 13 | Blade bottom row, first lug | Blade bottom row, second lug | Jumperblack | |
| 14 | Blade bottom row, second lug | Blade top row, third lug | Jumperblack | |
| 15 | Blade top row, third lug | Blade top row, fourth lug | Jumperblack | |
| 16 | Blade top row, fourth lug | Volume left lug (input) | Wireblack | |
| 17 | Neck white | Push/pull middle right lug | Wirewhite | |
| 18 | Neck red | Push/pull middle right lugShares the lug with the neck white lead. | Wirered | |
| 19 | Bridge white | Push/pull middle left lug | Wirewhite | |
| 20 | Bridge red | Push/pull middle left lugShares the lug with the bridge white lead. | Wirered | |
| 21 | Push/pull bottom left lug | Push/pull bottom right lug | Jumperblack | |
| 22 | Volume middle lug | Jack tipThe volume-to-tone ground wire hops over this wire; they do not connect. | Wireblack | |
| 23 | Volume left lug | Tone left lug | Wireblack | |
| 24 | Tone middle lug | .047 cap | Wire |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck, knob down: full humbucker | — | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Neck + bridge, knob down: both humbuckers | — | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, knob down: full humbucker | — | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, knob pulled: single coil | The split switch splits both pickups. | Neck pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck + bridge, knob pulled: both split | The split switch splits both pickups. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, knob pulled: single coil | The split switch splits both pickups. | 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.
- The source does not say which knob position splits; 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
- Knob down: in each blade position the meter across the jack reads the selected humbucker, or both in parallel in the middle.
- Knob up: each reading drops to roughly one coil's resistance.
- With the volume at zero, tip and sleeve should read as a short in every position.
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.