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 Blade SwitchSource: 3 Way Blade | — | CRL 3-Way BladeExample part |
| Volume 500k | 500k | CTS 500k Audio PotExample part |
| Tone 500k (push/pull split)Source: Tone 500k Push/Pull | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| .047 capSource: .047 cap (drawn green) | 47nF | Orange Drop .047µFExample part |
| 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
- Each pickup's red and white leads are soldered together onto a middle lug of the tone's push/pull switch, not taped off: neck on one side, bridge on the other.
- The two push/pull lugs in the row nearest the pot are jumpered together and wired to the tone's casing; that is what grounds both coil links when the switch closes.
- The blade's output lug goes to the volume's input lug, which also feeds the tone; the volume's middle lug goes to the jack tip.
- The grey 'Solder' spots mark the ground (earth) connections; the bridge ground wire goes to the volume casing.
- The source does not number the switch 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, running with the green. | Shield or groundbare | |
| 3 | Bridge green | Volume casing | To a pot casinggreen | |
| 4 | Bridge bare | Volume casingDrawn grey, running with the green. | Shield or groundbare | |
| 5 | Volume right lug | Volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing | |
| 6 | .047 cap | Tone casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 7 | Volume casing | Tone casingRuns down the left side between the two solder spots. | To a pot casingblack | |
| 8 | Tone casing | Jack sleeve | To a pot casingblack | |
| 9 | Tone casing | Push/pull left lug nearest the pot | To a pot casingblack | |
| 10 | Bridge ground wire | Volume casing'Bridge ground wire' ends on the volume's solder spot. | Shield or groundblack | |
| 11 | Neck black | Switch top-right lug (common)Arcs over the top of the page to the switch. | Wireblack | |
| 12 | Bridge black | Switch bottom-left lug (common)Runs along the bottom, hopping two wires, and up to the switch. | Wireblack | |
| 13 | Switch top-left lug | Switch second left lug | Jumperblack | |
| 14 | Switch second left lug | Switch third right lug | Jumperblack | |
| 15 | Switch third right lug | Switch bottom-right lug | Jumperblack | |
| 16 | Switch bottom-right lug | Volume left lug (input)Hops two wires on its way to the volume. | Wireblack | |
| 17 | Neck white | Push/pull left middle lug | Wirewhite | |
| 18 | Neck red | Push/pull left middle lugShares the lug with the neck white lead. | Wirered | |
| 19 | Bridge white | Push/pull right middle lug | Wirewhite | |
| 20 | Bridge red | Push/pull right middle lugShares the lug with the bridge white lead. | Wirered | |
| 21 | Volume middle lug | Jack tip | Wireblack | |
| 22 | Volume left lug | Tone left lugStraight down to the tone, drawn lugs up. | Wireblack | |
| 23 | Tone middle lug | .047 capThe cap is drawn on the back of the tone. | Wireblack | |
| 24 | Push/pull left lug nearest the pot | Push/pull right lug nearest the potShort jumper across the row. | Jumperblack |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck, knob down | Full neck humbucker. | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Neck + bridge, knob down | Both full humbuckers in parallel. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, knob down | Full bridge humbucker. | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, knob pulled: split | Neck coil link grounded: one neck coil. | Neck pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck + bridge, knob pulled: both split | Both coil links grounded: one coil from each pickup in parallel. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, knob pulled: split | Bridge coil link grounded: one bridge coil. | 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 full 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.