TinkercasterParts 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 (unlabelled, marked Seymour Duncan) | — | CRL 3-Way BladeExample part |
| Neck Volume 500k push/pull | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Bridge Volume 500k push/pull | 500k | 500k 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.
- On each pickup, the red and white leads are soldered together onto the middle lug of the switch's bottom row, not taped off.
- The bottom-row lug nearest the pot has a short wire to that pot's lower solder spot; the pickup's green and bare leads end on the same solder spot. The other switch lugs are drawn empty.
- Each volume's middle lug runs to a blade common: neck to the first lug of the right row, bridge to the fourth lug of the left row.
- Three short jumpers join the first and second left blade lugs and the third and fourth right blade lugs; the fourth right lug runs to the jack tip.
- A wire runs from the neck volume's lower solder spot to the bridge volume's lower solder spot; the bridge ground wire and the jack sleeve also end there.
- The neck volume's blade wire carries a hop over the neck black lead; the bridge black lead carries a hop over the bridge volume's blade wire and over the ground wire between the pots.
- Solder = location for ground (earth) connections.
- The blade tags are not labelled in the source, so they 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 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.
| # | From | To | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neck green | Neck volume casingEnds on the lower solder spot. | Wiregreen |
| 2 | Neck bare shield | Neck volume casingDrawn grey beside the green. | Shield or groundbare |
| 3 | Neck split switch lug nearest the pot | Neck volume casingShort wire to the lower solder spot. | To a pot casingblack |
| 4 | Neck volume top lug | Neck volume casingUnder the upper solder spot. | To a pot casing |
| 5 | Bridge green | Bridge volume casingEnds on the lower solder spot. | Wiregreen |
| 6 | Bridge bare shield | Bridge volume casingDrawn grey beside the green. | Shield or groundbare |
| 7 | Bridge split switch lug nearest the pot | Bridge volume casingShort wire to the lower solder spot. | To a pot casingblack |
| 8 | Bridge volume top lug | Bridge volume casingUnder the upper solder spot. | To a pot casing |
| 9 | Neck volume casing | Bridge volume casingRuns from the neck lower solder spot down to the bridge lower solder spot. | To a pot casingblack |
| 10 | Bridge ground wire | Bridge volume casing | Wireblack |
| 11 | Bridge volume casing | Jack sleeve | Wireblack |
| 12 | Neck volume middle lug | Blade neck commonCarries a hop over the neck black lead. | Wireblack |
| 13 | Bridge volume middle lug | Blade bridge common | Wireblack |
| 14 | Blade left row, first lug | Blade left row, second lug | Wireblack |
| 15 | Blade left row, second lug | Blade right row, third lugDrawn diagonally across the blade. | Wireblack |
| 16 | Blade right row, third lug | Blade right row, fourth lug | Wireblack |
| 17 | Blade right row, fourth lug | Jack tip | Wireblack |
| 18 | Neck red | Neck split switch middle lug | Wirered |
| 19 | Neck white | Neck split switch middle lugShares the lug with the neck red. | Wirewhite |
| 20 | Neck black | Neck volume bottom lug (input) | Wireblack |
| 21 | Bridge red | Bridge split switch middle lug | Wirered |
| 22 | Bridge white | Bridge split switch middle lugShares the lug with the bridge red. | Wirewhite |
| 23 | Bridge black | Bridge volume bottom lug (input)Carries hops over the ground wire between the pots and over the bridge volume's blade wire. | Wireblack |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck, both knobs down | — | Neck Pickup (both coils). |
| Both, both knobs down | — | Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, both knobs down | — | Bridge Pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, neck knob pulled, bridge knob down | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Both, neck knob pulled, bridge knob down | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck knob pulled, bridge knob down | — | Bridge Pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, neck knob down, bridge knob pulled | — | Neck Pickup (both coils). |
| Both, neck knob down, bridge knob pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck knob down, bridge knob pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Bridge Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck, both knobs pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Both, both knobs pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, both knobs pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | 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
- Both knobs down: in each blade position the meter across the jack reads the selected humbucker, or both in parallel in the middle.
- Pulling a volume drops its own pickup's reading to roughly one coil's resistance and leaves the other pickup unchanged.
- With a volume at zero, its blade common reads as a short to ground.
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.