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 |
| Neck Volume 500k push/pull splitSource: Neck Volume 500k push/pull | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Bridge Volume 500k push/pull splitSource: Bridge Volume 500k push/pull | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Master Tone 500k push/pull phaseSource: Master Tone 500k push/pull Phase Switch | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| .047 capSource: .047 cap (drawn green) | 47nF | Orange Drop .047µFExample 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 the tone as push/pull phase.
- The neck black and green go through the tone's push/pull with an X cross-wire; the hot out feeds the neck volume's input lug.
- Each pickup's red and white leads are soldered together onto its own volume's push/pull middle lug.
- The master tone takes its signal from the blade output after the switch.
- 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.
- Seymour Duncan phase reversal explained
See what swapping two pickup wires changes when you play two pickups together.
- 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.
- Seymour Duncan phase switching with coil split or parallel
Two switches interact. See what changes when coil selection and phase reversal share a pickup.
Connections
In soldering order: grounds first, then the switch, the pickups and the signal path.
| # | From | To | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neck bare | Master tone casing | Shield or groundbare |
| 2 | Neck green | Master tone phase middle right | Wiregreen |
| 3 | Master tone phase bottom left | Master tone casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 4 | Neck volume push/pull nearest pot | Neck volume casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 5 | Neck volume right lug | Neck volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing |
| 6 | Bridge green | Bridge volume casing | To a pot casinggreen |
| 7 | Bridge bare | Bridge volume casing | Shield or groundbare |
| 8 | Bridge volume push/pull nearest pot | Bridge volume casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 9 | Bridge volume right lug | Bridge volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing |
| 10 | .047 cap | Master tone casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 11 | Neck volume casing | Bridge volume casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 12 | Bridge volume casing | Master tone casing | To a pot casingblack |
| 13 | Bridge ground wire | Bridge volume casing | Wireblack |
| 14 | Bridge volume casing | Jack sleeve | To a pot casingblack |
| 15 | Neck volume middle lug | Blade neck common | Wireblack |
| 16 | Bridge volume middle lug | Blade bridge common | Wireblack |
| 17 | Blade lug | Blade lug | Wireblack |
| 18 | Blade lug | Blade lug | Wireblack |
| 19 | Blade lug | Blade lug | Wireblack |
| 20 | Blade output | Jack tip | Wireblack |
| 21 | Blade output | Master tone left lug | Wireblack |
| 22 | Neck white | Neck volume push/pull middle | Wirewhite |
| 23 | Neck red | Neck volume push/pull middle | Wirered |
| 24 | Neck black | Master tone phase middle left | Wireblack |
| 25 | Bridge red | Bridge volume push/pull middle | Wirered |
| 26 | Bridge white | Bridge volume push/pull middle | Wirewhite |
| 27 | Bridge black | Bridge volume left lug (input) | Wireblack |
| 28 | Master tone phase top left | Neck volume left lug (input) | Wireblack |
| 29 | Master tone phase top left | Master tone phase bottom rightOne leg of the X. | Wireblack |
| 30 | Master tone phase top right | Master tone phase bottom leftThe other leg of the X. | Wireblack |
| 31 | Master tone middle lug | .047 cap | Wireblack |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck, all knobs down | — | Neck Pickup (both coils). |
| Both, all knobs down | — | Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, all knobs down | — | Bridge Pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, neck split | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Both, neck split | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck split | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Bridge Pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, bridge split | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (both coils). |
| Both, bridge split | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, bridge split | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Bridge Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck, phase pulled | — | Neck Pickup (both coils). |
| Both, phase pulled | Neck reversed against the bridge. | Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, phase pulled | — | Bridge Pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, both volumes pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Both, both volumes pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, both volumes pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Bridge Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck, neck split and phase pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Both, neck split and phase pulled | Neck reversed against the bridge. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck split and phase pulled | — | Bridge Pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, bridge split and phase pulled | — | Neck Pickup (both coils). |
| Both, bridge split and phase pulled | Neck reversed against the bridge. | Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, bridge split and phase pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Bridge Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck, all pulled | Pulling a volume splits that pickup. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil). |
| Both, all pulled | Neck reversed against the bridge. | Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, all 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.
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 reads the selected pickup, or both in parallel in the middle.
- Pulling a volume splits that pickup; pulling the tone in the middle position puts the pickups 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.