Seymour Duncan wiring

Two humbuckers with a three-way blade, two volumes and two push/pull coil-split tones

Two humbuckers · Three-way blade · Two volumes · Two push/pull tones (each splits its own pickup)

Neck and bridge Seymour Duncan humbuckers, each with its own 500k volume and 500k push/pull tone with a .047 µF capacitor before a three-way blade. Each tone's push/pull grounds that pickup's red–white coil link.

Two humbuckers with a three-way blade, two volumes and two push/pull coil-split tonesTwo humbuckers with a three-way blade, two volumes and two push/pull coil-split tones: Two humbuckers · Three-way blade · Two volumes · Two push/pull tones (each splits its own pickup). Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck PickupNeck PickupBridge PickupBridge Pickup3-Way Blade SwitchNeck Volume 500k · 500k500kNeck Tone 500k push/pull split · 500k500k.047 cap (neck) · 47nF47nFBridge Volume 500k · 500k500kBridge Tone 500k push/pull split · 500k500k.047 cap (bridge) · 47nF47nFOutput JackBridge groundblackgreenwhiteredbareblackgreenwhiteredbareT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8lug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3sw1sw2sw3sw4sw5sw6ablug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3sw1sw2sw3sw4sw5sw6abtipsleeveground

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 500k500kCTS 500k Audio PotExample part
Neck Tone 500k push/pull splitSource: Neck Tone 500k push/pull500k500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part
.047 cap (neck)47nFOrange Drop .047µFExample part
Bridge Volume 500k500kCTS 500k Audio PotExample part
Bridge Tone 500k push/pull splitSource: Bridge Tone 500k push/pull500k500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part
.047 cap (bridge)47nFOrange 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 two tones as push/pull coil split.
  • Each pickup's red and white leads are soldered together onto the middle lug of its own tone's push/pull.
  • On each tone push/pull, the lug nearest the pot has a short wire to that tone's solder spot.
  • Each pickup's black lead goes to its volume's input lug, and that lug also feeds the tone.
  • 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 tone casingTo a pot casinggreen
2Neck bareNeck tone casingShield or groundbare
3Neck tone push/pull nearest potNeck tone casingTo a pot casingblack
4Neck volume right lugNeck volume casingLug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
5.047 cap (neck)Neck tone casingTo a pot casingblack
6Bridge greenBridge tone casingTo a pot casinggreen
7Bridge bareBridge tone casingShield or groundbare
8Bridge tone push/pull nearest potBridge tone casingTo a pot casingblack
9Bridge volume right lugBridge volume casingLug bent onto the casing.To a pot casing
10.047 cap (bridge)Bridge tone casingTo a pot casingblack
11Neck volume casingNeck tone casingTo a pot casingblack
12Bridge volume casingBridge tone casingTo a pot casingblack
13Neck tone casingBridge tone casingTo a pot casingblack
14Bridge ground wireBridge tone casingWireblack
15Bridge tone casingJack sleeveTo a pot casingblack
16Neck volume middle lugBlade neck commonWireblack
17Bridge volume middle lugBlade bridge commonWireblack
18Blade lugBlade lugWireblack
19Blade lugBlade lugWireblack
20Blade lugBlade lugWireblack
21Blade outputJack tipWireblack
22Neck whiteNeck tone push/pull middleWirewhite
23Neck redNeck tone push/pull middleShares the lug with the neck white.Wirered
24Neck blackNeck volume left lug (input)Wireblack
25Bridge whiteBridge tone push/pull middleWirewhite
26Bridge redBridge tone push/pull middleShares the lug with the bridge white.Wirered
27Bridge blackBridge volume left lug (input)Wireblack
28Neck volume left lugNeck tone left lugWireblack
29Neck tone middle lug.047 cap (neck)Wireblack
30Bridge volume left lugBridge tone left lugWireblack
31Bridge tone middle lug.047 cap (bridge)Wireblack

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine 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, first pulledPulling a tone splits that pickup.Neck Pickup (split to one coil).
Both, first pulledPulling a tone splits that pickup.Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (both coils) in parallel.
Bridge, first pulledPulling a tone splits that pickup.Bridge Pickup (both coils).
Neck, second pulledPulling a tone splits that pickup.Neck Pickup (both coils).
Both, second pulledPulling a tone splits that pickup.Neck Pickup (both coils) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel.
Bridge, second pulledPulling a tone splits that pickup.Bridge Pickup (split to one coil).
Neck, both pulledPulling a tone splits that pickup.Neck Pickup (split to one coil).
Both, both pulledPulling a tone splits that pickup.Neck Pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge Pickup (split to one coil) in parallel.
Bridge, both pulledPulling a tone 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

  • Both tones down: in each blade position the jack reads the selected humbucker, or both in parallel in the middle.
  • Pulling a tone drops its own pickup to roughly one coil and leaves the other unchanged.

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.