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 toggleSource: 3 way toggle (unlabelled) | — | Switchcraft 3-Way ToggleExample part |
| Bridge volume 500k push/pullSource: Bridge Volume 500k push/pull | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Neck volume 500k push/pullSource: Neck Volume 500k push/pull | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Output jackSource: Output Jack | — | Switchcraft #11Example part |
| Bridge groundSource: Bridge Ground Wire | — | Bridge ground wireGeneric |
| Master tone 500kSource: Master Tone 500k | 500k | CTS 500k Audio PotExample part |
| .047 capSource: .047 cap (drawn green) | 47nF | Orange Drop .047µFExample part |
“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 500k push/pull coil split controls; each one splits only its own pickup.
- On each pickup the red and white leads are soldered together onto the middle lug of the push/pull's top row, not taped off.
- Each pickup's green and bare leads share the top-row lug nearest the pot, and a short wire joins that lug to the volume casing. The bottom row of each switch stays empty.
- The toggle's middle lug feeds the master tone's left lug, and that same lug carries the wire to the jack tip.
- The toggle frame lug goes to the neck volume casing; the neck and bridge volume casings are linked, and the bridge ground wire, jack sleeve and tone casing all end on the bridge volume casing.
- The source legend marks the grey 'Solder' spots as the location for ground (earth) connections.
- The toggle 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. Choose Show to highlight a connection in the drawing.
| # | From | To | How | Drawing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neck green | Neck push/pull lug nearest the pot | Wiregreen | |
| 2 | Neck bare | Neck push/pull lug nearest the potDrawn grey beside the green. | Shield or groundbare | |
| 3 | Neck push/pull lug nearest the pot | Neck volume casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 4 | Neck volume top lug | Neck volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing | |
| 5 | Bridge green | Bridge push/pull lug nearest the pot | Wiregreen | |
| 6 | Bridge bare | Bridge push/pull lug nearest the potDrawn grey beside the green. | Shield or groundbare | |
| 7 | Bridge push/pull lug nearest the pot | Bridge volume casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 8 | Bridge volume top lug | Bridge volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing | |
| 9 | Toggle frame lug | Neck volume casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 10 | Neck volume casing | Bridge volume casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 11 | Bridge ground wire | Bridge volume casing | Shield or groundblack | |
| 12 | Bridge volume casing | Jack sleeve | Wireblack | |
| 13 | .047 cap | Master tone casing | To a pot casing | |
| 14 | Bridge volume casing | Master tone casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 15 | Neck volume middle lug | Toggle neck lug | Wireblack | |
| 16 | Bridge volume middle lug | Toggle bridge lug | Wireblack | |
| 17 | Toggle middle lug | Master tone left lug | Wireblack | |
| 18 | Neck white | Neck push/pull top middle lug | Wirewhite | |
| 19 | Neck red | Neck push/pull top middle lugShares the lug with the neck white lead. | Wirered | |
| 20 | Neck black | Neck volume bottom lug (input) | Wireblack | |
| 21 | Bridge white | Bridge push/pull top middle lug | Wirewhite | |
| 22 | Bridge red | Bridge push/pull top middle lugShares the lug with the bridge white lead. | Wirered | |
| 23 | Bridge black | Bridge volume bottom lug (input) | Wireblack | |
| 24 | Master tone left lug | Jack tip | Wireblack | |
| 25 | Master tone middle lug | .047 cap | Wire |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck, neck knob down, bridge knob down | — | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Neck + bridge, neck knob down, bridge knob down | — | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck knob down, bridge knob down | — | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, neck knob pulled, bridge knob down | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own pickup. | Neck pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck + bridge, neck knob pulled, bridge knob down | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own pickup. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck knob pulled, bridge knob down | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own pickup. | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck, neck knob down, bridge knob pulled | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own pickup. | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Neck + bridge, neck knob down, bridge knob pulled | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own pickup. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck knob down, bridge knob pulled | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own pickup. | Bridge pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck, neck knob pulled, bridge knob pulled | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own pickup. | Neck pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck + bridge, neck knob pulled, bridge knob pulled | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own pickup. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge, neck knob pulled, bridge knob pulled | Each volume's push/pull coil split splits its own 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 lug to the lug 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 toggle position the meter across the jack reads the selected humbucker, or both in parallel in the middle.
- Pull one knob: only that pickup's reading drops to roughly one coil's resistance.
- In the neck or bridge position, turning the selected pickup's volume to zero should read tip to sleeve as a short.
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.