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 toggleSource: 3 way toggle (unlabelled) | — | Switchcraft 3-Way ToggleExample part |
| Neck volume 500k push/pull (series/parallel)Source: Neck Volume 500k series/parallel | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Bridge volume 500k push/pull (phase)Source: Bridge Volume 500k phase | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| Master tone 500k push/pull (coil split)Source: Master Tone 500k push/pull | 500k | 500k Push-Pull DPDTExample part |
| .047 capSource: .047 cap (drawn green) | 47nF | Orange Drop .047µFExample part |
| Output jackSource: Output Jack | — | Switchcraft #11Example part |
| 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
- Departure from the printed sheet: this diagram adds two ground wires that the sheet does not draw. (1) Master tone casing to bridge volume casing; (2) bridge volume casing to neck volume casing. As printed, the drawing has three separate casing grounds: the neck volume Solder spot (neck bare, bridge ground wire, jack sleeve), the bridge volume Solder spot (bridge bare, phase push/pull ground lug, toggle ground lug) and the master tone Solder spot (only the .047 cap). With nothing joining them, the bridge pickup never reaches the output and the tone does nothing. The sheet itself prints '**All pot casings MUST be grounded**', and Seymour Duncan's sibling sheet 2H_3B_2VppSPppPH_1TppSPL (the same controls with a three-way blade) draws exactly these two casing links. The links are routed as in that sibling.
- Source title: '2 HUMBUCKERS', '2 VOLUME push/pull: Series/Parallel, push/pull: Phase', '1 TONE push/pull Coil Split', '3 WAY TOGGLE'. The pots are labelled 'Neck Volume 500k series/parallel', 'Bridge Volume 500k phase' and 'Master Tone 500k push/pull'.
- Source note: '**All pot casings MUST be grounded**'.
- Both pickups' red and white leads go to the master tone's push/pull: the bridge pair to the middle-left lug, the neck pair to the middle-right lug. Its bottom-left lug runs to the bridge black at the bridge volume push/pull; its bottom-right lug runs to the neck green at the neck volume push/pull.
- The bridge black and green go to the two middle lugs of the bridge volume's push/pull, whose top and bottom rows are cross-wired in an X; the line from its top-right lug carries on through the bottom-left lug to the bridge volume Solder spot.
- The neck green goes to the neck volume push/pull middle-right lug, not to a casing; the switch's top-right lug grounds it. The bottom two lugs are jumpered.
- The bridge volume's input comes from the neck volume push/pull top-left lug, not straight from the pickup.
- The master tone's left lug takes its signal from the toggle's middle (output) lug; its right lug is left unconnected. Each volume's right lug is bent onto its casing.
- The toggle's ground lug runs to the bridge volume Solder spot; the bridge ground wire ends on the neck volume Solder spot.
- Solder = location for ground (earth) connections.
- The toggle lugs and the push/pull lugs 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 series, split and parallel wiring
Two coils can work in a chain, side by side, or one at a time. See the difference before choosing a switch.
- 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 green | Neck volume push/pull middle-right lug | Wiregreen |
| 2 | Neck bare | Neck volume casingRuns round the top right to the neck volume Solder spot. | Shield or groundbare |
| 3 | Bridge green | Bridge volume push/pull middle-right lugHops one wire. | Wiregreen |
| 4 | Bridge bare | Bridge volume casing | Shield or groundbare |
| 5 | .047 cap | Master tone casing | To a pot casing |
| 6 | Bridge volume push/pull bottom-left lug | Bridge volume casingThe X arm's line carries on to the Solder spot. | To a pot casingblack |
| 7 | Bridge volume right lug | Bridge volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing |
| 8 | Neck volume push/pull top-right lug | Neck volume casingHops the neck green. | To a pot casingblack |
| 9 | Neck volume right lug | Neck volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing |
| 10 | Neck volume casing | Jack sleeve | Wireblack |
| 11 | Bridge ground wire | Neck volume casing | Wireblack |
| 12 | Toggle frame ground lug | Bridge volume casingOne hop. | Wireblack |
| 13 | Master tone casing | Bridge volume casingADDED, not drawn on this sheet: grounds the master tone casing ('All pot casings MUST be grounded'; drawn on the sibling sheet 2H_3B_2VppSPppPH_1TppSPL). | To a pot casingblack |
| 14 | Bridge volume casing | Neck volume casingADDED, not drawn on this sheet: joins the bridge volume ground group to the neck volume and jack sleeve ('All pot casings MUST be grounded'; drawn on the sibling sheet 2H_3B_2VppSPppPH_1TppSPL). | To a pot casingblack |
| 15 | Master tone left lug | Toggle middle lugHops the toggle ground wire. | Wireblack |
| 16 | Bridge volume middle lug | Toggle top lugHops one wire. | Wireblack |
| 17 | Neck volume middle lug | Toggle bottom lugHops one wire. | Wireblack |
| 18 | Toggle middle lug | Jack tipTwo hops. | Wireblack |
| 19 | Neck black | Neck volume left lug | Wireblack |
| 20 | Neck white | Master tone push/pull middle-right lug | Wirewhite |
| 21 | Neck red | Master tone push/pull middle-right lugShares the lug with the neck white. | Wirered |
| 22 | Bridge black | Bridge volume push/pull middle-left lug | Wireblack |
| 23 | Bridge white | Master tone push/pull middle-left lug | Wirewhite |
| 24 | Bridge red | Master tone push/pull middle-left lugShares the lug with the bridge white. | Wirered |
| 25 | Master tone push/pull bottom-left lug | Bridge volume push/pull middle-left lugHops the bridge green. | Wireblack |
| 26 | Master tone push/pull bottom-right lug | Neck volume push/pull middle-right lugHops two wires. | Wireblack |
| 27 | Master tone middle lug | .047 cap | Wire |
| 28 | Bridge volume push/pull top-left lug | Neck volume push/pull middle-left lugArcs up, hops the bridge green. | Wireblack |
| 29 | Bridge volume push/pull top-left lug | Bridge volume push/pull bottom-right lugOne arm of the X. | Wireblack |
| 30 | Bridge volume push/pull top-right lug | Bridge volume push/pull bottom-left lugOther arm of the X. | Wireblack |
| 31 | Neck volume push/pull top-left lug | Bridge volume left lugHops two wires. | Wireblack |
| 32 | Neck volume push/pull bottom-left lug | Neck volume push/pull bottom-right lugJumper across the row nearest the pot. | Jumperblack |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck; neck vol down, bridge vol down, tone down | — | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Both; neck vol down, bridge vol down, tone down | Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge; neck vol down, bridge vol down, tone down | Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck; neck vol down, bridge vol down, tone pulled | Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. | Neck pickup (split to one coil). |
| Both; neck vol down, bridge vol down, tone pulled | Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge; neck vol down, bridge vol down, tone pulled | Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Bridge pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck; neck vol down, bridge vol pulled, tone down | — | Neck pickup (both coils). |
| Both; neck vol down, bridge vol pulled, tone down | Bridge volume pulled (phase): the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel. |
| Bridge; neck vol down, bridge vol pulled, tone down | Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Bridge pickup (both coils). |
| Neck; neck vol down, bridge vol pulled, tone pulled | Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. | Neck pickup (split to one coil). |
| Both; neck vol down, bridge vol pulled, tone pulled | Bridge volume pulled (phase): the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in parallel. |
| Bridge; neck vol down, bridge vol pulled, tone pulled | Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Bridge pickup (split to one coil). |
| Neck; neck vol pulled, bridge vol down, tone down | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the neck green feeds the bridge pickup, so both play in series through the neck volume. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Both; neck vol pulled, bridge vol down, tone down | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the neck green feeds the bridge pickup, so both play in series through the neck volume. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Bridge; neck vol pulled, bridge vol down, tone down | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the bridge volume is cut off from the bridge pickup, so the bridge position is silent. | No pickup reaches the output. |
| Neck; neck vol pulled, bridge vol down, tone pulled | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the neck green feeds the bridge pickup, so both play in series through the neck volume. Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in series. |
| Both; neck vol pulled, bridge vol down, tone pulled | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the neck green feeds the bridge pickup, so both play in series through the neck volume. Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in series. |
| Bridge; neck vol pulled, bridge vol down, tone pulled | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the bridge volume is cut off from the bridge pickup, so the bridge position is silent. | No pickup reaches the output. |
| Neck; neck vol pulled, bridge vol pulled, tone down | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the neck green feeds the bridge pickup, so both play in series through the neck volume. Bridge volume pulled (phase): the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Both; neck vol pulled, bridge vol pulled, tone down | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the neck green feeds the bridge pickup, so both play in series through the neck volume. Bridge volume pulled (phase): the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in series. |
| Bridge; neck vol pulled, bridge vol pulled, tone down | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the bridge volume is cut off from the bridge pickup, so the bridge position is silent. | No pickup reaches the output. |
| Neck; neck vol pulled, bridge vol pulled, tone pulled | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the neck green feeds the bridge pickup, so both play in series through the neck volume. Bridge volume pulled (phase): the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in series. |
| Both; neck vol pulled, bridge vol pulled, tone pulled | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the neck green feeds the bridge pickup, so both play in series through the neck volume. Bridge volume pulled (phase): the bridge pickup's phase is reversed. Master tone pulled (coil split): both humbuckers split. Relies on the two casing ground wires this diagram adds (not drawn on the sheet); as printed, the bridge pickup never reaches the output. | Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in series. |
| Bridge; neck vol pulled, bridge vol pulled, tone pulled | Neck volume pulled (series/parallel): the bridge volume is cut off from the bridge pickup, so the bridge position is silent. | No pickup reaches the output. |
Checked with the Tinkercaster wiring engine against the switching the source describes.
- Two casing ground wires (master tone to bridge volume, bridge volume to neck volume) are not drawn on the sheet and were added from its printed note '**All pot casings MUST be grounded**' and the sibling sheet 2H_3B_2VppSPppPH_1TppSPL. The analysed results depend on them.
- 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 does what; this follows the usual push/pull behaviour (pulled joins the middle lugs to the lugs nearest the pot), which gives the titled function for every switch.
- The silent bridge position with the series/parallel knob pulled follows from the drawn wiring; the sheet does not mention it.
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
- Before powering up, meter between the three pot casings and the jack sleeve: all should read as a short once the two added ground wires are in.
- All knobs down: the toggle gives neck, both in parallel, and bridge.
- Pull the neck volume: the neck and both positions read the two humbuckers in series; the bridge position goes silent.
- Pull the bridge volume with the toggle in the middle: the pickups play out of phase.
- Pull the tone: each humbucker reads roughly one coil.
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.