# HSS Strat: two single coils and a humbucker, five-way, one volume and two tones Canonical page: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/tonerider/hss-five-way-volume-two-tones-no-split Two single coils + bridge humbucker · Five-way blade · One volume · Neck and mid tones Tonerider HSS Strat wiring without a humbucker split: neck and mid single coils and a four-conductor bridge humbucker on a five-way blade, a 250k volume, and 250k neck and mid tones sharing one .022µf capacitor. The sheet leaves the neck tone's outer lugs empty; this diagram adds the one wire Tonerider's later sheets draw there so both tones work. Drawing: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/tonerider/hss-five-way-volume-two-tones-no-split.svg (back of controls) ## Parts and values - Neck pickup: Neck Pickup; generic (Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)) - Mid pickup: Mid Pickup; generic (Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)) - Bridge humbucker: Bridge Pickup; generic (Humbucker (four-conductor, DiMarzio colours)) - 5-way switch: 5-way switch (drawn as a blade); compatible example (Oak Grigsby 5-Way) - Volume 250k: Volume 250k; 250k; compatible example (CTS 250k Audio Pot) - Neck Tone 250k: Neck Tone 250k; 250k; compatible example (CTS 250k Audio Pot) - Mid Tone 250k: Mid Tone 250k; 250k; compatible example (CTS 250k Audio Pot) - .022µf: .022µf (drawn orange); 22nF; compatible example (Orange Drop .022µF) - Output jack: Output jack; compatible example (Switchcraft \#11) ## Specific to this wiring - Title: HSS STRAT WIRING. Subtitle: 1 VOL / 2 TONE / 5-WAY TOGGLE, without humbucker split. The switch is drawn as a five-way blade. - Correction (not on this sheet): the sheet draws both outer lugs of the Neck Tone 250k as empty rings, with only a black wire from the switch on its middle lug, so as drawn the neck tone has no resistive path and does nothing. This diagram adds one wire (w20) from the Neck Tone's lower outer lug to the Mid Tone wiper / capacitor junction. Tonerider's later sheets with the same art, WD\_HSS\_1V2TL5AS.pdf (2024) and HSS\_Auto-Split\_Mod.pdf (2025), solder that lug to the grey lead from the Mid Tone's middle lug and to the capacitor leg. Tonerider has not published a corrected WD\_HSS\_12L5. - On the bridge humbucker the black and white leads end together in a short taped stub beside the cable; the red goes to the switch and the green and bare go to the volume casing. - The neck and mid black leads, the humbucker green and bare all end on the solder spot at the top of the volume casing. - The switch's upper row carries, from the top: humbucker red, mid yellow, neck white, and the row's common. A black jumper joins that common to the lower row's top lug (the second row's common), which also has a black wire to the volume's input lug. - The lower row's third lug feeds the Mid Tone and its bottom lug feeds the Neck Tone; the two wires cross on the way down with no joint drawn. The lower row's second lug is empty, so the bridge humbucker has no tone control. - Mid Tone: the switch wire lands on its outer lug nearest the Neck Tone; its middle lug has a grey lead to the .022µf capacitor, which passes the Neck Tone's lower outer lug without joining it on this sheet. The capacitor's other leg goes to the Neck Tone casing. - The volume's bottom lug is linked to the casing. The jack sleeve and a black wire to the Neck Tone casing leave from the lower volume solder spot; the Neck Tone and Mid Tone casings are joined by a black wire. - The switch lugs are not numbered on the sheet; they are mapped by what they do. The second row is read from its common, the lug diagonally opposite the first row's common. - The pots are drawn tilted; their lugs are named as if viewed from the back with the lugs down. - Capacitor Value Guide printed on the sheet: 0.001µf - least high-end roll off / brightest; 0.022µf - good all rounder, our recommendation; 0.047µf - More roll-off; 0.01µf - Vintage 50's / Most high-end roll-off. ## Connections 1. Humbucker green → Volume casing (top solder spot) (case, green) 2. Humbucker bare → Volume casing (top solder spot) (case, bare): Drawn grey beside the green. 3. Neck black → Volume casing (top solder spot) (case, black) 4. Mid black → Volume casing (top solder spot) (case, black) 5. Volume bottom lug → Volume casing (case): Short black link. 6. Volume casing (lower solder spot) → Jack sleeve (wire, black) 7. Volume casing (lower solder spot) → Neck Tone casing (case, black) 8. Mid Tone middle lug → .022µf capacitor (wire): Grey lead; on this sheet it passes the Neck Tone's lower outer lug without joining it. 9. .022µf capacitor → Neck Tone casing (case) 10. Neck Tone casing → Mid Tone casing (case, black) 11. Neck Tone lower outer lug → Mid Tone wiper / .022µf capacitor junction (wire): NOT DRAWN on this sheet. Added from WD\_HSS\_1V2TL5AS.pdf and HSS\_Auto-Split\_Mod.pdf so the neck tone works. 12. Humbucker red → Switch upper row, top lug (bridge) (wire, red) 13. Mid yellow → Switch upper row, second lug (middle) (wire, yellow) 14. Neck white → Switch upper row, third lug (neck) (wire, white) 15. Switch upper row common → Switch lower row, top lug (common) (wire, black): Jumper across the blade. 16. Switch lower row, top lug (common) → Volume top lug (input) (wire, black) 17. Switch lower row, third lug → Mid Tone outer lug nearest the Neck Tone (wire, black): Crosses the neck-tone wire with no joint drawn. 18. Switch lower row, bottom lug → Neck Tone middle lug (wire, black): Crosses the mid-tone wire with no joint drawn. 19. Humbucker black → Humbucker white (insulated, black): Taped stub. 20. Volume middle lug → Jack tip (wire, white) ## What each position does - Bridge humbucker: Bridge humbucker (both coils). Source: Without humbucker split: both coils in series. No tone on the bridge. - Bridge humbucker + mid: Mid pickup and Bridge humbucker (both coils) in parallel. Source: The full humbucker runs with the mid pickup; the Mid Tone is in circuit. - Mid: Mid pickup. Source: Mid Tone in circuit. - Mid + neck: Neck pickup and Mid pickup in parallel. Source: Both tones in circuit. - Neck: Neck pickup. Source: Neck Tone in circuit. It only works because of the added wire w20; as drawn on the sheet it has no effect. - One wire (w20) is not on the sheet: it corrects the source's empty Neck Tone outer lugs, following Tonerider's later sheets with the same layout. - The engine names one tone control per position; with the shared capacitor it names the Neck Tone in positions 2 to 5 and does not report the Mid Tone separately. - Pot tapers are not printed; pots are simulated with a linear track. - Hum cancelling and phase describe the generic pickup models, not a measurement of Tonerider pickups. - Pickup resistance is not specified, so no numeric meter readings are given. ## Check before plugging in - In each blade position the meter across the jack should read the selected pickup, or the two pickups in parallel in positions 2 and 4. - The taped black–white joint should read open to ground. - Positions 4 and 5: turning the Neck Tone down should roll off treble; positions 2 to 4: the Mid Tone should do the same. ## Source Tinkercaster's own drawing of the Tonerider diagram WD\_HSS\_12L5, revision 1. Not the manufacturer's artwork and not endorsed by Tonerider. See also [all wiring diagrams]().