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Tinkercaster

Tonerider wiring

Standard Stratocaster wiring

Three single coils · Five-way blade · One volume · Neck and middle tones

Tonerider's 50s/60s standard Strat: three single coils on a five-way blade, a 250k master volume, and 250k neck and middle tones sharing one .022 µF capacitor. The bridge pickup has no tone control.

Viewed from the back of the controls, as you solder them.

Open interactive diagram ↗
Standard Stratocaster wiringStandard Stratocaster wiring: Three single coils · Five-way blade · One volume · Neck and middle tones. Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck pickupMiddle pickupBridge pickup250k250k250k22nFwhiteblackyellowblackwhiteblackT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8lug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3lug1lug2lug3abtipsleeveNeck pickupMiddle pickupBridge pickup5-Way BladeMaster Volume 250kNeck Tone 250kMid Tone 250k.022 cap · 22nFOutput Jack

Open the interactive diagram to zoom, move components and try the switches.

Parts and values

In the drawingValuePart
Neck pickupSource: Neck Pickup (white and black leads)—Tonerider City Limits NeckExample partSame wiring for Tonerider Pure Vintage Neck
Middle pickupSource: Mid Pickup (yellow and black leads)—Tonerider City Limits MiddleExample partSame wiring for Tonerider Pure Vintage Middle
Bridge pickupSource: Bridge Pickup (white and black leads)—Tonerider City Limits BridgeExample partSame wiring for Tonerider Pure Vintage Bridge
5-Way BladeSource: 5-way blade—Oak Grigsby 5-WayExample part
Master Volume 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
Neck Tone 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
Mid Tone 250k250kCTS 250k Audio PotExample part
.022 capSource: .022µf cap (drawn orange)22nFOrange Drop .022µFExample part
Output JackSource: Output jack—Switchcraft #11Example part

Every pickup is the maker's own. “As specified” means the sheet names that part. “Example part” means the sheet names no model: the pickup shown is one of the maker's with the same leads, and any pot, cap or switch with the same value and lugs will do. “Generic” is a plain part such as a ground wire. “Not on the sheet; stand-in” means the sheet prints no value for that part, so the value shown is the usual one, not the maker's.

Connections

In soldering order: grounds first, then the switch, the pickups and the signal path.

#FromToHow
1Neck blackVolume casingTo a pot casingblack
2Middle blackVolume casingTo a pot casingblack
3Bridge blackVolume casingTo a pot casingblack
4Volume ground lugVolume casingTo a pot casingblack
5.022µf capNeck Tone casingTo a pot casing
6Neck Tone casingVolume casingTo a pot casingblack
7Mid Tone casingNeck Tone casingTo a pot casingblack
8Jack sleeveVolume casingWireblack
9Bridge whiteSwitch front top lugWirewhite
10Middle yellowSwitch front second lugWireyellow
11Neck whiteSwitch front third lugWirewhite
12Switch front commonSwitch rear commonJumper across the blade.Wireblack
13Switch rear commonVolume input lugWireblack
14Switch rear neck lugNeck Tone middle lugWireblack
15Switch rear middle lugMid Tone lugWireblack
16Volume middle lugJack tipWirewhite
17.022µf capNeck Tone outer lugWire
18Neck Tone outer lugMid Tone lugBare jumper so both tones share the capacitor.Wire

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Bridge—Bridge pickup.
Bridge + middle—Middle pickup and Bridge pickup in parallel.
Middle—Middle pickup.
Middle + neck—Neck pickup and Middle pickup in parallel.
Neck—Neck pickup.

Checked with the Tinkercaster wiring engine against the switching the source describes.

  • Pickup resistance and magnet polarity are not specified, so no numeric meter readings or hum-cancelling claims 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 meter across the jack should read the selected pickup, or two pickups in parallel in positions 2 and 4.
  • With the volume at zero, tip and sleeve should read as a short.
  • In position 1 (bridge), turning either tone should not change the sound.

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.