Tinkercaster
Parts and values
| In the drawing | Value | Part |
|---|---|---|
| Neck pickupSource: Neck Pickup (yellow and black leads) | — | Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)Generic |
| Bridge pickupSource: Bridge Pickup (white and black leads) | — | Single-coil pickup (two-conductor)Generic |
| 3-Way SwitchSource: 3-way blade (offset lugs) | — | CRL 3-Way BladeExample part |
| Volume 250k | 250k | CTS 250k Audio PotExample part |
| Tone 250k | 250k | CTS 250k Audio PotExample part |
| .022 capSource: .022µf cap (drawn orange) | 22nF | Orange Drop .022µFExample part |
| Output JackSource: Output jack | — | Switchcraft #11Example part |
| From Bridge Ground | — | 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 neck pickup's yellow lead goes to the switch's top-right lug; the bridge pickup's white lead goes to the switch's bottom-left lug.
- Three short jumpers join four of the other switch lugs into one output, which runs to the volume's input lug. Two lugs stay empty.
- The neck black, the bridge black and the wire from the bridge ground all end on one solder spot on the volume casing.
- The source does not number the switch positions; the lugs are mapped by what they do (neck, both, bridge).
- Capacitor value guide printed on the sheet: 0.022µf good all-rounder, bright and clean, used in many modern production instruments; 0.047µf more treble roll-off, with a warm and full tone especially with overdrive and gain; 0.1µf used in 50s and early 60s instruments, most high end roll off, can be "wah" like. The capacitor drawn in this harness is printed .022µf.
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 black | Volume casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 2 | Bridge black | Volume casing | To a pot casingblack | |
| 3 | From Bridge Ground | Volume casing | Shield or groundblack | |
| 4 | Volume right lug | Volume casingLug bent onto the casing. | To a pot casing | |
| 5 | .022µf cap | Tone casing | To a pot casing | |
| 6 | Tone casing | Jack sleeve | Wireblack | |
| 7 | Volume casing | Tone casingRuns from the volume's bent-over lug down the right side. | To a pot casingblack | |
| 8 | Neck yellow | Switch top-right lug (common) | Wireyellow | |
| 9 | Bridge white | Switch bottom-left lug (common) | Wirewhite | |
| 10 | Switch top-left lug | Switch second left lug | Jumperblack | |
| 11 | Switch second left lug | Switch third right lug | Jumperblack | |
| 12 | Switch third right lug | Switch bottom-right lug | Jumperblack | |
| 13 | Switch bottom-right lug | Volume left lug (input) | Wireblack | |
| 14 | Volume middle lug | Jack tip | Wirewhite | |
| 15 | Volume left lug | Tone left lug | Wireblack | |
| 16 | Tone middle lug | .022µf cap | Wire |
What each position does
| Setting | The source | Engine result |
|---|---|---|
| Neck | — | Neck pickup. |
| Neck + bridge | — | Neck pickup and Bridge pickup in parallel. |
| Bridge | — | Bridge 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 both in parallel in the middle.
- With the volume at zero, tip and sleeve should read 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.