# Standard Telecaster wiring

Canonical page: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/tonerider/standard-telecaster

Two single coils · Three-way blade · One volume · One tone

Tonerider's standard Tele harness: neck and bridge single coils on a three-way blade with offset lugs, one 250k volume and one 250k tone with a .022 µF capacitor. The middle position runs both pickups in parallel.

Drawing: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/tonerider/standard-telecaster.svg (back of controls)

## Parts and values

- Neck pickup: Neck Pickup (yellow and black leads); generic (Single-coil pickup (two-conductor))
- Bridge pickup: Bridge Pickup (white and black leads); generic (Single-coil pickup (two-conductor))
- 3-Way Switch: 3-way blade (offset lugs); compatible example (CRL 3-Way Blade)
- Volume 250k: Volume 250k; 250k; compatible example (CTS 250k Audio Pot)
- Tone 250k: Tone 250k; 250k; compatible example (CTS 250k Audio Pot)
- .022 cap: .022µf cap (drawn orange); 22nF; compatible example (Orange Drop .022µF)
- Output Jack: Output jack; compatible example (Switchcraft \#11)
- From Bridge Ground: From Bridge Ground; generic (Bridge ground wire)

## 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

1. Neck black → Volume casing (case, black)
2. Bridge black → Volume casing (case, black)
3. From Bridge Ground → Volume casing (shield, black)
4. Volume right lug → Volume casing (case): Lug bent onto the casing.
5. .022µf cap → Tone casing (case)
6. Tone casing → Jack sleeve (wire, black)
7. Volume casing → Tone casing (case, black): Runs from the volume's bent-over lug down the right side.
8. Neck yellow → Switch top-right lug (common) (wire, yellow)
9. Bridge white → Switch bottom-left lug (common) (wire, white)
10. Switch top-left lug → Switch second left lug (bridge, black)
11. Switch second left lug → Switch third right lug (bridge, black)
12. Switch third right lug → Switch bottom-right lug (bridge, black)
13. Switch bottom-right lug → Volume left lug (input) (wire, black)
14. Volume middle lug → Jack tip (wire, white)
15. Volume left lug → Tone left lug (wire, black)
16. Tone middle lug → .022µf cap (wire)

## What each position does

- Neck: Neck pickup.
- Neck + bridge: Neck pickup and Bridge pickup in parallel.
- Bridge: Bridge pickup.

- Pickup resistance and magnet polarity are not specified, so no numeric meter readings or hum-cancelling claims are given.

## 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.

## Source

Tinkercaster's own drawing of the Tonerider diagram T\_FENDER\_3\_WAY-100\_1418051d-31b1-41c5-a461-2a95a3e7391a, revision 1. Not the manufacturer's artwork and not endorsed by Tonerider.

See also [all wiring diagrams](<https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-diagrams/index.md>).