# Understanding the Seymour Duncan kill switch

Canonical page: https://guitarwiring.app/wiring-guides/seymour-duncan/kill-switch

A kill switch silences the guitar without turning down the volume. Follow the signal from pickup to cable.

Applies to: The passive guitar output arrangement shown in the Seymour Duncan kill-switch reference. Do not treat this as an active-pickup power switch.

## After the controls, before the jack

The source puts the switch at the end of the guitar’s signal chain. With a master volume, its input comes from that control’s middle terminal. In the source’s individual-volume arrangement, it comes from the selector output. Follow your complete circuit to identify the final signal point.



## Pass the signal or ground the output

The source uses a six-contact on/on switch with jumpers across each outer row. The two middle terminals receive the incoming signal and the jack tip connection. One outer row joins the signal path; the other row is grounded to mute the output.

The jack sleeve remains connected to the guitar’s ground. This arrangement is not simply an unconnected break in the hot wire.



## Verify both positions

Before plugging in, use continuity checks to confirm that the play position connects the incoming signal to the jack tip and the mute position connects the tip to ground. Confirm that the jack sleeve stays grounded in both positions.

The source shows a latching switch. A momentary mute button requires an appropriate contact arrangement; choose its wiring from that component’s specification.



Sources: WD_Kill_switch. https://www.seymourduncan.com/resources/pickup/wiring-diagrams

Independent explanation by Tinkercaster; not endorsed by Seymour Duncan.