The wiring reference

Reading Seymour Duncan push/pull switch diagrams

Turning the knob and pulling it do different jobs. See the actual part, then try its switch connections.

Meet the part

One knob. Two different jobs.

500k

Turn it: change volume or tone

The round metal part is a potentiometer, usually shortened to pot. Its three solder terminals belong to the turning control.

Pull it: change a connection

The rectangular section underneath is a separate switch. Its six solder terminals form two columns of three. Pulling the knob changes which terminals connect; the knob still turns normally.

What is a terminal?

A metal tab where you solder a wire. Diagrams also call these lugs. The middle tab in each switch column can connect to either neighbour.

Try it: which tabs connect?

Select a position. A highlighted line means those two metal tabs are electrically connected. Each column works separately.

DPDT on/on contact mapTwo independent columns. State A connects each common to its upper contact; state B connects each common to its lower contact.Left columnRight columnUpperMiddleLowerNo internal connection between columns

A: middle → upper, in each column.
B: middle → lower, in each column.

When you are ready to wire it

Applies to

The six-terminal, two-position contact arrangement in the Seymour Duncan two-way switch reference. Three-position switches require a separate contact map.

Two independent columns

Each column has a middle common terminal and two possible contacts. In one state, the middle connects to the upper terminal in that column. In the other, it connects to the lower terminal. The switch itself does not join the two columns.

The contact illustration below uses the source’s drawing orientation. It is a contact map, not a claim that every toggle lever points toward its connected terminals.

Read contacts, not knob direction

Check whether you are looking at the solder terminals or the front of the control. Use a multimeter in continuity mode (the setting that beeps when its probes are connected) to find which pair connects in each position before copying the wiring.

On/on and on/on/on are different

A two-position push/pull cannot supply a third switching state. Do not substitute it for a three-position series/split/parallel control and expect all three results. On/on/on switches also need their exact center-position contact map.

A quick bench check
  1. Disconnect the switch from the circuit for an unambiguous continuity check.
  2. Identify the middle terminal in each column; this is called the common.
  3. Record the connected pair in both positions.
  4. Match that map to the diagram, then add only the jumpers the circuit specifies.

Source and interpretation

Original explanation by Tinkercaster, based on these Seymour Duncan sheets: WD_Pushpull_minitoggle_2. The guide describes the stated configuration; it does not establish compatibility with every pickup or switch.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Seymour Duncan. Refer to your exact component’s instructions when a detail differs.

See it in a complete diagram

Put it in a complete circuit

Use a complete wiring diagram to see how the pickup, controls and output connect. Our public diagrams are free to view and explore.

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