PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS

Switch Wiring for Dual Coil Pickups with 4-conductor cable

red
white

hot (black)

series
(humbucking)

treble coil
(bridge single coil)

ground

green

SPDT (on-on) switch

shield

(or 1/2 of DPDT (on-on) switch)

green
black

series
(humbucking)

hot (red)

bass coil
(neck single coil)

ground

white

SPDT (on-on) switch

shield
green
black
white

neck pu.

bridge pu.

shield
shield

green
red
white

(or 1/2 of DPDT (on-on) switch)

red

hot (neck)

both pu's in series

(humbucking)

outer single coils

(humbucking)

ground

black

hot (bridge)

DPDT (on-on) switch

( or Push - Pull switch )

Switching to the outer single coils gives a "Tele" like sound for guitars and a "J" like sound
for basses (if BOTH pickups have magnet North (or both magnet South) toward the neck)
red
black
green
shield

white

hot (red)

series HB

parallel HB

ground
DPTT (on-on-on) switch

black
red
white
shield

neck SC

green

bridge SC
hot (black)

parallel HB

series HB

ground
DPTT (on-on-on) switch

black
red

hot (black)

parallel HB

series HB

white
ground
shield

green

DPDT (on-on) switch

PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS

Switch Wiring for Dual Coil Pickups with 4-conductor cable

black
white
red

series HB
hot (black)
ground

green

SPDT (on-off-on) switch

shield
neck pu.

bridge pu.

shield
shield

green
black
white
green
red
white

bridge SC

neck SC

red

hot (neck)

dual coils
outer SC's

inner SC's

ground

black

hot (bridge)

DPDT (on-off-on) switch

(all positions humbucking)

Switching to the outer single coils gives a "Tele" like sound for guitars and a "J" like sound
for basses (if BOTH pickups have magnet North (or both magnet South) toward the neck)
Switching to the inner single coils gives a fuller tone with more mids.
HB = humbucking (dual coils with both coils on)
SERIES WIRING
red
black
ground
+
+
hot
_ neck coil _ bridge coil
green
white
highest output level - best midrange

series wiring

black (hot)

SC = single coil
PARALLEL WIRING
+ red
green _ neck coil
hot
ground
+
bridge coil
white _
black
1/2 the output of series wiring
with 50% more treble but less mids
parallel wiring

black+red (hot)

red
(use tape or
white shrink tubing
to prevent
green

grounding)

shield

ground

ground
+ red (neck)

- green (neck)
+ black (bridge)
- white (bridge)
shield (ground)

white
+green
+shield