Luthier Hub / Subject 05
Pickups & Switching
Coil functions, conductor conventions and selector contacts. Identify the actual part instead of assuming that wire colour defines its job.
A useful reading order
Read the pickup maker’s documentation, establish coil and shield identities, then inspect selector contacts. The physical wiring tool is the next step once those identities are known.
Use Wiring Diagram Generator after identifying the terminals and supported configuration.
- 6 sections
Pickups & Switching
Guitar Three-Way Toggle Switch Wiring Explained
Identify pickup inputs, switched output and ground by contact function, not by a generic photograph.
- 6 sections
Pickups & Switching
Coil Splitting Explained
Understand what a split switch changes, how it differs from a coil tap and why conductor access and configuration limits matter.
- 6 sections
Pickups & Switching
Series vs Parallel Pickup Wiring
Separate coil connections inside a pickup from connections between pickups, and understand the limits of a conceptual comparison.
- 5 sections
Pickups & Switching
Pickup conductors and colour conventions
Separate coil function from wire colour before making a connection.
- 4 sections
Pickups & Switching
Selector contacts and pickup paths
A selector connects terminals. Its physical layout must match the circuit you are wiring.
- 3 min read
Pickups & Switching
Partial Coil Splits: Resistor Loading at the Series Junction
Understand what a partial-split resistor changes, why it is not a coil tap, and why the value belongs to a particular pickup and wiring arrangement.
- 3 min read
Pickups & Switching
Pickup DC Resistance Is Not an Output Rating
Use resistance measurements to investigate coil continuity and wiring state, while keeping output, inductance and electrical response separate.
- 3 min read
Pickups & Switching
Pickup Inductance: A Useful Circuit Parameter, Not a Tone Score
Understand inductive impedance and resonance without treating a henry reading as a complete description of a pickup.
- 3 min read
Pickups & Switching
Pickup Phase Switching: Signal Polarity and Shield Ground
Separate relative signal polarity from magnetic polarity, coil splitting and shielding before adding a phase switch.
- 3 min read
Pickups & Switching
Push/Pull Pots and DPDT Switching Fundamentals
Treat a push/pull control as a potentiometer and a separate switch, then identify the two poles and their throw contacts before choosing a modification.