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Warman Single coil pickup wiring

Custom single coil pickups. Texas Triple Air. Chrome plated metal covers.
Warman Big Texan 11.62k bridge single coil pickup
Warman Big Texan 11.62k bridge single coil pickup

Wiring Up Warman Single Coil Pickups

Most Warman single coil pickups keep things nice and simple. Just two wires to deal with – a negative (start/ground) and a positive (finish/hot). Compared to humbuckers with multiple wires, single coils are the wiring equivalent of making toast – quick, easy, and very little can go wrong.

  • Negative (ground) lead → connects to the guitar’s common ground circuit (usually the back of a pot).
  • Positive (hot) lead → connects either to your selector switch or directly to the input lug of your volume pot,. This depends on how your guitar’s control circuit is set up.

Wire Colours

  • If your pickup has two separate wires:
    • Black = negative (ground)
    • The other wire (various colours depending on position) = positive (hot)
  • If your pickup looks like it has only one wire, don’t panic! That’s actually a twin-cored cable:
    • Outer braid/shield = negative
    • Inner core = positive

That’s really all there is to it. Warman single coil pickups are among the easiest to wire up. You can check out our full range of upgrade models [here].

A Note on Phase Reversal Switches

If you’re fitting a phase reversal switch, there’s one extra step to consider:

Before you do, check that the coil’s negative isn’t already soldered to the baseplate. If it is, simply snip that link so the coil and baseplate are independently grounded.

If your pickup has a metal baseplate (like many P90s do), you’ll need to solder an extra ground wire from the baseplate to your guitar’s ground.

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Warman Humbucker wire colours

Warman pickups wire colours explained

Warman Humbucker Wire Colours Explained

Warman pickups wire colours explained
Warman pickups wire colours explained

If you’ve just unwrapped your shiny new Warman humbucker and you’re staring at a handful of coloured wires thinking “what on earth do I do now?” — don’t panic. Grab your soldering iron, make yourself a brew, and let’s walk through it.

The Warman Humbucker Colour Code

  • Bare wire – This is the shield/earth. It always goes to ground. The usual spot is the back of a potentiometer (pot for short). Think of it as the pickup’s safety belt.

  • Black wire – Negative / start of the South coil.

  • White wire – Positive / finish / hot output of the South coil.

  • Red wire – Negative / finish of the North coil.

  • Green wire – Positive / start / hot output of the North coil.

Standard Humbucker Wiring (Series)

To wire the pickup in standard Warman humbucker mode (both coils in series):

  1. Solder black + bare wires to ground (back of a pot is perfect).

  2. The red and white wires are already soldered together. Leave them joined — they’re the “bridge” between coil 1 and coil 2. Tuck them safely away with insulation tape.  or heat-shrink so they don’t short out.

  3. The green wire is your hot output. Connect to either your pickup selector switch or straight to the input lug of the volume pot.  This depends on your guitar’s wiring style.

That’s It!

And there you have it — the Warman wiring colour code in all its glory. Nothing scary, no rocket science, just a bit of solder, some common sense, and the smug satisfaction of upgrading your guitar.

Now plug in, turn up, and give those coils the workout they deserve.