Category: Wiring Advice

Guitar Pickup Wiring Advice and Guides

Looking for help wiring your guitar pickups? This section provides general wiring advice for Warman® humbuckers and single coil pickups, along with practical ideas for modifying and upgrading your guitar’s electronics.

Whether you’re performing a simple pickup replacement or experimenting with more advanced wiring mods, these guides are designed to help you understand how guitar electronics work and how to get the best tone from your instrument.

Electric Guitar Pickup Wiring Ideas

Pickup wiring is one of the easiest ways to customise your guitar’s sound. With a few simple wiring changes, you can unlock a surprising range of tones.

Some of the common wiring projects covered here include:

  • Basic pickup replacement wiring

  • Phase reversal switches

  • Coil split and coil cut wiring

  • Series and parallel pickup wiring

  • Creating multiple tones from a single humbucker

These modifications allow guitarists to explore different tonal options without replacing their entire guitar.

From Simple Pickup Swaps to Full Guitar Builds

Whether you are:

  • swapping a pickup in your favourite guitar

  • installing Warman humbuckers or single coils

  • adding a new switch or tone control

  • or building a custom guitar from scratch

you’ll find helpful wiring diagrams, tips, and advice here.

Even experienced guitar builders occasionally need a quick wiring reference, and beginners often discover that guitar electronics are much simpler than they first appear.

Make Your Guitar Sound Exactly the Way You Want

Electric guitar wiring doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right guidance and a soldering iron, you can create a guitar that delivers exactly the tone you want.

Explore the guides below to find pickup wiring ideas, modification tips, and practical advice for getting the most out of your Warman pickups.

Who knows — you might even end up building your own screaming tone monster along the way.

Warman® Guitars designs affordable humbucker and single coil pickups for electric guitar upgrades, helping players worldwide improve tone, output, and reliability without paying boutique pickup prices.

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Beginners guide to changing guitar pickups

Changing the pickups in a guitar can be a rewarding DIY project. Especially if you’re looking to improve the tone or customize the sound of your instrument. Here’s a general Newbies 11 step guide to help you change your guitar pickups:

Just for the hell of it the image is AI generated as it’s so wonderfully weird and unlike anything I have ever seen on the bench :-). Looks like my first attempt when I was a lad.

AI generated image of guitar wiring

Tools & Materials Needed:

  1. New pickups (you’re going to choose from the Warman range , right ! )
  2. Screwdrivers (usually a Phillips head)
  3. Soldering iron and solder
  4. Wire cutters/strippers
  5. Multimeter (optional, for checking connections and can be picked up at low cost online)
  6. Desoldering pump or braid not essential but handy (for removing old solder)
  7. Tape or ties (for cable management)
  8. Guitar strings (you need to remove the existing ones and probably replace them)

Steps to swapping Pickups:

1. Choose the Right Pickups

  • Single Coil vs. Humbucker: Make sure the new pickups fit your guitar’s pickup slots. Single coils and humbuckers have different sizes, and the tone difference is substantial.
  • Consider Wiring Type: Some pickups have 2-wire or 4-wire configurations, and some feature active electronics (which may require a battery).

2. Remove the Guitar Strings

  • Loosen or completely remove the strings to allow easy access to the pickups.

3. Remove the Pickguard or Back Plate

  • For Strat-style guitars, you’ll typically remove the pickguard by unscrewing it.
  • For Les Paul-style guitars, the back plate covering the electronics needs to be removed.
  • Ensure you don’t lose any screws. Pop them into a box or tub with a lid on it to keep them safe.

4. Take Note of Existing Wiring

  • Before disconnecting anything, take pictures or note the wiring layout. This will make it easier to reconnect everything properly.
  • Identify the pickup wiring connected to the volume pots, tone pots, and the switch.
  • Label them , phot graph them, sketch them – just make sure you can reference what went where. Saves you massive headaches later on.

5. Desolder the Old Pickups

  • Heat the connections where the pickup wires are soldered to the pots. Then gently pull the wires away as the solder melts.
  • Use a desoldering pump or braid to remove old solder if you have one.

6. Install the New Pickups

  • Position the new pickups in the pickup cavities. If you’re swapping between single-coils and humbuckers, make sure they fit snugly. If not, you will need to change the pickup rings or pickguard.
  • Run the new wires through to the electronics cavity (or under the pickguard if it’s a Strat-type).

7. Solder the New Wires

  • Follow the wiring diagram that came with the pickups or the notes you took. Ours are
    • Humbucker Ground wire (usually braided wire) goes to the back of a potentiometer (pot).
    • Humbucker black wire goes rot the back of a pot
    • Red and white are the wires that link the two coils together. Just leave them connected.
    • Humbucker green wire is the hot and connects to either the volume pot or the selector switch.
  • Make sure your solder joints are clean and solid.
  • Single coils generally have a b lack ground wire and a coloured or white hot lead.

8. Test Connections

  • Use a multimeter to ensure continuity in the connections (optional but helpful).
  • Before fully reassembling, plug in the guitar and lightly tap the pickups with a screwdriver to ensure they’re functioning. If all is OK you should hear a clunk as you tap the screw driver onto the poles.

9. Reassemble the Guitar

  • Put the pickguard or back plate back on and screw it in.
  • Restring the guitar and tune it to pitch.

10. Adjust Pickup Height

  • You can raise or lower the pickups by adjusting the screws on the pickup mounts. The closer the pickups are to the strings, the hotter (louder) the output. Be careful not to put them too close or it can cause magnetic pull on the strings. This can lead to intonation issues. Your ears will tell you where your personal sweet spot is.

11. Final Testing

  • Plug the guitar into an amp and test each pickup position.
  • Check for any buzzing or faulty wiring and adjust pickup height for your desired tone.

Tips for Pickup Swapping:

  • Wiring Diagrams: If you’re unsure about wiring, look up the manufacturer’s wiring diagram (most brands have diagrams available online).
  • Shielding: If you’re getting a lot of hum, you might consider shielding the guitar’s electronics cavity. Use conductive paint or copper tape for better grounding. Also check the ground wire from the back of the pot to the guitars bridge is properly connected.
  • Try Different Combinations: Experiment with pickup combinations to get the best tone. You can mix single-coils and humbuckers, or use coil-splitting to get versatile tones.

That’s it , that’s our changing guitar pickups. This guide gives you the basic Rookie steps. Specifics vary depending on your guitar model and the pickups you’re installing. Feel free to ask if you need further clarification!

This article was written by Josi Warman, founder of Warman Guitars. With over 40 years of experience building guitars, designing pickups, creating custom wiring systems and publishing guitar-building guides, Josi has helped thousands of players upgrade and customise their instruments.

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Electric guitar potentiometers explained.

Electric guitars rely heavily on volume and tone potentiometers (pots) to shape their sound. These components, though small, play a significant role in the overall tonal quality and versatility of the instrument. Understanding the differences and uses of logarithmic (audio taper) and linear potentiometers is essential for guitarists, technicians, and builders to make informed decisions regarding their instrument’s electronics.

photograph of electric guitar potentiometers

Differences Between Logarithmic and Linear Potentiometers

1. Taper and Response Curve:

  • Logarithmic (Audio Taper) Potentiometers: Logarithmic potentiometers are designed to mimic the human ear’s nonlinear perception of sound. Humans perceive changes in volume logarithmically rather than linearly. This means that a small change in a lower volume is perceived more distinctly than the same change at a higher volume. Consequently, audio taper pots change resistance in a logarithmic curve, allowing for a more natural and even-sounding volume increase or decrease as the knob is turned. Typically, an audio taper pot might have about 10% of its resistance at the midpoint (50% rotation).
  • Linear Potentiometers: Linear potentiometers have a direct, linear relationship between the rotation of the knob and the change in resistance. At the midpoint of rotation, a linear pot will exhibit 50% of its total resistance. This creates a straightforward and predictable response, where each degree of rotation corresponds to an equal change in resistance.

2. Applications in Electric Guitars:

  • Volume Control: For electric guitar volume controls, logarithmic potentiometers are generally preferred. This is because they provide a smoother and more consistent volume adjustment that matches our auditory perception. With a linear pot, the volume change can feel abrupt and uneven, often resulting in most of the perceptible volume change happening in the first half of the knob’s rotation, which can make fine-tuning difficult.
  • Tone Control: The choice between logarithmic and linear pots for tone control can vary. Some manufacturers and guitarists prefer linear pots for tone controls because they offer a predictable change in resistance, which can provide more precise control over the tonal adjustments. Others prefer audio taper pots for their smoother, more gradual change. The decision often comes down to personal preference and the specific behavior of the guitar’s electronics.

Uses in Electric Guitars

1. Volume Potentiometers:

  • Logarithmic Pots: Logarithmic pots are the standard choice for volume controls due to their smooth and natural adjustment curve. When a guitarist rolls off the volume, they expect a gradual and even decrease in output, which is what logarithmic pots deliver. This allows for better control over dynamics and output levels, crucial for live performance and recording.
  • Linear Pots: While less common for volume controls, some players may use linear pots if they prefer a more abrupt volume change or for specific modifications where precise control over a narrow range of volume is needed.

2. Tone Potentiometers:

  • Logarithmic Pots: When used for tone control, logarithmic pots can provide a gradual and smooth change in tone, making it easier to dial in subtle nuances. This is particularly useful for styles requiring precise tonal adjustments, such as jazz or blues.
  • Linear Pots: Linear pots in tone circuits can give a more immediate response, which some players prefer. They can provide a more predictable sweep from full treble to full bass, allowing for precise control over the tonal spectrum. This is beneficial in genres where quick and definitive tonal shifts are desired, such as rock or metal.

Practical Considerations

1. Modifications and Customization: Guitarists often experiment with different electric guitar potentiometers to achieve their desired sound and feel. For instance, switching from a logarithmic to a linear pot (or vice versa) can significantly change how the volume or tone control responds, potentially opening up new tonal possibilities or making the controls more intuitive for the player’s style.

2. Matching Pot Values: The resistance value of pots (commonly 250k or 500k ohms) also affects the tone. Higher resistance pots (like 500k) generally result in brighter tones, as they allow more high-frequency signals to pass through, while lower resistance pots (like 250k) tend to produce warmer tones. The choice between logarithmic and linear tapers remains independent of these resistance values, but the combined effect influences the overall sound and functionality.

3. Electronics Compatibility: Certain pickups and electronic configurations may interact better with specific pot types. For example, single-coil pickups often use 250k pots to tame their brightness, whereas humbuckers might use 500k pots for more clarity. Ensuring the correct type and value of potentiometer is used can enhance the guitar’s tonal balance and control response.

In summary, the choice between logarithmic and linear potentiometers in electric guitars hinges on their different response curves and how they align with human auditory perception. Logarithmic pots are typically preferred for volume controls due to their natural, smooth taper that matches the way we hear volume changes. For tone controls, the decision is more flexible, with linear pots offering predictable adjustments and logarithmic pots providing smoother transitions. Ultimately, the choice of potentiometer type, combined with their resistance values, plays a crucial role in shaping the guitar’s overall sound and playability.

This article was written by Josi Warman, founder of Warman Guitars. With over 40 years of experience building guitars, designing pickups, creating custom wiring systems and publishing guitar-building guides, Josi has helped thousands of players upgrade and customise their instruments.

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Resistance is futile, except sometimes it’s not.

Theres that age old rule that 500k pots are better suited to humbuckers as they let a bit more treble through and 250k are better on single coils as they kill off a bit of the shrillness. So what do you do on guitars that have a mix of both humbuckers and single coils ?

You can get the best of both worlds by “tricking” your 500k pots into being 250k pots. I’m not going to bore you with the science ( Google it if you are interested ) but in our good old quick and dirty fashion we are just going to show you how to do it and throw in the quick explanation that running the 500k resistance of the pot in parallel with the 500k of another resistor switched in it’ll drop the resistance of the 500k pot by half giving you 250k.

You just need to use a 500k push pull volume pot with a 500k resistor wired into the switch so that when you pop the switch up the pot “thinks” its a 250k pot and in the down position it’s just it’s plain old self at 500k. The pot will sound darker in the up position killing off some of the treble responses and making your single coil, or tapped humbucker, sound a little bit sweeter.

Its also a handing trick for quickly swapping tone at the push of a switch.

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Basic guitar circuit wiring – Part 2

2 single coils pickups, 3 way selector switch, 2 volume controls and 2 tone controls.

Following on from earlier here is the diagram expanded a bit to show wiring for 2 pickups, each with independent volume and tone controls and the typical 3 way selector switch giving the option of neck pickup alone, both pickups on in parallel or bridge pickup on its own. We simply swap the switch section to the other side of the pots.

As you can see, if you compare it to the earlier diagram, the signal / hot wire from the pickup show goes direct to the input lug of the volume control rather than straight to the switch. Thats simply because you want to control the volume of the individual pickup before it gets to the switch selection stage giving you the option of having each pickups set to different volumes before you select it.

Again although the diagram shows the wiring for 2 single coils it remains the same if you are using humbuckers except for changing the pots to 500k.

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Basic guitar circuit wiring.

So here’s todays ramblings on how to do some basic wiring up stuff. A fairly simple arrangement of 2 pickups – a neck and bridge – with a there way switch ( both 8 lug lever witch and 3 way toggle switch variants ) with a master volume and tone control.

The diagrams show this done with 2 single coils but the principle is the same for 2 humbuckers but you might want to swap the 250k pots for 500k pots just to let a bit more of the treble through.

As with all pickup wiring the hot / plus / positive – whatever you want to call them – leads go to the switch lugs and the ground / negative / earth leads connect up into the common earth circuit, which also hooks into the bridge earth wire otherwise it’ll hum like billyoh when you aren’t touching the strings.