Pickup
Color Codes
Find pickup wire color codes for different pickup builders
Pickup
To help get your pickups installed, we have compiled the below list of popular pickup builders and their humbucker pickup color codes.
If your pickup builder is not included below, please check with the manufacturers install instructions.
Our Included 'Technical Terms' guide may also help you work out which wire is which. e.g 'North Start' is often a term used for the 'Hot' wire.
Humbucker Colour Codes
Four Wire - Technical Terms
Hot = North Start
Ground = South Start
Series 1 = North Finish
Series 2 = South Finish
Bare Pickup Ground = Bare Wire
To use humbuckers in single coil slots: Solder two 'series split' wires together, and tape them off so they do not ground out on anything. Send 'bare' wire to a spare ground slot, and use 'Hot' and 'Ground' wires as usual.
Two Wire
Hot = Inner Core
Ground = Outer Braid / Bare Wire
Seymour Duncan & Tonerider
Seymour Duncan
Hot = Black
Ground = Green
Series 1 = White
Series 2 = Red
Bare Pickup Ground = Bare
To use in Single coil slots: Solder 'red and white' wires together, and tape them off so they do not ground out on anything. Send 'bare' wire to a spare ground slot, and use 'hot = black' and 'ground = green'.
ToneRider
Hot = Red
Ground = Green
Series 1 = Black
Series 2 = White
Bare Pickup Ground = Bare
To use in Single coil slots: Solder 'black and white' wires together, and tape them off so they do not ground out on anything. Send 'bare' wire to a spare ground slot, and use 'hot = red' and 'ground = green'.
Gibson, Epiphone & Dimarzio
Gibson & Epiphone
Hot = Red
Ground = Black
Series 1 = White
Series 2 = Green
Bare Pickup Ground = Bare
To use in Single coil slots: Solder 'green and white' wires together, and tape them off so they do not ground out on anything. Send 'bare' wire to a spare ground slot, and use 'hot = red' and 'ground = black'.
Dimarzio
Hot = Red
Ground = Green
Series 1 = Black
Series 2 = White
Bare Pickup Ground = Bare
To use in Single coil slots: Solder 'black and white' wires together, and tape them off so they do not ground out on anything. Send 'bare' wire to a spare ground slot, and use 'hot = red' and 'ground = green'.