Super Switch: Pickup Specs and Color Codes

Pickup manufacturers - specs and color codes


I-3200_2

Pickup ManufacturerAdjustable PoleSlug PoleWinding DirectionNotes and Special Instructions
Start "A"Finish " B"M.P.Start "C"Finish "D"M.P.
Tom Anderson
Humbucker
Black
WhiteSouthGreen Red
NorthB/W coil is CW
G/R coil is CW
Anderson winds one coil opposite the other; therefore they tie a finish with a start. Both coils are slugs—no adjustable polepieces. Inspect bottom of pickup and trace colored wires to their coils.
Tom Anderson Single-coilNANANABlack
White, Red, Purple or Yellow
NorthCWReverse-wound reverse-polarity pickups are opposite these specs. Tapped single-coils are black, white, and red, RW/RP black, yellow and purple.
WD/Kent Armstrong
Humbucker
Red
(Pink)

Blue
(Black)

SouthGreen
White NorthCW
WD/Kent Armstrong
Single-coil
NANANABlack
White
SouthCWRW/RP has north top polarity.
Joe Barden
Humbucker
Green
RedSouth Black
White NorthCWOutput wire always exits under south polarity coil. All pickups are humbucking with stainless steel blade polepieces. Ceramic magnet applies magnetic field.
Benedetto
Humbucker
Green
WhiteSouthRed
BlackNorthCCWCoil above "Benedetto" in the cover has a south Humbucker polarity.
DiMarzio
Humbucker
Green
WhiteSouthRed
BlackNorthCCWOutput wire always exits pickup's baseplate under the south polarity coil.
DiMarzio
Single-coil
NANANABlack
White
SouthCW
Seymour Duncan
Humbucker
Green
RedSouthBlack
WhiteNorthCW
Seymour Duncan
Single-coil
NANANABlack
White
SouthCWAntiquity pickups are wound CCW. RW/RP single-coil pickups are opposite the given specs.
Fender
Stratocaster
NANANABlack
White
SouthCWFirst few production years have north polarity.
Fender Telecaster LeadNANANA

Black
(or blue)

White
(or yellow)
SouthCCWMagnetic polarities varied during early production years.
Fender
Telecaster Rhythm
NANANABlack
White
SouthCCWMagnetic polarities varied during early production years.
Fender
Humbucker
Ground
Series-linkSouthHot
Series-linkNorthCCWThe "south" polarity coil is the top coil or above the "Fender" in the cover. Polepieces (adjustable & non-adjustable) are all made from the magnetic alloy CuNiFe (Copper-Nickel-Ferrite). At the time of this pickups production, CuNiFe was the only magnetic alloy that could be threaded. Fender used the finishes for the series-link.
Gibson
Humbucker
Black
GreenSouthRed
WhiteNorthCCWFor 2-conductor humbuckers the outer-braid is ground, inner is hot.
Gibson
P-90
Black
White
NorthNANANACCW
Gibson
P-100
Black
White
NorthBlack
White
NorthCCWCoils are wired in parallel, in-phase. This allows the pickup to be hum-canceling, but retain single-coil type tones. The lower coil is inverted (rotated 180 degrees) to achieve the reverse wind direction and electron flow.
Lindy Fralin
Humbucker
Black
RedSouthWhite
RedNorthCCWLindy ties the finishes together into a single tapped output (red). Some models may have opposite magnetic poles.
Lindy Fralin
Single-coil
NANANABlack
White
North or SouthCW or CCW50's model pickups are wound CW and have "N" top polarity. 60's model pickups are wound CCW and have "S" polarity.
Schaller
Humbucker
White Green
SouthBrownYellow
NorthCW
Schaller
Single-coil
NANANABlack
White
South or NorthCWSouth polarity for S6 and T6, North on S6 Vintage. The output wire is coaxial, so black (outer-braid) is ground and the white (inner-wire) is hot.