Simple bass wiring needed please

[huntgl]

Hello,

I have a Squier Bronco Bass, and I am adding a second pickup in the neck position. I want to wire each pickup to a separate volume control, so that I can either have 1 pickup on, and the other off (i.e. vol at 0), or a blend of the 2 (I think this would be like a Jazz bass without a tone control). There are no other controls at all, just the output jack. I am guessing that this is a very simple circuit, but I am also aware that there may be a few variations on this. Does anyone have any ideas please?

Cheers,
Gary.

[gitpiddler]

Hey Gary, I see we joined the same month. I recommend a search thru the threads here as there are many on that topic. I myself am a fan of the one p'up, one volume pot concept preferring to alter tone with fingers and the amp. The original guitarnuts site has wiring as well, with an emphasis on shielding. There are several bass thumpers here who have contributed ideas. The search button is now your friend ;D Bang on, cheerio, Marc

[newey]

I recently completed a P Bass project, putting a Strat SC in the neck position. The SC is "stealth mounted" under the pickguard.

It has a V and T, and uses 2 push/pull pots in a "binary tree" switching arrangement which gives the options of either coil alone, or both in sereis or in parallel.

After playing with it for a couple of weeks now, I'm beginning to wish I had 2 volumes instead of the tone, since the hidden pup has less output than the P bass pup, being further from the strings. I have compensated for this by lowering the P bass pup as much as possible, and it's OK as is, but I may one day rewire it to have dual volumes.

Here's the thread where the wiring was worked out, with more than a little help from the members. The final drawing, as posted by Cynical1, is the one that I used.
P Bass w/ Strat SC

This could be easily converted to 2 volumes; the individual volumes would simply be wired across each pickup, and then to the switches.

I'm not a bass player (not yet, anyway . . .) but I like the option to put both pups in series- it gives the bass a good deal of "bite".

Anyway, that's one idea you could use. It has been implemented and works just fine.

If you really just want 2 volumes and an output jack, that's as simple as it gets. If you need a diagram let us know, but you should be able to work that out- just use any wiring diagram that has individual volumes, like an LP diagram, and ignore the tone controls. The wipers of both pots would go directly to the hot side of the output jack.

[sumgai]

Sept 22, 2009 5:55:50 GMT -5 newey said:

........If you need a diagram let us know, but you should be able to work that out- just use any wiring diagram that has individual volumes, like an LP diagram, and ignore the tone controls. The wipers of both pots would go directly to the hot side of the output jack.

That is, they'll go there until huntgl realizes that every time he turns down one pot in order have only the other pickup, he'll have turned off everything.

This give rises to the near-infamous "reverse wiring" of two volume pots, where the wipers go to the pickups, and the upper terminals go to the output jack. Revered by some, reviled by others, it works as intended, and that's the bottom line.

hungl, you're correct, you've described a Jazz Bass without the tone control, which of course is your clue as to how to assemble everything. Need a diagram? Go here:

www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdf_temp1/basses/0136500B/SD0136500BPg2.pdf


BTW, you were planning on posting some photos of your finished project, right? (Hint, hint!)

HTH




sumgai

[huntgl]

Many thanks to everyone for the replies, it is much appreciated. I will be very happy to post some photos of the finished article; is there a specific place on the forum for this, or shall I just attach them to this thread here?

Thanks again,
Gary.

[newey]

Huntgl-

Finished product goes in the gallery section.

SG-

Thanks for the correction, that's what I get for posting before my first cup of coffee.

[sumgai]

Sept 22, 2009 16:09:19 GMT -5 newey said:

..... that's what I get for posting before my first cup of coffee.

They let you have that stuff in the guardhouse? I thought you were supposed to have "nerves of steel" in order to ride herd on a bunch o' Nutz!

[newey]

to ride herd on a bunch o' Nutz!

This is nothing. I'm married.

"nerves of steel"

At my age, I'd settle for a little more lead in my pencil! ;D ;D ;D

Seriously, Gary, SG has the right idea, just wire it like the J Bass without the tone control. Unless, of course, you're nutz like the rest of us, in which case other options abound . . .