StevieD_FenderP2009 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Hey guys I need some help with some wiring for a project I'm going to delve in to over the next few months. Basically it's going to be a combination of a lot of my favourite bits of basses I've played over the years or seen as well. Anyway, I decided the pick up configuration for it is going to be a Sidewinder pick up (Dimarzio Model One to be precise) in the neck position (this was inspired by Cliff Burton and Billy Sheehan but I'm tilting more towards Billy Sheehan for the use of it), a standard Precision Bass pick up in the usual spot then between that and the bridge, another P Bass pick up but reversed (so it will look like a set of "metal horns". Inspiration for this was taken from the BC Rich basses I've used and loved since becoming a bassist as well as James LoMenzo's awesome Yamaha bass) but I want the controls to be Volume (Neck pickup) Volume (Both P pick ups) and Blend (for blending the 2 together. I know I could just use the volume pots but I want a blend pot). Now here's where it gets weird because I also want to run the neck pick up (the model one) off to a separate tone pot (with no volume pot in this circuit) then off to a second out put so I can choose to use that a woofer pick up like Billy Sheehan does if needs be but also have the tone control there for if I want to have it running full tone through a separate amp. Basically, it would be: Neck pick up --> Volume pot 1 --> Blend pot --> Output 1 P Pick ups --> Volume pot 2 --------/ Neck pick up --> Tone control --> Output 2 I know this would require a lot of wiring and a lot of messing about but hey, it's a project bass and this is how I want to do it. It's not going to be an expensive instrument, it's just one I want to use for messing about with. If anyone can help me with a wiring diagram (simplified for me 'cos I'm a total idiot) then I'd really appreciate it! Thanks Stevie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 This should do you, if I've followed your description properly. I've not bothered to draw in all the grounding wires, and if you need more details of the blend pot, have a look at the P-J Bass Blend schematic on Seymour Duncan's site under wiring diagrams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 That circuit looks good except that the neck tone pot will apply to both outputs, not just Output 2. But the only ways round this (that I can think of) would be a) have a selector switch to route the signal either to output 1 or to output 2 (but not both) or b ) have some clever transformer thing to isolate the output 2 tone pot from output 1. Tbh I don't know exactly how you could do that, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be worth the effort, and would probably lose you some signal. So I'd definitely go for a switch. I'd also say it's pretty odd choosing to have no control over the balance between the two P pups. Having two volume controls before a balance control is also pretty unorthodox, but I can just about see why you'd want that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I've also just noticed that with Al's circuit, when you have the blend control full on to the P pickups, output 2 will be dead. Again, this would be solved by having a switch to select the output path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 How come? OUtput 2 will be neck pup all the time irrespective of the blend knob....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I think you need a resistor before the tone pot to keep it from acting on the P pickups, i've done a '62 stacked pot wiring with vol/tone for each pickup and had to add two resistors to prevent crosstalk between the two tones. I'm guessing that following the same logic this tone pot could also act on the P's. But i'm no techie and don't know a thing about electronics so i'll take All's word over mine any time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 [quote name='Al Heeley' timestamp='1342093182' post='1729391'] How come? OUtput 2 will be neck pup all the time irrespective of the blend knob....? [/quote] Sadly not. When the blend pot is over to the P position, the input from the neck pup to the blend pot will be grounded. But that means all the neck pup signal will be sent to ground, meaning that output 2 will be dead. It's basically the same reason why in a Les Paul if you've got both pickups selected, and you set the volume on one pickup to zero then you get no output. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Perhaps I should say that I'm assuming that your blend pot is grounded (i.e. the short jumper wire that isn't connected to the output is connected to the ground). And I'm also assuming that the neck pup volume control is on full. If you turn it down when you have the blend pup round to the P pup, then I think you'd still have a signal on output 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 [quote name='mart' timestamp='1342094690' post='1729430'] It's basically the same reason why in a Les Paul if you've got both pickups selected, and you set the volume on one pickup to zero then you get no output. [/quote] penny drops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 thx, yes, makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 [quote name='Al Heeley' timestamp='1342104248' post='1729666'] thx, yes, makes sense. [/quote] Ah, phew. After reading your FX pedal link I was thinking "oh sh*t, this guy obviously knows shedloads more than me, so I must be missing something"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Could be done with a bit of active circuitry - just put a unity-gain buffer in between each pickup and its tone/volume stack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 [quote name='mart' timestamp='1342104858' post='1729679'] Ah, phew. After reading your FX pedal link I was thinking "oh sh*t, this guy obviously knows shedloads more than me, so I must be missing something"! [/quote]Haaa, no, i just follow diagrams! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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