Horizontalste Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Anyone have any tips for balancing the pickups on a Pj (yamaha bb). The Bridge pickup is so hot I'd like to tame it a bit. Is there a meter I can get to test the output? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I'm sure you've already tried lowering the bridge pup and/or raising the P? If you can't get a decent balance by doing that then maybe it's the P that has weak output rather than the J being too hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 A bog standard multimeter should give you the ohmage of each pup. Generally speaking more ohms = higher output (but in the grand scheme of things it's only a single factor in a complicated equation of what the pup's output really ends up being). Strangely enough, most people find that the bridge pup in a PJ setup tends to struggle against the usually more powerful P (bucker) pup so it looks like Yamaha may have found a holy grail balance. Perhaps your bridge pup isn't, as you expect, a single coil but is a bucker too? It would be interesting to see your findings on the readings of both pups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 Thanks for the reply's, I have adjusted pick up heights and it's close but I wanted a more scientific approach. I think I'll pop down to the local hardware shop and pick up a multi meter. I like to flick between pickups mid set but I don't like having to twiddle knobs everytime I do. Maybe it's just something I'll have to live with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 You could put a preset pot inside the control cavity to reduce the offending pickup and balance the two then forget about it and use the controls as normal happily ever after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 [quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1392814250' post='2372985'] You could put a preset pot inside the control cavity to reduce the offending pickup and balance the two then forget about it and use the controls as normal happily ever after. [/quote] Didn't think about that. The local shop reckon they can balance them out so that's also an option as I'm considering sending it in for a fret dress anyway so they could do it while it's there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Put a .01 capacitor inline from the bridge pickup hot lead to its volume control. This also will get rid of the impedance/volume drop that happens when both pickups are full on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 [quote name='iiipopes' timestamp='1392992300' post='2375040'] Put a .01 capacitor inline from the bridge pickup hot lead to its volume control. This also will get rid of the impedance/volume drop that happens when both pickups are full on. [/quote] There's only one volume control, will it still work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 [quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1392814250' post='2372985'] You could put a preset pot inside the control cavity to reduce the offending pickup and balance the two [/quote] Here's a wiring diagram showing a 1 Meg internal trimpot to balance P-J pickup outputs. In this case the trimpot is on the P pickup but same technique would apply to trimming the J. [attachment=155856:P-J trimpot wiring.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted February 22, 2014 Author Share Posted February 22, 2014 [quote name='ikay' timestamp='1393079467' post='2375945'] Here's a wiring diagram showing a 1 Meg internal trimpot to balance P-J pickup outputs. In this case the trimpot is on the P pickup but same technique would apply to trimming the J. [attachment=155856:P-J trimpot wiring.jpg] [/quote] Thanks for that I'm going to give it a try. Let you know how I get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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