Wiring question

[Lifer]

I've got a Status Musicman pickup from a couple of years ago, it has a grey sleeve which houses a red and bare wire. I want to connect it volume tone tone and have a diagram that helps but needs tweaking to fit my circuit:

[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=musicman_passive_2v_1t"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...n_passive_2v_1t[/url]

Excuse the basic terms but I'll try and describe each connection as best I can, am I right in thinking that:

-I can connect the 'front coil volume' as my master volume by connecting the red wire on my pickup to where the black on the diagram is, keeping ground (bare) the same
-Make the 'rear coil volume' the tone 1 control by running the 'out' black wire (bottom wire on 'front coil volume') to the middle connector on Pot 2 (where the red connection is on the diagram)
-Capacitor on the top connector as in 'master tone'?
-Connect to the 'master tone' from the middle connector on pot 2 ignoring the bottom connector?
-Then wire the output as the diagram

Basically I've replaced 'rear coil volume' with the tone control and just moved the pickup input to the main volume.

How do I achieve the bass/tone cut? Is it using different capacitors on the two tone pots?

I'm guessing I need to shield everything as well?

Can anyone recommend any think to improve the circuit for a fretless? I'm after a deep double bass tone (as much as possible)

My fretless neck is on the way and I'm getting a bit excited, sorry for the barrage of questions!

Many thanks

Edited October 11, 2008 by Lifer

[thepurpleblob]

If you are asking, "how do I substitute a pickup with only one output" into a two output circuit.... you are right (I think), but are overthinking a bit.

Simply delete the front coil volume and its two connections to the other pot! Your red wire goes to the centre tag (as in the diagram) and the bare (ground) wire is connected to the case of the pot. That's it, everything else is identical. To add a bass (cut) reproduce the existing tone (which is really a treble cut) exactly except the capacitor needs to be 0.0047uF (ish). The existing connection that went to the output jack now goes to the centre tag on the bass cut pot, the cap is soldered between an outer terminal and the case and the case is grounded somewhere handy.

Having said all that, have you considered simply buying a pre-wired active circuit? If you are fussy about controlling the tone on your bass it will give you a lot more options.

[Thunderhead]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='304563' date='Oct 11 2008, 08:46 PM']To add a bass (cut) reproduce the existing tone (which is really a treble cut) exactly except the capacitor needs to be 0.0047uF (ish). The existing connection that went to the output jack now goes to the centre tag on the bass cut pot, the cap is soldered between an outer terminal and the case and the case is grounded somewhere handy.[/quote]
No, that will just produce another treble cut with a higher roll-off frequency.

To make a passive bass cut, the signal needs to go THROUGH the pot and cap, not to ground via it. You have the cap value correct at .0047uf (ie 1/10th of the value of the normal tone cap), but you need to wire it like this:

First, connect the pickup hot connection to the normal (treble cut) tone control middle tag, with the normal tone cap between the anticlockwise tag and the pot casing, exactly as standard. Now connect the same pickup hot/middle tag connection to the clockwise tag on the new bass-cut pot. Connect the bass-cut cap between the clockwise and middle tags of this pot. Then connect the middle tag of this pot to the clockwise tag of the volume pot, and the middle tag of the volume pot to output as normal. None of the connections on the bass-cut pot should be grounded. Obviously the pickup shield (bare wire), the volume pot anticlockwise tag, and the casings of all the pots should be grounded as normal.

It must be this way round (pickup > treble-cut > bass-cut > volume) or you will lose almost all the output when you turn down both tone controls. It will still get quite a bit quieter anyway, will passive controls.

It doesn't actually matter which way round the connections on the bass-cut pot are, if it's neater to wire it the other way round - as long as you use the middle and clockwise tags. I would also connect the unused tags of both tone controls to the middle tag, as it slightly increases reliability and can reduce noise when turning them, especially the bass-cut.

Edited October 12, 2008 by Thunderhead

[Lifer]

Thanks for the replies!

Using my amazing paint skills I've knocked up a new diagram



I'm hoping that's right?

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='Thunderhead' post='304699' date='Oct 12 2008, 09:20 AM']No, that will just produce another treble cut with a higher roll-off frequency.

To make a passive bass cut, the signal needs to go THROUGH the pot and cap, not to ground via it. You have the cap value correct at .0047uf (ie 1/10th of the value of the normal tone cap), but you need to wire it like this:

First, connect the pickup hot connection to the normal (treble cut) tone control middle tag, with the normal tone cap between the anticlockwise tag and the pot casing, exactly as standard. Now connect the same pickup hot/middle tag connection to the clockwise tag on the new bass-cut pot. Connect the bass-cut cap between the clockwise and middle tags of this pot. Then connect the middle tag of this pot to the clockwise tag of the volume pot, and the middle tag of the volume pot to output as normal. None of the connections on the bass-cut pot should be grounded. Obviously the pickup shield (bare wire), the volume pot anticlockwise tag, and the casings of all the pots should be grounded as normal.

It must be this way round (pickup > treble-cut > bass-cut > volume) or you will lose almost all the output when you turn down both tone controls. It will still get quite a bit quieter anyway, will passive controls.

It doesn't actually matter which way round the connections on the bass-cut pot are, if it's neater to wire it the other way round - as long as you use the middle and clockwise tags. I would also connect the unused tags of both tone controls to the middle tag, as it slightly increases reliability and can reduce noise when turning them, especially the bass-cut.[/quote]

Quite so.... brain not working :-)

[Thunderhead]

[quote name='Lifer' post='305362' date='Oct 13 2008, 11:56 AM']Thanks for the replies!

Using my amazing paint skills I've knocked up a new diagram



I'm hoping that's right?[/quote]Very close! You made just one small mistake, which is that the pickup ground should go to the back of one of the pots, not to the tag on the tone control as you have it. (You probably knew that, but drew it wrong! )

[Lifer]

[quote name='Thunderhead' post='305525' date='Oct 13 2008, 02:34 PM']Very close! You made just one small mistake, which is that the pickup ground should go to the back of one of the pots, not to the tag on the tone control as you have it. (You probably knew that, but drew it wrong! )[/quote]

No I don't know nuffink! So the cap on the treble control goes from the anticlockwise connection (as is) to the pot casing, and the ground goes straight to the pot casing

EDIT - UPDATED DIAGRAM FOR CLARITY (my clarity that is!)

Edited October 13, 2008 by Lifer

[Thunderhead]

Yes, that's right.

If it makes it easier to wire up, you can connect the two wires to the Bass pot the opposite way round (to the same two terminals), it won't affect the operation.

[Lifer]

Thanks Thunderhead! I can order me bits now