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Rewiring JJ pickup config with blend?

TRBboy

By TRBboy,
in Bass Guitars

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TRBboy Mentor

TRBboy

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Hi guys, just bought an old Yamaha BB5N as a backup bass (and for a bit of a project 😁). It's a JJ config. 

I want to rewire it using better pots, etc (e.g. CTS), and I want a blend pot rather than two volumes. 

I assumed I want 250k pots for the vol and tone, but I noticed some people use 500k.... which should I be looking at?

Also struggling to find a suitable dual blend pot in the UK,  can anyone point me in the right direction? 

Finally, is a 0.47u orange drop cap the best choice? 

Many thanks! 😁👍

PS: If anyone has any 5 string hum cancelling jazz pickups for sale let me know! 

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Grangur Mentor

Grangur

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On passive basses 500K pots give a more aggressive tone than 250K. Some like that, others don't. I recall someone I was talking with once who wouldn't stop talking about 500K being an "upgrade".  It's not an "upgrade" unless the more "electric", metallic, clanky sound is what you want. My personal preference is to change back to 250 if 500s have been fitted.

Blend pots are made by fitting a single pot that is 2 pots stacked and controlled using a single knob. So, you're, in effect winding pup-1 up and pup-2 down as you turn. If the pot is in the centre its actually making both pots/pups at 50%.  What it does do is stop you from ever putting both pups at 100% and getting that dip in output at the top.

I think I've got a blend pot here I've never used. If you're really sold on the idea and want to give it a go, and I can find it I can send it to you. But before you do, you need to think - this will leave a hole empty on your bass, as the 2 volumes become 1. What will you do with the empty hole?

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therealting Mentor

therealting

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25 minutes ago, Grangur said:

I think I've got a blend pot here I've never used. If you're really sold on the idea and want to give it a go, and I can find it I can send it to you. But before you do, you need to think - this will leave a hole empty on your bass, as the 2 volumes become 1. What will you do with the empty hole?

Shouldn’t leave an empty hole. Two volumes become a volume and a blend. 

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TRBboy Mentor

TRBboy

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32 minutes ago, Grangur said:

On passive basses 500K pots give a more aggressive tone than 250K. Some like that, others don't. I recall someone I was talking with once who wouldn't stop talking about 500K being an "upgrade".  It's not an "upgrade" unless the more "electric", metallic, clanky sound is what you want. My personal preference is to change back to 250 if 500s have been fitted.

Blend pots are made by fitting a single pot that is 2 pots stacked and controlled using a single knob. So, you're, in effect winding pup-1 up and pup-2 down as you turn. If the pot is in the centre its actually making both pots/pups at 50%.  What it does do is stop you from ever putting both pups at 100% and getting that dip in output at the top.

I think I've got a blend pot here I've never used. If you're really sold on the idea and want to give it a go, and I can find it I can send it to you. But before you do, you need to think - this will leave a hole empty on your bass, as the 2 volumes become 1. What will you do with the empty hole?

Very interesting, and I hadn't realised that centred, both pickups are only at 50%, but it makes sense of each extreme is 100% for that pickup. With VVT though, does the dip in output with both pickups at 100% equate to the same thing? 

Would be easier to go VVT as I can just buy a jazz bass wiring kit! 

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BassBunny Mentor

BassBunny

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4 minutes ago, TRBboy said:

Very interesting, and I hadn't realised that centred, both pickups are only at 50%, but it makes sense of each extreme is 100% for that pickup. With VVT though, does the dip in output with both pickups at 100% equate to the same thing? 

Would be easier to go VVT as I can just buy a jazz bass wiring kit! 

Or you could buy a Noll Mixpot and both pickups are 100% in the centre position. It would require room for a battery and is a lot more expensive than V/B/T.

http://noll-electronic.de/guitar-electronics/mixpot/

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TRBboy Mentor

TRBboy

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11 minutes ago, BassBunny said:

Or you could buy a Noll Mixpot and both pickups are 100% in the centre position. It would require room for a battery and is a lot more expensive than V/B/T.

http://noll-electronic.de/guitar-electronics/mixpot/

Thanks, an interesting idea! However, I bought this bass after both of my (active) basses went tits-up at Friday's gig, so I'm keen to keep the wiring as simple and uncomplicated as possible! 😂

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TRBboy Mentor

TRBboy

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39 minutes ago, itu said:

Bourns has these blend pots, where both are fully on (0 ohm) at centre. Double pots, markings are MN250K and MN500K. Check these from Digikey or similar:

PDB182-GTRB1-254MN

PDB182-GTRB1-504MN

Thanks man, will try to find them!

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Thunderpaws Proficient

Thunderpaws

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7 hours ago, Grangur said:

On passive basses 500K pots give a more aggressive tone than 250K. Some like that, others don't. I recall someone I was talking with once who wouldn't stop talking about 500K being an "upgrade".  It's not an "upgrade" unless the more "electric", metallic, clanky sound is what you want. My personal preference is to change back to 250 if 500s have been fitted.

My Geddy Lee Jazz Bass is plenty clanky and about as driven sounding as i’d want my pups to be and they are all cts 250k pots. 

A22CDFBC-1B7A-431D-85BE-41E2C556946C.jpeg

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TRBboy Mentor

TRBboy

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11 hours ago, Marcoelwray said:

Quite more expensive, buy I spare some stupid soldering using these

https://m.thomann.de/intl/goeldo_balance_poti_250.htm?i11l=fr_GB%3ABE.EUR%3AEUR&o=7&search=1554925071

If you're looking for some nice J 5 pickups for not too policy money I can make you a quote for Delano. They are really decently priced.

Thanks for the info, they look good, but I'll see if they have a split shaft version. 

Do you have some Delano JJ pickups for sale? 

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Guest Marcoelwray

Guest Marcoelwray

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2 hours ago, TRBboy said:

Thanks for the info, they look good, but I'll see if they have a split shaft version. 

Do you have some Delano JJ pickups for sale? 

You're welcome

 I'm not sure about the split shaft version.... 

In stock I have a set of single coils 4 strings, but I order on demand and by order. Any pickup free of charge, is available in black or white, American size or normal.

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