P Bass Wiring?

[thebrig]

I've wired quite a number of P basses over the years by following the instructions included with the pickups, or by searching online for wiring diagrams.

 

I'm practically minded and can turn my hand at a lot of things, but I'm not technically minded, so my question is:

 

Why are there so many variations when wiring a P bass?

 

There are only two wires coming from the pickup, and only two pots, and yet there seems to be a variety of ways to do it.

 

Here's an example of what I mean where the cap and wires are going to different lugs on the pots, etc.

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by thebrig

[PaulThePlug]

Yep...

Depends on if you have a ground foil... but i prefer a wire.

Most vary on the use, and position of the capacitor, as a link between pots, which can be trouble if a pot gets loose, or on the back of the tone pot, safer...

 

[neepheid]

More than one way to skin a cat with a circuit that simple which will end up being electronically identical.

[thebrig]

So would these two different ways of wiring a P bass give tonal variations, or would they sound the same providing the same value cap was used in both?

[neepheid]

On 17/02/2023 at 12:55, thebrig said:

So would these two different ways of wiring a P bass give tonal variations, or would they sound the same providing the same value cap was used in both?

 

Identical, assuming the shielding is complete and sound.

[KingBollock]

As long as one end of the capacitor goes from the correct lug on the tone pot, and the other end goes to ground, it will work. In the left hand diagram, you can just make out that the lug that the capacitor is connected to on the volume pot is also connected to the back of the pot, which is grounded via the foil shielding on the pickguard. Both options rely on that shielding for ground. I would go for the right hand option but run a wire connecting the backs of both pots together, for no other reason than an abundance of caution.

 

Having said that, if I am mucking about with wiring, it is because I am doing something like adding a push/pull (or push/push) pot for coil splitting, series/parallel switching or a blend knob (I don’t own a bass with only one pick-up). And, despite going to college to learn electronics, I still always follow a diagram because I never quite trust my ability to see/grasp exactly what’s going on. So I know how you feel. And I only really do this because I enjoy tinkering, I rarely need those options.

[bloke_zero]

I was doing this yesterday and was wondering if the pickup orientation was important? The diagrams all show the same orientation by which I mean which part does EA and DG and which way around they are. Anyone know?

[PaulThePlug]

@bloke_zero All Q's i had and pondered... I understand that it doesn't mater... Convention i have seen in wiring diags is with the EA coil having the white hot wire... as shown.

More trouble with phase etc. With more than one pickup, ala a Jazz...

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[BigRedX]

The two circuits are electrically identical. For me the second one is the more logical way of joining everything up, but the net result of both methods is the same.

 

This illustrates why it is useful to be able to understand simple electrical circuits and not just blindly follow wiring guides.