erisu Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) Hey guys! So I just received a pair of seymour duncan pickups yesterday in the post to replace the stock pickups in my existing bass At the moment, my bass is wired to a x2 volume pots (one for each pickup) and x2 tone pots (also one for each pickup). I searched this forum and others to find a wiring diagram for this config but it doesn't exist in basses? The closest diagram there is the Fender 60's diagram of stacked volume and tone pots for each pickup but im not looking to do any stacked pots on my bass. Now... im starting to think it's quite impossible to do this config. because at the moment with my stock electronics, each tone pot doesn't actually control each pickup on my bass If I turn down one tone pot, the other pickup turns off as well and if I turn up the other tone pot... both pickups tone are turned up. At first I thought it was a wiring problem with the bass but I left it alone as it didn't bother me anyway and i just turn up all the volume and tone pots when playing anyway... but now im starting to think the bass was wired like that for a reason obviously... Also I heard two tone pots doesn't really give me any kind of added benefit or flexibility anyway, is this true? I'm thinking maybe i should just wire the bass like a standard jazz bass to get rid of this headache of just 2 volumes and a master tone for both pickups and leave one tone pot as a dummy/useless? After all... im going to get a EBS Microbass II or a Sansamp paradriver to sort out any tone problems soon (if someone decides to sell me theirs! ) Edited September 11, 2009 by erisu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 The closest thing I can think of is a Rickenbacker - but you'll have to bypass the 3 way switch (wire the pickup output direct to the pot in question as if the switch wasn't there) and the stereo/mono jack stuff (just join both outputs from the two volume pots to the hot output of the jack). [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=rickenbucker"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...ic=rickenbucker[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erisu Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 [quote name='neepheid' post='595480' date='Sep 11 2009, 10:48 AM']The closest thing I can think of is a Rickenbacker - but you'll have to bypass the 3 way switch (wire the pickup output direct to the pot in question as if the switch wasn't there) and the stereo/mono jack stuff (just join both outputs from the two volume pots to the hot output of the jack). [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=rickenbucker"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...ic=rickenbucker[/url][/quote] Excellent! Cheers for the pointers! Making it a usable x2 volume and x2 tone pots electronics seems like a headache I did think about using the Rickenbacker diagrams to by-pass the pickup selector and even a Gibson diagram but hmmmm.... it's all abit fiddly for me soldering an extra tone pot when I just turn up the tone for both pickups anyway... Im edging to go for just a V-V-T config. to save time (and also less chances of me messing up the soldering) The seymour duncan standard jazz diagrams are simple enough to follow and it gives me a master tone control (leaving the extra tone pot as a dummy) over both pickups anyway. What are the advantages of having V-V-T-T compared to just a standard V-V-T anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 [quote name='erisu' post='595542' date='Sep 11 2009, 11:47 AM']Excellent! Cheers for the pointers! Making it a usable x2 volume and x2 tone pots electronics seems like a headache I did think about using the Rickenbacker diagrams to by-pass the pickup selector and even a Gibson diagram but hmmmm.... it's all abit fiddly for me soldering an extra tone pot when I just turn up the tone for both pickups anyway... Im edging to go for just a V-V-T config. to save time (and also less chances of me messing up the soldering) The seymour duncan standard jazz diagrams are simple enough to follow and it gives me a master tone control (leaving the extra tone pot as a dummy) over both pickups anyway. What are the advantages of having V-V-T-T compared to just a standard V-V-T anyway?[/quote] I would say that the advantage of a separate tone for each pickup would be to mellow out independently the bridge pickup. Passive tone controls only cut treble to various degrees after all. With a single master tone, you're logically applying that one tone control to a single pickup - being the summed total of pickup volume 1 and pickup volume 2. With VVTT, you can have a separate preferred tone for each pickup then blend them as you like with the two volumes. It is more flexible. VVTT is how my Epiphone Les Paul was wired in stock configuration (before I EMGed it) and is how my DeArmond Starfire is currently wired (but with an additional 3 way pickup selector and separate master volume) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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