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VIEW FULL LIVE VERSION : Wiring A S/P switch into MV/B/T config


pandathe3
05-09-2009, 06:38 AM
Hi all. So i've been looking into my electronics and i know i'd prefer using Master Volume/Balance/Tone config. I'd also like too use a push/pull pot for the Master Volume pot and wire this as a series/parallel switch. By the way, i own a standard jazz-bass.

Any ideas on how this can be achieved using the config i want. My own idea would be too ground the pick-ups like normal. Run the hot signals into the balance pot wired so the balance works, then have the two hot signal run through into the DPDT switch, the both into the master volume pot, then into tone, then jack. Can anybody turn this into a pictorial (I'm no good with schematics) ? Or can anybody provide a different way too wire it up that works. cheers.

line6man
05-09-2009, 10:57 AM
Hi all. So i've been looking into my electronics and i know i'd prefer using Master Volume/Balance/Tone config. I'd also like too use a push/pull pot for the Master Volume pot and wire this as a series/parallel switch. By the way, i own a standard jazz-bass.

Any ideas on how this can be achieved using the config i want. My own idea would be too ground the pick-ups like normal. Run the hot signals into the balance pot wired so the balance works, then have the two hot signal run through into the DPDT switch, the both into the master volume pot, then into tone, then jack. Can anybody turn this into a pictorial (I'm no good with schematics) ? Or can anybody provide a different way too wire it up that works. cheers.

The series parallel switch is the first thing in the circuit before the blend pot. The blend mixes the two signals to just one output which in turn feeds the volume and tone controls. Putting the switch after the blend will not work.
The pickups do not ground as normal, because series wiring means that the ground from one pickup connects to the hot on the other pickup. The ground from the neck pickup is connected to the switch.

I don't have any pictorials or anything, and given the custom/non standard nature of this, i doubt that anyone does. I draw my schematics as realistic and understandable as possible though, so it shouldn't be too difficult to understand.

I have a VBT with S/P schematic that i drew a few months ago:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3567/3396718089_c953c0ea5c.jpg?v=0

However, there is one problem with having both a series/parallel switch and a blend. When you are in series mode, you are only feeding a signal to one side of the blend pot, which means that in order for everything to work properly, you need to keep the blend pot turned fully to the neck pickup side whenever you are in series mode. You can avoid this by using a 3PDT mini toggle switch and using the third pole to bypass the blend pot when you are in series mode. The downside to this is that you can't use a push/pull pot because push/pulls are only DPDT.

The schematic for the bypass switch looks like this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3515446023_b47f5fb812.jpg?v=0