Need help repairing a hacked Vester P/J

Grebnaws · #1 09-20-2011, 11:13 PM

I just bought this off c-list without plugging it in. I had a strong feeling it wouldn't work and negotiated accordingly for a hack. As expected, it doesn't work. I only get a few clicks out of the input jack and no output or evidence that that knobs work at all. The bass is a real piece of work, but so was the tiny red haired punk girl selling it

There are plenty of standard P/J bass wiring diagrams but this bass appears to have a broken selector switch and an LED light wired in but nothing works. It might as well be open heart surgery from where I'm sitting.

I think this is a Vester stage series bass but nothing I can find online shows a selector switch or an LED wired in. Can anyone quide me in the right direction? My soldering is poor and my understanding of bass electronics is minimal.

The plywood body is cracked and checked but the neck is as straight as an arrow and there is no evidence that the truss rod cover has ever been removed. I have two USA Peaveys and this may be the straightest neck in my collection. It also came with a brand new set of heavy strings, nylon strap, and a stand. The three of which cover my investment pretty well.

Please excuse my ignorance here.....

The 3 standard P/J knobs are neck pup volume, bridge pup volume, and tone. Correct?

What would the selector be used for on this bass, and what would the correct wiring be?

pstyle · #2 09-20-2011, 11:32 PM

Sorry, I can't be much help, but my very first bass was a Vester, and I've never seen another one since.. til now.

SolidFooting · #3 09-21-2011, 08:54 AM

This bass is gonna need some work, and it's a great opportunity for you to learn a thing or two, if you're interested. The selector switch looks like a mini-toggle, right? It could be anything. Series/parallel, kill switch, phase, who knows? I suggest you use it for whatever you want. Just because punk girl used it for...whatever...doesn't mean you have to do the same thing. Browse the Seymour Duncan wiring site and see if something appeals to you. Don't be in a hurry. And have fun with it.

john grey · #4 09-21-2011, 09:43 AM

I think the above advice is good; you need to get the schematic from Duncan on that model pick-up and frankly begin again the correct way. The soldiering is likely poor also so it's very probable you'll need to do that anyway. Forget original wiring from the bass mfg: it's been altered. The pic isn't close enough for me to see why (whoever) ran what looks like a ground wire to a series switch. It MAY be a really simple unconnected lead. EVEN IF IT IS, re-solder and clean up the mess because the wiring is SO sloppy that movement may make problems or the lame "tape" insulation may come off. Personally I would go through the wiring 1st and see if there is solid, good connections - it could be THAT simple.

The problem I am seeing is that typical color reference has been screwed up (using whatever was available, etc) and some leads go nowhere (from what I see). get the tape off and check for a well-soldered connection & get some shrink tubing and insulate them correctly (it costs pennies to do it right).

This is NOT a difficult job. It simply has to be done over properly. Begin by writing down those leads you want to retain like the ground and those that were original from the pick-ups as they (most likely) have good connections (if they were original & not altered). Check to see if they match the schematic. You will need to get some type of continuity device (like an multi-meter). Get the tape off of there and write down the add-on leads (color) so you'll know what's been added. They left the original pot wiring (blue; leave that be) but I can't see the whole mess (the brown or black lead looks like an add-on).
It appears that they simply added on the pick-ups in place & used whatever wire was available; so you'll very likely simply have wiring connectivity issues to get sound out of it. But I would clean it up because the actual wiring may not even be soldiered! If you write down what you have and get a schematic it's not going to be hard to clean up.

Grebnaws · #5 09-21-2011, 08:29 PM

Thanks for the advice. I am definitely interested in doing the work myself. Pretty sure I can follow a diagram but my soldering will take a lot of practice. The LED and broken switch will be removed and I'll start with an attempt to get it running by copying the basic P/J wiring diagrams. The extra switches seem cheap enough to experiment with but I really don't have a use for them outside of tinkering.

The fretboard looks good so I think it was abused more than it was ever really played. The knobs feel scratchy. I have never heard them but they feel pretty bad and probably need replacing along with the jack. I don't mind spending a little bit of cash to get it running. At least the neck is promising. The plywood sort of makes for a junk bass but I don't think that makes it necessarily bad sounding.

SolidFooting · #6 09-21-2011, 10:40 PM

Hey, take those switches out then. Fill the holes with whatever you like and refinish it. Glad to hear you're taking it on as a learning project!

Oldboy · #7 09-23-2011, 04:03 AM

Is that metal thing a sort of battery clip?May have been used to power the LED,you know,for effect!

fhm555 · #8 09-23-2011, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldboy

...Is that metal thing a sort of battery clip?...

Wondering about that clip as well.

Grebnaws · #9 09-23-2011, 11:25 AM

I have no idea what that piece of metal is there for. The compound curves made me think it could have been a factory part but it doesn't serve any purpose that I can see, especially considering that the LED probably was not factory either.

Is a battery necessary to power the LED?