3 pickups...?

[newbold]

If I have 3 pickups on a bass will master series/parallel wiring become a problem?

[GeoffByrne]

No - look at a Burns Bison bass.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

With humbuckers:

Cheaply, yes it will.

If You can afford a quality pancake rotary switch (and fit it into a bass), no it won't.

The wiring will be a nightmare though in both cases, but proper use of shielded cables and cavities, it can be done.

If You do it with individual DPDTs, it's still going to be rather hard, doable, but hard.

With a rotary switch You can later discard the combinations that doesn't work. And there will be plenty of those as well.


On the other hand, if the pickups in question are just single coils, copy the 5 (or 7) position Stratocaster schematic.

Regards
Sam

[gm jack]

The Urge II has two jazz pickups and a split coil. Take a look at how they are combined for ideas.

[ryco]

Here's mine:



I had Mark Arnquist mod this P in '80. I don't know how it's wired inside - I'm electronlcs challenged.
I can tell you each pup has a vol knob with a tone ring on the outside.
I added the kill switch later.

[Cernael]

Well...define "problem".

With two pickups, you just have two options here - either the two are in series, or in parallel.

With three pickups, you have many more:
All three in series.
All three in parallel.
The first two in series, and the sum of those in parallel with the last one.
The first two in parallel, and the sum of those in series with the last one.
The first and last in series, and the sum of those in parallel with the middle one.
The first and last in parallel, and the sum of those in series with the middle one.
The last two in series, and the sum of those in parallel with the first one.
The last two in parallel, and the sum of those in series with the first one.

I may have missed some in that list, I dunno.

If you just want the first two options (all three in series/all three in parallel), I'd guess that could be done with a single 4pdt switch.

[newbold]

What I was thinking is this:

3 split coils with a series/parallel switch on each pickup, volume pushpot.

Master tone with rotary selector to switch between:

neck pickup free
sweet spot pickup free
bridge pickup free
all together

with a switch to select whether the said selection will be series or parallel...

...but the above options look fantastic as well.

Will a rotary knob work with a separate switch??

My idea was originally to just have 2 pickups a la jazz bass, but to have a jazz/thumb fusion of tone could be a great way to bridge the jazz and sweet spot tones.

I've got lots of time before I get this bass rolling and I want to anticipate stumbling points.

[RyreInc]

I have a feeling many of those combos will sound nearly identical. IME, the greatest sonic change comes from pups separated by the greatest distance, i.e. bridge and neck.

With three pups, a phase switch on the bridge pup becomes a viable option, especially if you have individual pup volume controls. You may consider that instead...

[newbold]

"If you just want the first two options (all three in series/all three in parallel), I'd guess that could be done with a single 4pdt switch."

would that be big difference in volume?

[T-Bird]

Hi.

IME yes, and that's the real problem with multiple pickup series/parallel systems. Not the actual wiring, that just takes time and patience.

By using rotary switch(es) theres a possibility to attenuate the series slections to level the output.

If facing that kind of a task I'd probably try to convince the customer to try the three push/pull (S/P) volume pots combined with the 5 position Strat. switch + tone and the master volume. That'd be easiest and cheapest solution IMHO.

Regards
Sam

[newbold]

So what else could possibly be done with 3 pickups?

What the heck is a coil tap anyway?

[lunarpollen]

One of my basses has three single coil PUs in series, with both an on/off switch and a phase switch for each.

[Chris Breese]

Originally Posted by ryco

Here's mine:



I had Mark Arnquist mod this P in '80. I don't know how it's wired inside - I'm electronlcs challenged.
I can tell you each pup has a vol knob with a tone ring on the outside.
I added the kill switch later.

I'd like to hear some sound clips of that bad boy!

[fenderx55]

Originally Posted by Chris Breese

I'd like to hear some sound clips of that bad boy!

+1 That thing looks killer!

[newbold]

Change of heart...I want it to be simpler but broader.

It's gonna be a thumb/per

DarkStar Pickup in neck position

(Lindy Fralin?) Split J 5 set in bridge/sweet spot area

-DS - Volume/Tone Stacked knob
-Fralin mid - volume/S/P pushpot
-Fralin bridge - Volume/S/P Pushpot
-Master tone/selector switch stacked knob
Fralins Series summed in Series with the DarkStar, series
Fralins Parallel summed in Series with the DarkStar, parallel
Fralins Series summed in Parallel with the DarkStar, series
Fralins Parallel summed in parallel with the DarkStar, parallel
-Phase

If it's a 4 way switch

if it's a 5 or 6 way switch it would also be a fralins/darkstar pickup cut to quickly switch between electronics and have the both/either/or options

I want the split J's to be angled like a Thumb and the Darkstar to be under a strings cover.

[newbold]

I think I'll probably opt for a set of DiMarzios instead of the Lindy Fralins.

Still no DarkStar 5 string pickups being produced. I have lots of time to wait either way.