Breadboarding your instruments electronics.

[Thecomedian]

I'd considered buying a breadboard so that I could test multiple designs at once with far less soldering and such, having something like a 5-way switch in front of all the different circuits containing caps, pots, etc, in different orders and of different values. The pickups would have some sort of electric quick-connectors like

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...tent=CT2032231

or http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...tent=CT2032231

and then connect it to the switch after a terminal strip http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...tent=CT2032231

allowing fast changes between circuit designs.

Has anyone used this? Would it be effective for finding your own desired instrument electric design?

[Stealth]

I'd suggest using something like a 2P6T rotary, that is, something with two common poles and six rotational positions (left half of the image):



Use the left common as input and connect the left 1-6 to different electronics or preamps. Then connect the electronics' and preamps' outputs to the right 1-6, and the right common to the output jack. That way you'd be able to rapidly switch between tone stacks and test which one's best.

Maybe you could build it into a small box, connect it using an extremely short (10 cm) cable to a bass with no electronics in it whatsoever (except maybe a blend or pickup selector switch) and attach the box to your strap. The cable'd be short enough not to impact your tone (as longer cables might).

[Thecomedian]

That's a lot of good info. Thanks

[khutch]

Breadboarding can be a great time saver and it may save components too because endless soldering and resoldering will eventually damage something. If it were me I would hook it all up with clip leads but anything that works for you is good.

Ken

[Thecomedian]

lol, im actually playing right now with alligator clips, because I had to tear out the whole wiring and redo it. it was a mess and terrible. Most things are soldered up, but theres a spot I don't want to do until I've got the preamp back in it with the style sweeper.

Maybe what I'm actually looking for is some kind of pedal that is a breadboard, kind of like what stealth was saying with a metal box.

Would the signal be unmodified, unattenuated, etc, if it came straight from PU to output jack, through to the box, modified there, then to the amp?