Can someone explain to me series vs parallel?

[KingRazor]

I don't think I fully understand what the terms series and parallel actually mean.

If you have a pair of single coil pickups, are you able to wire each pickup individually in series or parallel or is it a global thing? What kind of combinations can you do?

[line6man]

Series/parallel can relate to the coils within a pickup, (Which obviously does not relate to single coils.) or two pickups relative to each other.

For example, you can have two humbuckers in parallel, with the coils in each humbucker series.

If you have the switching to reconfigure coils and pickups for series and parallel, you can technically put them in any series/parallel combination you want, but that is not to say they would all sound good.

[etoncrow]

Parallel wiring schematic looks like a ladder with the components being the rungs of the ladder; series wiring schematic looks like a chain with components being the links of the chain.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by KingRazor

I don't think I fully understand what the terms series and parallel actually mean.

If you have a pair of single coil pickups, are you able to wire each pickup individually in series or parallel or is it a global thing? What kind of combinations can you do?

A pair of singles can be wired 'globally' in series or parallel. They're usually wired in parallel(Jazz bass).
A pair of dual-coils(humbuckers) can be wired several different ways- globally or individually, series or parallel.

[KingRazor]

Ok, that makes sense.

So if you have a pair of dual coil pickups you can have:

-Neck pickup in series, bridge in parallel, global parallel
-Neck in series, bridge in series, global parallel
-Neck in parallel, bridge in series, global parallel
-Neck in parallel, bridge in parallel, global parallel
-Neck in series, bridge in parallel, global series
-Neck in series, bridge in series, global series
-Neck in parallel, bridge in series, global series
-Neck in parallel, bridge in parllel, global series

Are any of those redundant? (i.e. can you actually have two pickups that are both in series but globally in parallel?)

Which of these modes allow pickup soloing? Which allow blending?

[Shoewreck]

There is an article in Wikipedia. It's not directly related to pickups, but would explain the series/parallel thing in general.

Originally Posted by KingRazor

can you actually have two pickups that are both in series but globally in parallel?

Yes, that means that pickup coils are connected in series, but the pickups are connected in parallel to each other.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by KingRazor

Ok, that makes sense.

So if you have a pair of dual coil pickups you can have:

-Neck pickup in series, bridge in parallel, global parallel
-Neck in series, bridge in series, global parallel
-Neck in parallel, bridge in series, global parallel
-Neck in parallel, bridge in parallel, global parallel
-Neck in series, bridge in parallel, global series
-Neck in series, bridge in series, global series
-Neck in parallel, bridge in series, global series
-Neck in parallel, bridge in parllel, global series

Are any of those redundant? (i.e. can you actually have two pickups that are both in series but globally in parallel?)

Which of these modes allow pickup soloing? Which allow blending?

Trying to solo a pickup means that you are neither globally series nor globally parallel, you just have one pickup.

All of those options are possible.
You might consider a series/parallel switch for each pickup plus a master series/parallel switch.

[rojo412]

I've had 2 basses with humbuckers that could be series/parallel on each pickup individually and then wired in a series/parallel switch for BOTH... I had them wired to Volume/Volume/Tone configurations.

It truly yields a LOT of different tones. I highly recommend it to anyone.

If you go GLOBAL SERIES, both pickups will be ON. But you can run them each series/parallel.

Add a 3 way selector to each pickup for series/coil cut/parallel.
Add a 5 or 6 way rotary switch to each for insane amounts of configurations.
Add the rotary for both pickups, which wired to individual rotaries each, will yield a LUDICROUS amount of options...

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by KingRazor

Which of these modes allow pickup soloing? Which allow blending?

Any of these modes will allow soloing or blending. The only caveat is that blending unlike pickups sometimes creates signal level issues. But this is not insurmountable. For example, say you have two humbuckers and would like to blend them. And, you'd like to wire one of them parallel and the other series. The series wired pickup will have a much higher output.

[KingRazor]

Hmm, that makes me consider getting a push/pull series/parallel volume pot for each pickup and then a seperate master series/parallel switch.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Any of these modes will allow soloing or blending. The only caveat is that blending unlike pickups sometimes creates signal level issues. But this is not insurmountable. For example, say you have two humbuckers and would like to blend them. And, you'd like to wire one of them parallel and the other series. The series wired pickup will have a much higher output.

If you put two pickups in series, it takes a significant amount of switching to reconfigure the volume pots to let you individually adjust the volumes of each pickup. Parallel uses the volume pots as voltage dividers, series uses the volume pots to short across the pickups.

Usually you cannot adjust the volumes of pickups in series mode, you just treat them as one signal.

[chadhargis]

I have a G&L L-2500 and it has a pickup selector (neck, bridge, or both) and a series/parallel switch. The tone is completely different in all combinations of those settings. Toss in the active/passive switch, and you have quite a bag of tricks in the tone department.

To answer the question from a sonic perspective, I find that when I run in series, I get a less aggresive sound. Switching to parallel gives a lot more punch and drive.

My favorite sound is neck pickup, parallel, passive. Man, what a sweet tone.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by line6man

Usually you cannot adjust the volumes of pickups in series mode, you just treat them as one signal.

Yes, you are correct, but I thought this was fairly obvious(I should not have used the word 'blended' in this case). Which is why I mentioned the signal level difference.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by chadhargis

To answer the question from a sonic perspective, I find that when I run in series, I get a less aggresive sound. Switching to parallel gives a lot more punch and drive.

It usually works the other way around- you sure you don't mean the reverse?

[phillipkregg]

I think this thread is making a great argument for just sticking with a P-bass.

[Shoewreck]

Originally Posted by phillipkregg

I think this thread is making a great argument for just sticking with a P-bass.

Did you mean the single coil '51 P-bass?

[tearalong]

the tricky bit is remembering what setting you like best for what song. I don't know of anyway to save 'presets' .

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by tearalong

the tricky bit is remembering what setting you like best for what song. I don't know of anyway to save 'presets' .

I use the same settings for every song, so that's not an issue for me.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by phillipkregg

I think this thread is making a great argument for just sticking with a P-bass.

If you only want to use one tone, all the time, well then sure. It's a good tone, but some of us like variety. Some tones work better for different music than others.

Here's an example of one pickup being switched between series/parallel and single coil:

Series/Parallel/Single

Parallel will be brighter with less mids. It's often very close to single coil, but with no hum.

The basic thing is if you have two 4K coil, and wire them in series, the pickup will read 8K. The impedance has increased. In parallel it would be 2K, which is fairly low impedance. As the impedance increases you lose high end and the lows and mids are boosted.

[manchild]

Just been reading this thread in my quest to understand pup wiring - as i understand it 2 singles in series sound fatter/hotter/more mid than in para - but what is/how does global sound???