Confession etc: is my Sterling wired right?

Zapp · #1 10-30-2009, 06:10 AM

this is embarrassing, but I'm chasing a couple of issues with my sound and it occurred to me to 'confess' here and seek help.

I have owned my Sterling for five or six years and played through three different.. make that 4 different rigs.
I honestly cannot tell if my switch is functioning correctly. My ears are pretty sharp on lows and highs, I'm missing a range in the mid [gunshot damage probably] but I'm not sure I'm hearing much distinction in the three different pole positions of my switch! In particular, I cannot discern a distinction between the forward position and the middle, and I wonder if I'm just imagining a diff between the rearward position and the others -

how do I figure this out once and for all? put a meter on the leads and see what changes?

one of the reasons I wonder about this is 'stuff happens'. my other main bass is an american Cruisebass 4stringer 2Tech with active EMG's, and I played it for a year wondering if something was amiss, only to find out it was miswired from the shop rendering one of the pickups dead!! how impressed I was with my new sound once the other pickup was hooked in!!

Bob C · #2 10-30-2009, 06:56 AM

I know what you mean. You're wondering if you can trust your ears. I haven't played a Sterling for a long time, but if memory serves, the difference in switch positions was subtle.

Is there a store with Sterling near you? I would try another one out for comparison.

BTW, this is a one pickup model, right?

Zapp · #3 10-30-2009, 07:51 AM

yessir its a one-shot

that's a good idea - there's a GC up the road 40 miles and they usually have either a Ray or Sterling or both/several

MagicMan_841 · #4 10-30-2009, 05:16 PM

You can see if the switch is doing anything by putting it in the middle position (single-coil mode) and touching the pole pieces with a screwdriver, with the bass plugged in the amp at a very low volume level. In single-coil mode, you should hear a pop when touching one set of pole pieces (I think it's the bottom one) but not the other. In parallel (towards bridge) and series (towards neck) mode, both coils are on.

I personally prefer parallel mode, but it is said that series mode has a slight higher output and more mids.

I would try messing with the switch with the EQ set flat, if you haven't already. Might help you hear the difference better. It is indeed quite subtle!

depalm · #5 10-30-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob C

....... I haven't played a Sterling for a long time, but if memory serves, the difference in switch positions was subtle.

Humm…

difference between positions is quite noticeable in my opinion.

In parallel bass must sounds like a traditional MM. High mid emphasis with bite.

In single coil it cuts bass and boost highs. Sounds a little thin for my taste.

Series bass sounds more like a Pbass. Lots of low mids emphasis and punch.

PU should be wired like that:

walterw · #6 10-31-2009, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicMan_841

You can see if the switch is doing anything by putting it in the middle position (single-coil mode) and touching the pole pieces with a screwdriver, with the bass plugged in the amp at a very low volume level. In single-coil mode, you should hear a pop when touching one set of pole pieces (I think it's the bottom one) but not the other. In parallel (towards bridge) and series (towards neck) mode, both coils are on.

I personally prefer parallel mode, but it is said that series mode has a slight higher output and more mids.

I would try messing with the switch with the EQ set flat, if you haven't already. Might help you hear the difference better. It is indeed quite subtle!

all this.

flatten out the EQ, maybe turn up the mids and highs a little. you should get traditional stingray all the way back (lots of highs, mids scooped out, kinda thin), single coil in the middle (easy to check with a metal object), and series up forward (louder, more mids and lows).

Zapp · #7 10-31-2009, 05:47 AM

ok.
this is terrific help guys.
Will take these steps today and render a report

Bob C · #8 10-31-2009, 08:26 AM

depalm.

I'll take your word for it about the sounds. I've never owned a Sterling - only tried them out in stores on one of my great bass searches. That was ten years ago.

I think it's a wonderful bass, by the way.

adhus · #9 10-31-2009, 08:43 AM

Why don't you record/tape when you playing it? Sometime it helps by doing so. Coz sometime we (musician) don't really hear what we're playing (sound wise), if we put ourselves as if we're the audience...you will tell the difference...if this make sense to you...
Ofcourse you have to tape it with a proper amplification so you'll get a nice output. Then you'll hear it closely...
good luck!!

Zapp · #10 11-02-2009, 08:01 AM

ok, all checked out ok. with your help I listened and tapped and checked a lot more closely.
to my ears [with some fairly old high beams, running through my gk 700 rb with el cheapo mixer serving headset] the difference is there, but I call it subtle. the main way I hear a distinction is using the 'claw' - the highs give it away.
seems to be wired correctly.

my battery is ancient - i think i'll preemptively change it

Zapp · #11 11-02-2009, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adhus

Why don't you record/tape when you playing it? Sometime it helps by doing so. Coz sometime we (musician) don't really hear what we're playing (sound wise), if we put ourselves as if we're the audience...you will tell the difference...if this make sense to you...
Ofcourse you have to tape it with a proper amplification so you'll get a nice output. Then you'll hear it closely...
good luck!!

that also is good idea. reminds me of the usb/mxr box I have NOT yet bought for my PC-rig...

Thundar · #12 11-02-2009, 08:07 AM

I had a similiar problem with my Sterling, but turns out my "dummy" pickup had come unhooked beneath the pickup...I soldered it back and it was back to normal...so just be aware of that too.

Zapp · #13 11-02-2009, 08:47 AM

I'm lost.. what's a dummy pickup? what was the symptom?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thundar

I had a similiar problem with my Sterling, but turns out my "dummy" pickup had come unhooked beneath the pickup...I soldered it back and it was back to normal...so just be aware of that too.

Let It Fall · #14 11-02-2009, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zapp

I'm lost.. what's a dummy pickup? what was the symptom?

It's below the humbucker but highly doubt that's it. Without it I believe your middle position will humm

Thundar · #15 11-02-2009, 08:55 AM

There is a single coil pickup underneath the regular MM pickup that keeps the single coil setting from humming...it does not produce sound though...just cancels the hum. Mine did not hum much though, it just sounded lifeless.