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05-27-2009, 04:57 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Springfield, MA | | | Dimarzion DP123 J series
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Basically, I want to switch out my active electronics for the standard vol/vol/tone stack of a normal J. My bass is an older Hamer Velocity with two offset J pickups.
My Questions:
Using what comes out of the box and some solder, will I be able to go from a 3 band active EQ with a volume knob to a standard vol/vol/tone ? Do I need an onboard preamp or can I take out all the guts and use just the wires from the pickups and the knobs on my bass?
I've done pickups before, but they were on guitar, and mostly upgraded passive pickups and one passive --> active switch, all of which eventually worked out fine, but this is my first go at a bass, and first go at an active --> passive switch, and I'm a little nervous.
also, for anyone who asks, I'm switch pickups and going passive because the music I'm playing would sound much better with a passive bass (my opinion, NOT the band leaders) and I've never really been sold on the electronics my bass came with (I bought the bass because it felt AMAZING) and I've heard the DiMarzios before and think they sound crisp, mean, and solid.
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe Monsarrat  If you can play like Geddy without listening to him you may have something. Try not listening to Jaco as well. | |
05-28-2009, 12:14 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Springfield, MA | | | thanks for the move mods!
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe Monsarrat If you can play like Geddy without listening to him you may have something. Try not listening to Jaco as well. | |
05-28-2009, 12:17 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dacula, GA | | | You won't need a preamp for a passive setup,
just pots for the volume, tone, and a capacitor i believe.
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05-28-2009, 07:09 AM
|  | Supporting Member | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Close to Los Angeles, CA | | | Passive, by definition, means no preamp. I am not sure what else you thought it meant.
For the standard VVT setup, you need 3 pots and a capacitor, as well as an output jack and some wire.
You cannot use the pots from your preamp for the passive setup. Those pots are most likely 25K, and a passive circuit calls for 250K or 500K. |
05-28-2009, 07:54 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Woking, Surrey, UK. | | | You'd need to remove all of the eletronics apart from the pups - as the line6man says the pots'll be the wrong value and you'll need a capacitor - check out the Seymore Duncan or the Fender websites for the wriing diagrams. BTW doesn't your current setup have 4 knobs and your proposed setup have 3?.
Last edited by PJSShearer : 05-28-2009 at 08:06 AM.
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05-28-2009, 04:06 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Springfield, MA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by PJSShearer You'd need to remove all of the eletronics apart from the pups - as the line6man says the pots'll be the wrong value and you'll need a capacitor - check out the Seymore Duncan or the Fender websites for the wriing diagrams. BTW doesn't your current setup have 4 knobs and your proposed setup have 3?. | Yep, I'm either going to leave a blank pot or take it out all together, still deciding how stealthy I want the mod to be.
So I'll need a capacitor between the 25k wires before they reach the pots? Should I get one per pickup or can I route both through the same capacitor?
I knew it wasn't as simple as ripping everything out, that just wouldn't be my luck!
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe Monsarrat If you can play like Geddy without listening to him you may have something. Try not listening to Jaco as well. | |
05-28-2009, 04:15 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Woking, Surrey, UK. | | No, you'll need 3 new pots and a Capacitor for the tone control. As I said, check out the Fender or Seymore Duncan websites for the wiring diagrams. I just Googled "Jazz Bass Witring Diagram" and found plenty to chose from. Here's one to be going on with: http://www.guitarpartsshop.co.uk/aca...sSchematic.jpg
Last edited by PJSShearer : 05-28-2009 at 04:20 PM.
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05-28-2009, 04:18 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kent Island, Md. | | | use the 4rth pot hole for a series/parallel switch.
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05-28-2009, 07:03 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Springfield, MA | | | kk, looking at the diagram makes it alot easier to see what kind of a job it is. hmm. I'll have to think about it. I have a couple of pots hanging around from the passive-active guitar switch, I assume since those are off a passive guitar they are 25k and usable in this situation?
I can do the mechanical soldering and placing and following the plans, it's the electronic mumbo jumbo that brought me here. I love this bass and want to do it right the first time!
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe Monsarrat If you can play like Geddy without listening to him you may have something. Try not listening to Jaco as well. | |
05-30-2009, 10:49 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Woking, Surrey, UK. | | | You need 250K or 500K pots for the passive circuit, 25K are used in an active circuit - they only cost a few bucks each, best buy new. Fender fit 250K pots and an .050 (.047) Capacitor - you won't go wrong by doing the same :-). Also, you'll need to fit a new (mono) jack socket @ the same time - the one from the active circuit would (probably) be a stereo type and have the on-off switch built in.
Last edited by PJSShearer : 05-30-2009 at 10:53 AM.
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05-30-2009, 11:20 AM
| | Supporting Member | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Close to Los Angeles, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by PJSShearer Also, you'll need to fit a new (mono) jack socket @ the same time - the one from the active circuit would (probably) be a stereo type and have the on-off switch built in. | No, on a passive circuit, you would just have an extra terminal on the jack that does nothing.
Don't waste extra money to buy a mono jack, when a stereo jack will work just fine. |
05-30-2009, 11:34 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2006 Location: US | | | The 123s really need 500k pots. You will loose a lot of high end with 250ks.
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06-14-2009, 04:03 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Springfield, MA | | | ok, so I think I'm gonna do it... three 500k pots from all parts.
question though, is the $6 per pot vs $2 per pot much of a difference? its $12 more for the higher priced ones, so if they're that much better, i'll go for them.
also, should I get two regular 500k pots and one 500k "blend" pot for the V/V/T stack?
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe Monsarrat If you can play like Geddy without listening to him you may have something. Try not listening to Jaco as well. | |
06-14-2009, 04:14 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The Netherlands | | | no, a blend would replace one volume for blending the two pickups, leaving one master volume. So don't get a blend pot.
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06-14-2009, 04:21 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Springfield, MA | | | ok, so im getting 3 normal 500k pots and a .050 capacitor to make one of the pots into the blend, correct?
i know im noobish, but I know I can do the work once I have the right stuff.
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe Monsarrat If you can play like Geddy without listening to him you may have something. Try not listening to Jaco as well. | |
06-14-2009, 04:38 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Colorado Springs, CO | | | no blend at all. Ok in a nutshell here is what is going on. Each pickup will have it's own volume pot. Then they will both be routed through the single tone pot. The capacitor goes on the tone pot. After that it all goes to the output jack. I suggest that if you're at all concerned about the process you order a pre-fabbed wiring harness.
H
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06-14-2009, 04:48 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The Netherlands | | Quote:
Originally Posted by GearHeadBassMan ok, so im getting 3 normal 500k pots and a .050 capacitor to make one of the pots into the blend, correct?
i know im noobish, but I know I can do the work once I have the right stuff. | A blend is a mod you can do, but does not apply to a normal v/v/t config. A blend pot is basically two pots on top of eachother so you can "blend" the outputs of the two pickups, replacing one of the two volume pots (leaving one master volume).
But for a normal volume/volume/tone, just get the 3 500K pots and a cap, get a good wiring diagram (like the one posted here) and just follow that.
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06-14-2009, 05:27 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Springfield, MA | | | got it. thanks for the help.
and to Headle, i've done pickups before, but as this is my main bass, I want to be 100% sure I get all the right things before I dive into it. I want this to be a quick job, rather than a trial and error type deal like my previous stuff, I'm just asking questions so I can be sure I'm doing the right thing.
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe Monsarrat If you can play like Geddy without listening to him you may have something. Try not listening to Jaco as well. | | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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