I DONT GET IT

eupharies · #1 08-05-2009, 04:58 AM

ok i bought some dimarzio model js. having them fitted, but the guy said they wont work propery with the S1 switch on my jazz.
So now hes installing push pull pots on all 3 knobs vol/vol/tone, but i dont quite get what they do....
He said ill have more tone variety now with these pots but...

I have looked but i cant find anything which said what they do or how they work...

Could you please answer as if i was a 5year old.... lol...

PSPookie · #2 08-05-2009, 05:23 AM

The S1 switch allows you to switch between series and parallel wiring for your two single coil pickups.

Model Js are stacked humbuckers. As such, each one can be wired to opperate in series or parallel. I would imagine that is what the push-pull pots are for (to choose bewteen the two).

eupharies · #3 08-05-2009, 05:30 AM

ok so, it will do mroe or less the same thing as the s1 switch, but also give me more tonal variety??

PSPookie · #4 08-05-2009, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eupharies

ok so, it will do mroe or less the same thing as the s1 switch, but also give me more tonal variety??

Yup. It should be sorta like having 2 S1 switches -- one for each pup.

eupharies · #5 08-05-2009, 05:40 AM

oh thats kinda cool! thanks

but in terms of the tone with the push/pull pot to, whats the difference between when its up or down.. is it bypassing something or....

PSPookie · #6 08-05-2009, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eupharies

oh thats kinda cool! thanks

but in terms of the tone with the push/pull pot to, whats the difference between when its up or down.. is it bypassing something or....

It won't be bypassing anything. It will just change the way the two individual coils in each pickup will interact -- just the way your S1 switch does now, only for each individual pickp.

IME parallel will tend to be more mid-present while series will be bassier and maybe a bit scooped. Having the two push-pull pots will allow you to have more options.

For example: you could run the neck pup in parallel and the bridge pup in series or vice-versa or both in series or both in parallel.

dmusic148 · #7 08-05-2009, 06:12 AM

Don't you think you should make sure you understand something before letting your tech do it? Because what he's doing is not necessary.

eupharies · #8 08-05-2009, 06:21 AM

i dont get this kinda stuff, why is it unecessary... but its gona make my bass ound better so...

dmusic148 · #9 08-05-2009, 08:56 AM

Well, OK, what I mean is, your pickups are each a dual-coil. Dimarzio recommends simply wiring EACH one in series, for a fuller sound. Each pup has 4 wires, and they recommend simply joining the white and blacks together, and connecting the other two to the pots, as you would do with any other pup.
Your tech has decided to add switches to each pup instead of simply joining the whites and blacks together, so that EACH pickup can have it's coils be series or parallel. You may or may not find this to be useful.
In addition, he is wiring the third switch so that the pickups can be series or parallel as a pair, which is the usual thing to do.

eupharies · #10 08-05-2009, 09:00 AM

ah rite i see, i suppose it gives me more options in a way... but i dont get why the tone knob will also have a pull/push pot... what will that change,...

dmusic148 · #11 08-05-2009, 09:05 AM

The switch on the neck pot will change the neck pup coils from series to parallel.
The switch on the bridge pot will switch the bridge pup coils from series to parallel.
The switch on the tone pot will switch the PAIR of pups into series or parallel with each other. So when you activate it, the two pups will behave as one huge humbucker, and the neck pickup pot will become the master volume.

lug · #12 08-05-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

The switch on the neck pot will change the neck pup coils from series to parallel.
The switch on the bridge pot will switch the bridge pup coils from series to parallel.
The switch on the tone pot will switch the PAIR of pups into series or parallel with each other. So when you activate it, the two pups will behave as one huge humbucker, and the neck pickup pot will become the master volume.

Sounds like you are going to end up with a bass about as versatile as a Roscoe Beck Fender....this is a good thing!

eupharies · #13 08-05-2009, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

The switch on the neck pot will change the neck pup coils from series to parallel.
The switch on the bridge pot will switch the bridge pup coils from series to parallel.
The switch on the tone pot will switch the PAIR of pups into series or parallel with each other. So when you activate it, the two pups will behave as one huge humbucker, and the neck pickup pot will become the master volume.

Ok lol i get the 1st 2 bits, but the 3rd one.... if i set the bridge pot and the neck pot in series for instance.... they would be in series together no?
So i dont get then the tone pot when activated will put the pups in series together... so isnt that just a quicker way of doing it....
Or am i getting mixed up.

SO in effect what im saying is, if i want both the Pups series or parallel i just use the tone pot, but if i want 1 in series 1 in parallel id use the individual pots??

mikezimmerman · #14 08-05-2009, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eupharies

ok i bought some dimarzio model js. having them fitted, but the guy said they wont work propery with the S1 switch on my jazz.
So now hes installing push pull pots on all 3 knobs vol/vol/tone, but i dont quite get what they do....
He said ill have more tone variety now with these pots but...

I have looked but i cant find anything which said what they do or how they work...

Well, we can speculate all we want about what we *think* the switches will do, but the only guy who really knows for sure is the guy who's actually doing the installation. Have you asked him?

Mike

msiner · #15 08-05-2009, 09:57 AM

I have a P/J with a Dimarzio Ultra Jazz in the bridge. I wired up series/parallel switches for the individual pickups and have been thoroughly unimpressed by the "versatility". The core tone really doesn't seem to change between the settings. The change is mostly in the volume. I could possibly see a benefit for recording, but, in my opinion, a split coil pickup (P, Model J, Ultra Jazz) just doesn't get any major benefits with a series/parallel switch. I hope you have better luck with yours. YMMV

eupharies · #16 08-05-2009, 10:16 AM

its jsut so confusing, cos it looks as if the tone pot is just a quicker way of putting both in 2 series or parallel, theres so many options with all 3 lol ..

mikezimmerman · #17 08-05-2009, 10:21 AM

Let me explain what they're describing (which may or may not be what the switches actually do):

Neck volume switch: Puts the two halves of the neck pickup in either series with each other, or in parallel with each other

Bridge volume switch: Puts the two halves of the bridge pickup in either series with each other, or in parallel with each other

Tone switch: Puts the neck pickup in series or parallel with the bridge pickup (this is what the original S-1 switch did)

eupharies · #18 08-05-2009, 10:35 AM

ohhhhhhhhhhh ok so!!! i think i get it now, both the pickups can be in series but seperate, or both cut be in series together and like.

I could have 1 in series 1 in parallel but joined together, by using the tone knob??

mikezimmerman · #19 08-05-2009, 10:38 AM

You can have one pickup in series (that is, the two halves in series with each other), and one pickup in parallel (that is, the two halves in parallel with each other), then combine the two pickups and use the tone switch to decide if they are in series or parallel with each other.

Mike

dmusic148 · #20 08-05-2009, 10:48 AM

What Mike said. I am assuming the tech will wire it as I described- it would be the most logical arrangement, but I could be wrong.
Another way to think of it is, ignoring for a moment the 3rd switch on the Tone pot:
Each pickup switch is a sort of tone control, one for each pickup. When either pickup is switched to series, it will be louder and more aggressive sounding. Parallel will give a mellower tone, but with added brightness.

Once you've selected the desired combination on the first two switches, the third switch, on the Tone pot, will put the two pickups in series or parallel with each other.