I don't understand.. Enlighten me?

Goober1206 · #1 02-28-2010, 02:40 PM

I don't understand how the series parallel switch works.. when its down the bottom four are active right? so one pickups hot goes in, and has an out, and the other pickups ground goes in, then out. but when its up the top four are working right? so there the in for one pickups hot and one pickups ground BUT there is no out.. the are connected seeing how the top two are connected so its all connected but theres still no out.. so when i try it, it just cuts the signal off from that one pickup and it ends up being a pickup on off switch.. can anyone explain why this is so? or maybe give me a better diagram? on where both spots would have an in and out for the pickup while still acheiving the parallel series switch mod?

Here's how ive been trying to wire a series parallel switch with a kill switch..

GlennW · #2 02-28-2010, 03:20 PM

In the drawing:

The bridge ground stays grounded to the pot.

The neck hot goes to another pot.

Switch down, bottom 4, actually the bottom two on the left, and the bottom two on the right (it's like two switches in one, the left and right aren't internally connected) the bridge hot goes to the pot, and the neck ground goes to its pot.

Switch up, (top PAIRS) bridge hot is connected to neck ground, which puts the pickups in series. The bridge is still grounded, and the neck hot is still connected to the pot. It goes bridge ground (on pot), bridge hot connected to neck ground, neck hot. The bridge volume is removed from the circuit and won't do anything while in series.

Goober1206 · #3 02-28-2010, 03:24 PM

that was really confusing.. i understand its in pairs though sorry for not saying i got that lol but the rest was very confusing and i dont understand.. maybe do you have a diagram to show it? im sorry

Goober1206 · #4 02-28-2010, 03:30 PM

OH wait.. sorry. i took it step by step and i understood most of what you said, and thank you, but heres the question i have. When the bridge hot goes to the switch, and the switch is down, it then goes OUT to the pot or in my case, the kill switch then to the volume pot. BUT when its up, it goes up, then left, then down, attatching it to the neck ground. correct? if it goes to the neck ground, then it doesnt go out to the volume pot, it goes to the ground for the neck pickup. SO when i try it by the diagram, since it doesnt go out (i need it to go to the kill switch before the volume pot or the kill switch will only work for one pickup) it just silences the one pickup that has no out. so it becomes a pickup on off switch. thats my problem

wvbass · #5 02-28-2010, 04:01 PM

I had a heck of a time wading through your sideways picture - it may be right. I can't tell. Compare what you are doing to the one below. There are a couple different places where you could put the kill switch: before the series /arallel switch, after it, or before the jack. In this case, it is after the series/parallel switch but before the volume controls:

Goober1206 · #6 02-28-2010, 04:08 PM

for some reason that picture you gave me makes no sense because in the up position the hot wire from the bridge pickup ends there so when i tried that wiring, it ended up cutting the signal from that pickup and i was left alone with just one. sorry about the sideways picture lol i know its kinda sloppy. my bass is a jaguar bass, and in its stock wiring, it has a series parallel switch, then two switches for on off one for each pickup. im taking those two on of switches and making them into a kill switch. my series parallel switch (as shown in my drawing) is wired as it was from stock, BUT it doesnt seem to work without the other two switches. so my question is how do i take the two on off switches, change them into a kill switch, but still have the series parallel switch work. the problem is the series parallel switch wont work now. but a second question i have, is why is the jaguar series parallel switch wired differently than all these diagrams ive been seeing of other basses such as a jazz bass with a series parallel switch? so confusing.

wvbass · #7 02-28-2010, 04:25 PM

Let's back up a step and make sure you understand a couple key points. First, make sure you know what pickups wire in series look like. Also, make sure you understand what pickups in parallel look like. Third, make sure you understand the internal connections of the dpdt on-on switch. Take a look at this:

Out of curiosity, why are you making a kill switch for a bass with a single volume knob? It seems kind of redundant, and you're losing the ability to solo either pickup.

Edit: I have a Jaguar. In what way is the series/parallel wired differently? AFAIK, there's only one way to wire a dpdt on/on as a series/parallel switch...

Goober1206 · #8 02-28-2010, 04:30 PM

I'm a little embarrased.. but there is still a problem. So you're saying that when in the up position, the out for the pickups hot wire IS there, It's the other pickups ground which then goes to the pickup, then both signals are carried out in the necks hot wire together? If so, then the problem is: Though I didn't understand that, I tried it just to follow the diagram and it cut the signal. That's why I'm so confused.. it didn't work for my bass. And good question lol it's because I added a blend knob to my bass and so with a blend knob I can turn either pickup on or off by turning the knob all the way to the right or left, and so a kill switch is more appropriate.

wvbass · #9 02-28-2010, 04:36 PM

Ahah! You problem is the blend knob. I think it ads some weirdness when in series mode. There is a recent thread about this. I'll look for it.

By the way, I think a blend knob is an excellent mod for a jaguar. What is your control configuration? Volume + blend, or stacked volume/tone + blend. I couldn't do without the tone knob on my jag.

wvbass · #10 02-28-2010, 04:40 PM

Here's the thread I was referring to:

A couple of Lakland JO5 mod questions

Unfortunately, nobody really chimed in to tell me if I was right or wrong regarding series/parallel where a blend knob is involved. With Vol-Vol-Tone, series will bypass one of the volume knobs, but I think with Vol-Blend-Tone, you end up with two volume knobs in series mode.

Goober1206 · #11 02-28-2010, 04:41 PM

Ohh. With the jaguar stock wiring the series parallel switch worked perfect with theblend knob, but if you could find the thread that'd be great and in the meantime I'll change the series parallel wiring to your diagrams specs. I switched out the control plate under knobs for a four hole jazz plate. Had to sand the pickguard, drill new screw holes, and cut wood to make room under the four holes but I got it to work. My knob layout is stacked master volume ad tone then stacked bass and treble.( I moved themfrom the two wheels to the knobs) then the blend knob, and the input

Jazz Ad · #12 02-28-2010, 04:43 PM

Several of my basses have a parallel/series switch with a balance knob.
I don't remember exactly how I wired them but I know a 3PDT switch was involved. You can't do it with a DPDT.

wvbass · #13 02-28-2010, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Several of my basses have a parallel/series switch with a balance knob.
I don't remember exactly how I wired them but I know a 3PDT switch was involved. You can't do it with a DPDT.

I think this statement may be both right and wrong. To do it correctly, I think the switch needs the third pole to remove the blend knob from the circuit.

But I think you can do it with a DPDT switch, with some side effects. (Over in the other thread, a guy ways he has basses wired this way.) But, I think the blend knob will act as a second volume, and I'm not sure what effect the two volume knobs on "one" pickup will have on overall volume/tone. I think you end up with the two volumes in parallel, so you should have reduced output in series mode. Since series tends to be louder, this may not be a bad thing.

Goober1206 · #14 02-28-2010, 05:16 PM

But when I didn't mess withthe jaguar switches I had the blend knob and they both worked perfectly. Stock switches are 2 ways not three.. It worked the same as it did before the blend knob was added. So ithas to be possible, it's just not common.

Goober1206 · #15 02-28-2010, 05:23 PM

But when It was stock plus blend, it went pickups, blend, then switches then volume. Wouldthatwork? Or does the p/s switch have to come right after the pickups

Goober1206 · #16 02-28-2010, 05:42 PM

I have rewired it to your diagram but it's killing one pickup signal like it did before

the blend knob is doing it's job the same though but of course with only one pickup

Goober1206 · #17 02-28-2010, 06:10 PM

I rearanged wires to skip the blend and it did the same.. Then I skipped the blend and the switch toching the wires together and connecting the hot to the others ground doesn't pass the signal along in series.. It just won't work

wvbass · #18 02-28-2010, 06:11 PM

Post a sketch of what you have currently. I'll try to sort it out. Or, better yet, somebody a little more knowledgeable will happen along and offer some help.

Goober1206 · #19 02-28-2010, 06:14 PM

The blend knob isn't the problem.. I put the wires together plain and simple as if it were in series and it just didn't work. What would happy if the neck pickup had two hot wires to connect to would that work?

wvbass · #20 02-28-2010, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goober1206

The blend knob isn't the problem.. I put the wires together plain and simple as if it were in series and it just didn't work. What would happy if the neck pickup had two hot wires to connect to would that work?

I'm not sure what you mean here.