Jazz Bass Series wiring sound clips

subfeeder · #1 10-01-2009, 04:46 AM

I'm thinking of doing the series/parallel switch mod on my 08 Jazz Bass. Does anyone have a sound clip of how the series sound compares to the standard Jazz Bass sound? I understand it gives something approaching the P bass thump.

**line6man** · #2 10-01-2009, 08:24 AM

Why not just try it out and see what it sounds like?

Desolder the bridge pickup's hot wire, and the neck pickup's ground wire, and solder them together and then cover the connection.

Play it for a little while and see what you think. If you like it, go buy a switch and rewire it for series/parallel switching. If you don't like it, just put the two wires back the way they were.

markorbit · #3 10-01-2009, 08:31 AM

I don't have any soundclips but I had a custom Jazz delivered yesterday with a series/parallel switch. IMO it is worth doing on a Jazz. I loved it - maybe even more than the standard wiring. Very full, rounded, rich sound and hotter than the standard setting.

4Mal · #4 10-01-2009, 09:34 AM

One man's "Very full, rounded, rich sound and hotter" is another man's muddy, boomy and undefined... IMO not something I would bother with. If you have soldering skills, try it first. Record a sample of the before and after. Do a comparison through phones or on decent monitors. The unsolder and set it back to standard...

If you really want "Very full, rounded, rich sound and hotter" - get a Sans Amp Para Driver and stomp that when you want it ... lot's more control there ...

**line6man** · #5 10-01-2009, 03:04 PM

I usually see mixed reviews about series wiring for Jazz basses.
Some people love it, some hate it.

The only way you can really tell whether it's going to work for you or not is to try it yourself and see...

Emmaemme · #6 10-01-2009, 03:08 PM

Why not just make your own clips and post them ? Not that difficult for us and more conclusive for you.

kalipigeon · #7 10-04-2009, 03:08 AM

The Fender Jaguar bass has this as a switching option...the easiest way to see what it sounds like is to hit your local GC and try one out. Its the sound you get with the upper horn switch down and all three lower horn switches up (both pickups on and in series). If you want to compare that to parallel, just move the switch closest to the bridge to the down position. That'll tell you what passive series sounds like with Jbass pickups in that spacing. I remember thinking it was one of the Jaguar bass's better tones.

I have a telecaster wired for a 4-way switch that gives the series option as well as the typical other 3. There's a mod to that wiring where you put a capacitor in-between the two pickups (on the series selected mode) instead of just a jumper wire, and that supposedly will give a similar output to the other three settings (neck/parallel/bridge). I haven't tried it yet, but if you like the tone, but not the boominess and volume boost of series then its worth looking into. I've read that it keeps the tone punchy and round but doesn't let enough through to overpower the other three settings.

gnr_her · #8 10-08-2009, 09:14 PM

here's a video from a guy who did that mod with a switch or push pull pot...

first in parallel, and then in series...

Youtube and cam quality, but you get the idea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_NVmhg08tA