Lakland 55-94 series/paralell/single instead of coil selector?

[pickles]

I'm really digging my new (to me) 55-94, but I'm not super thrilled with the sounds I get from the forward coil of the bridge pup ... thinking a series setting might be more useful. Has anybody tried that?

Series/Paralell/Rear single coil could be really sweet. Thats sort of what I always thought these had until I got it.

[Don Harris]

I did it to two 55-94s and much prefered it. Dan Lakin told me a few years ago that the reason they didn't offer that option is that with the bridge in series mode, the neck and bridge pickups don't match in volume (or something like that... Maybe it was that the different settings were different volumes). It's true, but in the studio, I don't care, and live I tend to leave the bass in series with the pan in the middle most all of the time. In my opinion, the thicker sound is much more usable than the stock sounds.

[ElBajista]

How hard would it be to do this mod? Would it mean just simply re-arranging some wires on the switch?

[Don Harris]

I tried to delete this post and it didn't work. Look at the next one for a better diagram.

Yes, re-arranging the wires on the switch. Lakland faxed a diagram to me. I'll attempt a diagram here:

(neck)
o_o connect these two
white o o red
green/ o o black/and to pan pot
(and to ground, from the green lug)

[Don Harris]

oops, the spacing didn't work when posted. Let's try this:
(neck)
o_o these are wired together
o o left is the white PU wire, right is the red wire
o o left is the green PU wire, and connect this to ground. Right is the black pu wire, and connect this to your pan pot.

Wired this way, with the switch toward the bridge is series, the middle is the bridge half of the pu and toward the neck is parallel.

For what it's worth, putting the Demeter preamp in both basses made the sound tighten up and sit better in mixes to my ear. I'm trying the Aguilar two band right now and liked the Demeter better.

[pickles]

Alright Bajista ... I want a second opinion, you do it and let me know how it sounds.

Sure it'll be louder than the neck, but thats what the blend control is for.

[el_Kabong]

I can give you one. I've run a duncan and a nordstrand this way, it's good. I didn't like the front coil only tone either. Bottom line is you lose something you don't like and gain something you might. What's to think about?

[ElBajista]

Originally Posted by Don Harris

oops, the spacing didn't work when posted. Let's try this:
(neck)
o_o these are wired together
o o left is the white PU wire, right is the red wire
o o left is the green PU wire, and connect this to ground. Right is the black pu wire, and connect this to your pan pot.

Wired this way, with the switch toward the bridge is series, the middle is the bridge half of the pu and toward the neck is parallel.

For what it's worth, putting the Demeter preamp in both basses made the sound tighten up and sit better in mixes to my ear. I'm trying the Aguilar two band right now and liked the Demeter better.

Now with this, the bridge coil is selected in single-coil mode, right?

I wonder though, these pickups are already pretty dark and series mode might be too much. Heck, that's what the EQ's for, right? I'll get to this sometime soon, and I'll get back with results.

About the preamp, I was considering trying out an Audere, but funds are kind of low at this point, and the custom 3ZB I would get comes out to (IIRC) about $240. Not a bad price at all, but when you compare that to my paycheck......

[ElBajista]

Originally Posted by pickles

Alright Bajista ... I want a second opinion, you do it and let me know how it sounds.

Sure it'll be louder than the neck, but thats what the blend control is for.

Are you going to try it too? I really want to, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it.

BTW, Which 55-94 did you get? Photo?

[sandmann]

hi,

i also got my 55-94 modified to series mode. series mode is quite a bit louder but i compensate that with pulling the volume pot and playing it in passive mode. that suits very well with the midrange series mode.

sandmann

[pickles]

Originally Posted by ElBajista

Are you going to try it too? I really want to, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it.

BTW, Which 55-94 did you get? Photo?

I just might. My wires are a different color than whats called out above though. I have:

(neck side)
o-o black

o-o yellow

o-o red

And all the posts are connected horizontally as shown with the dash above.

I found the 55-94 locally. I'll post up some photos when I get a chance. Its a tobacco burst over quilt with a mint guard and a maple board. Its another "rescue" project, but not as bad as the RBV was. Just needed a setup and a LOT of deep cleaning, I'm about to start trying naptha on the neck. The bass seriously smokes even with this layer of gunk on it.

[ElBajista]

Originally Posted by pickles

I just might. My wires are a different color than whats called out above though. I have:

(neck side)
o-o black

o-o yellow

o-o red

And all the posts are connected horizontally as shown with the dash above.

I just cracked open my 55-02, and I found the same layout on the switch as you. I also noticed that along with those yellow, red (more of a pink, actually. ), and black wires there is a white and a green wire, along with an unshielded wire. Looks like I have everything I need to try this out! We'll see what happens....

Originally Posted by pickles

I found the 55-94 locally. I'll post up some photos when I get a chance. Its a tobacco burst over quilt with a mint guard and a maple board. Its another "rescue" project, but not as bad as the RBV was. Just needed a setup and a LOT of deep cleaning, I'm about to start trying naptha on the neck. The bass seriously smokes even with this layer of gunk on it.

Where do you find all of these "player" basses? It seems like you're running an orphanage.

[pickles]

More like a halfway house since I usually end up selling them.

[pickles]

I got a feeling this one is going to break that selling pattern though ...