My split coil j pickups have 2 black wires!!!!!

[llldino]

I can't say i'm too surprised that they come like this though. Looking at it, I can't figure out what the function of each of the wires are though, which is kind of a problem because I have a Series/Parallel switch and maybe a phase switch i'll be putting in when my new push-pots show up. Anyways my question:

Do both the black wires get soldered onto the same lug? Or is one a master ground and the other a neutral? Grounds for each half of the coil?

I attempted to guess and soldered one of the blacks to the lug and another to a ground, but in series mode it doesn't sound right at all.

[SGD Lutherie]

What brand pickups are they?

[PilbaraBass]

Do you have a multimeter?

[llldino]

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

What brand pickups are they?

Aguilar split J pickups

[Eric Moesle]

Why not just call Aguilar and ask? Nice people and eager to help.....

[bassolp]

i have a pair of aguilar humcanceling jazz pickup with 3 wire for each pickup on the schematics they send with it you solder both black wire at the same place( its a ground for each coil ) the white wire goes to the signal
hope it help

[llldino]

Originally Posted by bassolp

i have a pair of aguilar humcanceling jazz pickup with 3 wire for each pickup on the schematics they send with it you solder both black wire at the same place( its a ground for each coil ) the white wire goes to the signal
hope it help

Yeah I know I got the same schematic. But I'm not directly grounding the pickup; Im sending it to a switch that sweitches between the neck pup being grounded or being loaded with the bridge pickup.

Originally Posted by Eric Moesle

Why not just call Aguilar and ask? Nice people and eager to help.....

I'll probably end up doing this. I usually get whatever help I need from here.

[Cadfael]

Hmmmmm ........

Two black wires ...
I thopuht Aguilar is highly professional?!

Maybe one black wire is for shielding connection and the other black wire the end of the coil. But this info wouldn't help you at all ...

A multimeter would give the answer and tell you which black wire has be permanently soldered to GND and which is "switchable" ...

[llldino]

Originally Posted by Cadfael

Hmmmmm ........

Two black wires ...
I thopuht Aguilar is highly professional?!

Maybe one black wire is for shielding connection and the other black wire the end of the coil. But this info wouldn't help you at all ...

A multimeter would give the answer and tell you which black wire has be permanently soldered to GND and which is "switchable" ...

This is exactly what I thought. One wire is soldered right beside the hot and the other to a copper piece at the top of the pickup. I soldered what I thought was the "neutral" to the lug and the shield ground to a ground. Didn't work as I thought. I don't have a multi on me, and really couldn't be arsed to get one. I'll probably end up calling Aguilar when I get my new pots n stuff.

[Cadfael]

A multimeter costs less 10 Euro or $15 ...
Such a cheap multimeter can solve other problems, too.
Is a bass or speaker cable okay?

A multimeter is as usefull as a tuner and can save a gig ...

[llldino]

Originally Posted by Cadfael

A multimeter costs less 10 Euro or $15 ...
Such a cheap multimeter can solve other problems, too.
Is a bass or speaker cable okay?

A multimeter is as usefull as a tuner and can save a gig ...

I don't have a car, so I'd have to take the bus to the hardware store, that's really the only reason why I don't have one

Everything else is fine I believe. Definitely not the amp. Maybe I broke the mini toggle when I resoldered the switch, idk. We'll find out when I get the new pots.

A multimeter as a tuner? How so?

[Philonius]

Originally Posted by llldino

I don't have a car, so I'd have to take the bus to the hardware store, that's really the only reason why I don't have one

Everything else is fine I believe. Definitely not the amp. Maybe I broke the mini toggle when I resoldered the switch, idk. We'll find out when I get the new pots.

A multimeter as a tuner? How so?

Not so. He means that a multimeter's usefulness is equal to that of a tuner. Not so sure I agree with the degree of usefulness, but I do see his point that one would be useful for troubleshooting electrical problems at a gig. Assuming you know how the darned thing works.

English is such a funny language.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by llldino

Yeah I know I got the same schematic. But I'm not directly grounding the pickup; Im sending it to a switch that sweitches between the neck pup being grounded or being loaded with the bridge pickup.

Do you mean in series with the bridge pickup?

You have to watch that the pickup grounds are not also connected to any kind of shields (which I'm sure that pickup does not have) or grounding the magnets. That would produce a lot of noise when in series.

If you are wiring pickups, you need to have a multi meter. If not take the bass to someone who knows how to do it.

[Carey]

http://www.aguilaramp.com/pdf/PJ_Bas...ng_Diagram.pdf

One of the black wires is from the bottom plate. This is probably a system ground. The white is the pickup common (-). Just connect the white and the bottom plate black to the same place. The other black is the hot.

Unless you're using a buffered preamp such as an Audere. Then you need to look at Audere's site to learn where to connect the wires.

[Aguilar/Dave B.]

Originally Posted by Carey

http://www.aguilaramp.com/pdf/PJ_Bas...ng_Diagram.pdf

One of the black wires is from the bottom plate. This is probably a system ground. The white is the pickup common (-). Just connect the white and the bottom plate black to the same place. The other black is the hot.

Unless you're using a buffered preamp such as an Audere. Then you need to look at Audere's site to learn where to connect the wires.

The Wiring diagram that Carey is referring to is PJ wiring diagram.
In that configuration, we flipped the polarity on hum canceling pickup, to make its phase compatible with the P Bass pickup.

Hum canceling Jazz Bass pickup diagram disappeared from our web site...We'll talk to Justin to see what happened to it. (Beaver.....)
On this diagram (same diagram we send out with a set of pickups), white wire is "hot", black soldered to the bottom plate is pole piece ground, and the other black is coil "neutral".

Hope this helps! If the OP needs to call us, feel free to do so.

Dave B.

[Aguilar/Dave B.]

And diagram is magically returned to cyberspace:

http://www.aguilaramp.com/pdf/Hum-ca...ng_Diagram.pdf

[Cadfael]

Hi Dave,

I have never seen these PUs - but I am curious to know ...

The "normal black/white" wires are the two coil ends and have no connection to any other part but the coil ends?

The second black cable has no connection to the coil at all and is only wired to bottom plate??? Where does this black wire get its grounding from to ground the back plate?
Or is the "bottom plate black" a cable which goes to the cavity to be soldered to GND at any means - and the other two are the coil ends free to use?

As I have never seen the PUs before, please forget about my "professional" comment!
The OP hadn't written about the plate before. Original old Fender P-basses (or J-azz Basses) have two black cables, too! There the second black cable goes to the brass plate nailed onto the body. At Aguilar PUs it goes to a plate which touches the pole pieces (which is more useful to me than the Fender solution)?

[Aguilar/Dave B.]

Originally Posted by Cadfael

Hi Dave,

I have never seen these PUs - but I am curious to know ...

The "normal black/white" wires are the two coil ends and have no connection to any other part but the coil ends?

The second black cable has no connection to the coil at all and is only wired to bottom plate??? Where does this black wire get its grounding from to ground the back plate?
Or is the "bottom plate black" a cable which goes to the cavity to be soldered to GND at any means - and the other two are the coil ends free to use?

As I have never seen the PUs before, please forget about my "professional" comment!
The OP hadn't written about the plate before. Original old Fender P-basses (or J-azz Basses) have two black cables, too! There the second black cable goes to the brass plate nailed onto the body. At Aguilar PUs it goes to a plate which touches the pole pieces (which is more useful to me than the Fender solution)?

No problem!
The bottom plate black wire has no internal connection to the coil, and it should be soldered to a ground point in the cavity, together with the bridge ground wire and any shielding. It grounds the pole pieces, as you wanted.
The remaining two wires are coil ends.

[Carey]

Originally Posted by Aguilar/Dave B.

And diagram is magically returned to cyberspace:

http://www.aguilaramp.com/pdf/Hum-ca...ng_Diagram.pdf

That diagram makes a lot more sense! Sorry if I caused any confusion.

[Aguilar/Dave B.]

Originally Posted by Carey

That diagram makes a lot more sense! Sorry if I caused any confusion.

Thanks for chiming in, we needed to have the right diagram up on the site!