Nordstrand NP4 help!

[Chris Breese]

I have a Yamaha BB414 and decided that my Nordstrand NP4 needed to replace the existing Yamaha P pickup. The Yamaha P sounds good, and is nice blended with the bridge pickup, but doesn't sound enough like a P for me. I had this NP4 laying around, so I put it in.

The wiring configuration is vol/tone/3 way switch. I installed the NP4 and, of course, it sounds great, but when blended with the bridge pickup (switch in middle position - both pickups on full) the tone turns really thin, and it almost seems like the two pickups are cancelling each other out. Not good.

What could be causing this? Is there any way to solve this problem?

[DavePlaysBass]

Switch wires the two wires on your P pickup. Sounds like they are out of phase with each other.

[Chris Breese]

Oh! That sounds easy enough! Thanks for the help!

[PolkaHero]

I just got a NP4 and it blows! I wired it into my Walnut Precision Special and I get really nasty hum and the sound is thin. Do you think the wires are crossed?

[Nighttrain1127]

There should not be a polarity Issue with a single pickup unless it is a three wire pickup. And the NP-4 is not. I installed An Np-4 in my MIM p-Bass and it sounds absolutely fantastic. Does your tone control work? Is it possible you unsoldered the capacitor when you hooked up the pickups?

[PolkaHero]

Originally Posted by Nighttrain1127

There should not be a polarity Issue with a single pickup unless it is a three wire pickup. And the NP-4 is not. I installed An Np-4 in my MIM p-Bass and it sounds absolutely fantastic. Does your tone control work? Is it possible you unsoldered the capacitor when you hooked up the pickups?

I've installed 3 other pickups in this bass over the past several weeks (Dimarzio Split P, Duncan 1/4 lbr., Bartolini) and none of these had any hum issue. Is it possible the black and white wires are switched up?

[Chris Breese]

could be defective? Unlikely, but I suppose it's possible...