Tired of Standard Jazz Bass Wiring

The modifier · #1 02-19-2010, 10:24 PM

Well after switching to chromes on my SX Jazz 5ver ive grown very tired on the mehhh jazz sound (not that its not a good sound on its own but I find it a bit on the scooped side), im craving a sound somewhere along the lines of a P-bass, so heres what I plan to do, im taking the wiring harness off an old p-bass and if possible I want to wire the jazz pick ups in Series to the p-bass harness with just a volume and tone, how would I do this, im confused on where I would connect the wires and such???

**line6man** · #2 02-19-2010, 10:46 PM

The only differences with the P wiring from just removing one volume pot in a J setup would be that the tone control would affect the signal before the volume pot, and the resistance of the volume pot would get varied against the output instead of the pickup.

The controls may function a bit better (less tone suck when you roll the volume down) but the sound will more-or-less be exactly the same, except for the fact that the pickups will be in series instead of parallel.

You would probably be better off just adding a series/parallel switch to your existing setup.

The modifier · #3 02-19-2010, 10:56 PM

Well im really set on using the the harness from the bass, the components are of better quality than the standard jazz SX harness which would be an advantage on its own, the only thing that will bother me a bit will be the extra hole haha but I can find a creative use for it, how would I wire both of the jazz pick ups onto the P-bass harness in series???

**line6man** · #4 02-19-2010, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The modifier

how would I wire both of the jazz pick ups onto the P-bass harness in series???

The exact same way that you would wire a standard P bass.
Treat each pickup as one of the two coils of a P pickup.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...atic=std_pbass

Why not use the extra hole for a series/parallel switch?
Either that or a killswitch.

The modifier · #5 02-19-2010, 11:07 PM

Thanks for the diagram, hmm so one of the white ground wires on one of the jazz pick ups will have to connect with the hot wire of the other one ??? and I might consider adding a killswitch, I dont really need the versatility from the series/parallel switch.

**line6man** · #6 02-19-2010, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The modifier

Thanks for the diagram, hmm so one of the white ground wires on one of the jazz pick ups will have to connect with the hot wire of the other one ??? and I might consider adding a killswitch, I dont really need the versatility from the series/parallel switch.

Yes, but actually, white is usually the hot while black is the ground. (I don't know why that is, because with standard electrical code, white is neutral and black is hot.

)

FWIW, You may end up with a yellow wire on one or both pickups instead of white. This will still be the pickup hot.

The modifier · #7 02-19-2010, 11:19 PM

Well the bridge PU has a is blue and white wire and the the neck is red and white, I just figured the white wires were grounds.

**line6man** · #8 02-19-2010, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The modifier

Well the bridge PU has a is blue and white wire and the the neck is red and white, I just figured the white wires were grounds.

Ok, for this specific instance, the whites will most likely be the grounds.

Put the pickups in series one way and see what it sounds like.
If it sounds thin and nasal, swap the leads of one pickup and that will solve the problem.

The modifier · #9 02-19-2010, 11:35 PM

Ok ill twist in place before I solder anything together to test it out, thanks for the help.

bassbenj · #10 02-21-2010, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The modifier

Well after switching to chromes on my SX Jazz 5ver ive grown very tired on the mehhh jazz sound (not that its not a good sound on its own but I find it a bit on the scooped side), im craving a sound somewhere along the lines of a P-bass, so heres what I plan to do, im taking the wiring harness off an old p-bass and if possible I want to wire the jazz pick ups in Series to the p-bass harness with just a volume and tone, how would I do this, im confused on where I would connect the wires and such???

If all you want is the J pickups wired in series, I'd STRONGLY recommend the mod I put on my SX jazz. It's a rotary switch that gives you neck, both series, both parallel, and bridge selection. See this old thread for details:

SX Series/parallel pickup switch mod

NickInMesa · #11 02-21-2010, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The modifier

Well after switching to chromes on my SX Jazz 5ver ive grown very tired on the mehhh jazz sound (not that its not a good sound on its own but I find it a bit on the scooped side), im craving a sound somewhere along the lines of a P-bass,

Why don't you get a P bass then?

Just asking

**line6man** · #12 02-21-2010, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbenj

If all you want is the J pickups wired in series, I'd STRONGLY recommend the mod I put on my SX jazz. It's a rotary switch that gives you neck, both series, both parallel, and bridge selection. See this old thread for details:

SX Series/parallel pickup switch mod

Yeah, that seems like it would be more versatile.

Why do you not need the extra versatility of a series/parallel though?
It won't hurt anything to just have the option available.
You seem to just want to limit your tonal options as much as possible with this?

wvbass · #13 02-21-2010, 11:46 AM

Sounds like, likely, you want white-white to ground, and red-blue to the volume pot.

If at some point, you want more options, try this:

The two switches can be wired as push-pulls on the two volume pots. With both switches pushed, its a normal jazz bass. Pull the first switch and push the second, its series with a single volume contol. Pull the second and push the first, and you're out of phase. This is not always useful, but with a little adjusting of the neck volume, you can really enhance the midrange bark of the bridge pickup without killing too much low end.

So, this has the wiring you have, the wiring you want, and more options besides. If you ever decide to go there...

GlennW · #14 02-21-2010, 11:54 AM

I'd wire it so that "neck only" would also be an option.

When I had a JB 98% of the time it was either both in series or just the neck. That way you'd still have a good single coil sound available.

Goober1206 · #15 02-28-2010, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wvbass

Sounds like, likely, you want white-white to ground, and red-blue to the volume pot.

If at some point, you want more options, try this:

The two switches can be wired as push-pulls on the two volume pots. With both switches pushed, its a normal jazz bass. Pull the first switch and push the second, its series with a single volume contol. Pull the second and push the first, and you're out of phase. This is not always useful, but with a little adjusting of the neck volume, you can really enhance the midrange bark of the bridge pickup without killing too much low end.

So, this has the wiring you have, the wiring you want, and more options besides. If you ever decide to go there...

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?