Trying to get a MM parallel sound in a series wiring mode

degonzalez2000 · #1 10-05-2010, 07:46 AM

Hi,

I own a Sterling HS but the Humbucker(position 1) is wired in series mode

I love the sound that I get with the HS configuration, but I can't get that traditional MM Slap tone.

Someone knows how I can get close to the classic stingray tone (Humbucker in parallel tone). Maybe with the 3 band preamp of this bass?

73jbass · #2 10-05-2010, 11:05 AM

Cut your mids a bit and you'll be close enough.

walterw · #3 10-05-2010, 11:39 AM

can the pickup just be re-wired to parallel?

degonzalez2000 · #4 10-05-2010, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

can the pickup just be re-wired to parallel?

That would not be an option for me, for two reasons:

- The instrument loose his resale value.
- I will loose the voicing of the other combinations of the HS configuration.

Thanks for your help

walterw · #5 10-05-2010, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by degonzalez2000

- The instrument loose his resale value.

nah, not a chance of that, since it can always be wired back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by degonzalez2000

- I will loose the voicing of the other combinations of the HS configuration.

maybe not, depending on what the other combos are.

(oh, and you mean "lose", not "loose")

SGD Lutherie · #6 10-05-2010, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by degonzalez2000

- The instrument loose his resale value.

Who buys basses worrying about re-selling them? If you want to sell it, why did you buy it? You should have rented it.

Any wiring mods can be undone. If you are worried about resale value, put the bass in the case and never play it. That;s not much fun though!

Quote:

- I will loose the voicing of the other combinations of the HS configuration.

I'm sure you can either wire in a push/pull pot, a toggle switch, or rewire the selector switch for parallel option.

Pickups sound very different in parallel.

Rano Bass · #7 10-06-2010, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by degonzalez2000

Hi,

I own a Sterling HS but the Humbucker(position 1) is wired in series mode

I love the sound that I get with the HS configuration, but I can't get that traditional MM Slap tone.

Someone knows how I can get close to the classic stingray tone (Humbucker in parallel tone). Maybe with the 3 band preamp of this bass?

I had the same problem as you when i bought my SR5 HH, the bridge pup was wired in series and i wanted that classic Musicman bridge pickup in parallel sound.
I ended up replacing the bridge pickup with a Basslines smb-5 and never looked back.
As you can see i don't care about resale value

Thedaivisch · #8 01-03-2013, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rano Bass

I had the same problem as you when i bought my SR5 HH, the bridge pup was wired in series and i wanted that classic Musicman bridge pickup in parallel sound.
I ended up replacing the bridge pickup with a Basslines smb-5 and never looked back.
As you can see i don't care about resale value

So did you rewire the bass in Parallel too, or did that Basslines pickup sound more like parallel but wired in series? Dave

eyeballkid · #9 01-03-2013, 10:57 AM

buy a regular Stingray!

Thedaivisch · #10 01-03-2013, 11:00 AM

No! They have baseball bat necks and SLO Rays are like rocking horse sh*t in the UK!

eyeballkid · #11 01-03-2013, 11:25 AM

what???

Thedaivisch · #12 01-03-2013, 11:27 AM

Which bit?

SLO = Stingray with slim Sterling neck
Rocking Horse **** = Impossible to get hold of (at least second hand, I don't have $1600 lying around)

eyeballkid · #13 01-03-2013, 01:59 PM

oh.. get it.. its as rare as poopy behind a rocking horse... I thought you meant it was like rocking out with horse **** in your hands and I couldn't understand why!

iunno · #14 01-03-2013, 03:54 PM

The Sterling has a different preamp, and pickups have ceramic magnets, even in parallel it won't sound quite like a Stingray. The most you could do without modding it is boost the bass and treble, then cut mids until it sounds similar.

Thedaivisch · #15 01-03-2013, 04:00 PM

Well I'm thinking Nordstrand MM4.2 (alnico) might do the trick, even if not in parallel. You're right about the EQ, as you say if you cut the mids and boost highs/lows it gets closer.

sevdog · #16 01-03-2013, 04:07 PM

Drop in the Nord alnico pickup and wire a push/pull series/parallel pot.

To me nothing sounds exactly like a Stingray. Lots of stuff gets close but if you want it to sound just like it then you need the Alnico pickup wired parallel.

Thedaivisch · #17 01-03-2013, 04:14 PM

Yeah that is a good plan. The only thing is, the wiring/blade switch seems to be undecipherable. Nordstrand tech support and even the great John East were unable to tell me how to do it after having stared at a wiring diagram/photos...

Someone must know how to wire these up in Parallel!

sevdog · #18 01-03-2013, 04:17 PM

Nordstrand couldn't tell you how to wire their pickup?

Thedaivisch · #19 01-03-2013, 04:17 PM

They couldn't tell me how to wire it in parallel into the Sterling's circuit, no

sevdog · #20 01-03-2013, 04:18 PM

hmm, weird.