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Wiring jigs

Rodent

Rodent

A Killer Pickup Line™
Commercial User
Dec 20, 2004
4,267
2,481
Upper Left Corner (Seattle)
www.honeybadgerpickups.com
Disclosures
Player-Builder-Founder: Honey Badger Pickups & Regenerate Guitar Works
#1
[Updated with a cleaner top image, and new side + results images]

Sometime back I standardized on my control configuration to the point where I now have a standard hole pattern for my bodies, and a standard pre-amp set-up. In the process of wiring a few basses up it became obvious that it would be nifty to build a wiring stand that duplicated the body cavity arrangement, and allow me to fit everything together more consistently.

Here's the jig I've been using for some time now. As you can see in the side image, the jig face is about 30 degrees off parallel to my desk surface.

2e234c68.gif


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Using this makes it easy to pre-wire two or three basses in an evening, and then just drop the assembly in when the body is actually completed and ready

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all the best,

R
 
#4
I use Nordstrand p/u's pretty exclusively - except for basses that are equipped with Dark Stars.

For my Nordy equipped basses, I utilize the following with this jig:

500K AT Volume -or- 25K AT Volume with push/pull (for pre-amp bypass)
250K Balance/Pan
25K AT stacked Bass/Treble
250K AT Passive
Aguilar OBP-1 @ 18v

In cases where I utilize a Nordy MM p/u in the bridge, I have an on/on/on switch for series / one coil / parallel

In cases where I utilize the 500K Vol and need a pre-amp bypass, I'll utilize an on/on switch to bypass the pre-amp

These combinations usually leave me with needing only one switch, but I won't hesitate to add a second switch if needed - like when I utilize a 500K Vol and also a Nordy MM p/u. I also shield heavily (control and pickup cavities) and utilize star grounding ... you can see a few grounding leads that were unconnected when I snapped the image

all the best,

R

p.s. I'll update the image when I can get a cleaner picture
 
#7
separate location with a dedicated plastic box. the number of batteries depends on the application, but my standard configuration utilizes two 9 volts in a large battery box like this one on the left. For a 9 volt application I utilize just the small box. For a 27 volt application (or an 18v + 9v application) I utilize a combination of the two.

batterybox_1.jpg


I typically place the battery box in this location

ca041e8f.gif


I mention the 18v + 9v configuration, as I have an upcoming project to retrofit a Yamaha with active p/u's to include an OBP-3. The p/u's will remain at 9v and the OBP-3 will run at 18v. All will turn on when the cord is plugged in, and each voltage will remain isolated from each other by making use of diodes in the power supply circuits.

all the best,

R
 
#9
FWIW:

Not a luthier but anytime I do a transplant I always take a piece of cardboard and punch out the layout on it and wire it outside the bass then drop it in.

It never occurred to me luthiers would wire a harness in the bass. Makes me wonder if manufacturers do. I would think not. Slow down the process, makes the job more difficult, and increases probability of error.

I always connect pups, plug it in, tap on the pups, and check controls before installing as well.
 
#10
I had always wired my harnesses outside the body, but I never utilized a dedicated and comfortably angled jig to do it. not utilizing a jig/template resulted in a haphazardly arranged wiring disaster that was inconsistent from bass to bass

all the best,

R
 
#11
That angled "table" must make things very convenient. :cool:

I've only done wiring inside a cavity because I've only done repairs. But I can see a tremendous value in building a new circuit outside the body, in order to completely eliminate the possibility of a hot soldering iron touching the guitar body, at least until the final pickup hookup. And using connectors would take care of that, too.
 

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