• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Series/paralell, need picture, not schematic!

Eilif

Grooving under the MDW runway.
Oct 1, 2001
9,756
9,645
Chicago
Hello,
Before you ignore this thread, note that I have already read through the FAQ series/paralell threads, and even tried to follow the written directions there....

I have a Jazz that I built, I just purchased a push-pull pot, and tried to wire it up based upon some written instructions here at talkbass. when I pull up on the pot, it sounds like it is in seires, when I put it back down, I get no sound.

Does anyone have a link to a pictorial diagram (not a schematic, I can't read those) for wiring a jazz bass as v/v/t, with a push/pull for series/paralell?

I was thinking something like the pictorial diagrams that are at mrgearhead, as I have used one of those before to successfully wire the Jazz when I first built it. If anyone can point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Karl
 
A pictorial I don't have.... but I did once try to "outline" the procedure in an Email to a friend...... I'll copy it here, maybe it'll help (hope it formats correctly!)

I'll assume you have the tone pot section of your push-pull wired correctly, and just address the pickup circuit. I'll also assume you've gone down the road where "pull" is "series" (as you suggested you have).

Here's your push-pull (numbers are added to the lugs for purposes of the discussion to follow)

| | shaft
------
° ° ° tone section
------
------
°1 4°
°2 5° push/pull DPDT switch
°3 6°
------

How it should be wired:

- Jumper 1 to 4.
- Cut the "hot" wire from your neck pickup "in the middle" (assumes length is sufficient); the lead coming from the pup goes to 2, and the lead coming from the neck vol pot lug goes to 3.
- Cut the "ground" wire from your bridge pickup "in the middle"; the lead coming from the pup goes to 5, and the lead coming from the bridge vol pot ground (probably the back of the housing) goes to 6.

When you push down on the new pot, the internal connections are 2 to 3, and 5 to 6. So, as per the last two bullets above, pushing down simply "re-makes" the connections of the wires that you just cut. This is the usual Jazz bass wiring, or "parallel".

When you pull up on the new pot, the internal connections are 2 to 1, and 4 to 5. So the "hot" lead from your neck pickup is now connected "in series" to the "ground" lead of your bridge pickup by means of 2 to 1 (internal), 1 to 4 (jumpered), and 4 to 5 (internal). This is series mode; your neck vol pot will go dead (bridge vol pot is now master vol).
 
  • Like
Reactions: sideFX
Thanks bigbeefdog,
This looks like the most straitforward well elucidated directions I've found yet. I'm going to give it a try tomorrow.

In the meantime, anyone with a pictorial example?
 
Ok, this has been beaten to death, but I just installed a series/paralell push/pull pot in my jazz, and it is like having a bass boost that I only paid 10 bucks for! I considered just wiring it strait series, but I like the versatility that came with instaling the push pull, sometimes I need the more cutting parallel sound. I didn't think any thing could make me love this bass more.....

Special thanks to BIGBEEFDOG. His extremely easy to follow written instructions for installing a push/pullshould be added to the pickups FAQ.

In short, every jazz should have a push/pull series/parallel in it!
 
Eilif said:
Ok, this has been beaten to death, but I just installed a series/paralell push/pull pot in my jazz, and it is like having a bass boost that I only paid 10 bucks for! I considered just wiring it strait series, but I like the versatility that came with instaling the push pull, sometimes I need the more cutting parallel sound. I didn't think any thing could make me love this bass more.....

Special thanks to BIGBEEFDOG. His extremely easy to follow written instructions for installing a push/pullshould be added to the pickups FAQ.

In short, every jazz should have a push/pull series/parallel in it!

In order to clearly understand what's going on with this circuit, IMHO, it's key to understand what happens *inside* the switch when you push, and when you pull. Once I figured that part out, it all made perfect sense.

Glad to be of help! Enjoy your new switch, and get ready for other players to ask you about it ALL the time! :)
 
Too late !!

JazzSeriesParalllelDiag.gif
 
So question..

Is the explanation up there different to the following diagram..
Link Removed

In the explanation he says the neck hot goes to lugs 2+3 and the bridge ground to 5+6. Although in the picture it seems to be reversed (i.e" neck ground and bridge hot). What difference will this make?
 
So question..

Is the explanation up there different to the following diagram..

In the explanation he says the neck hot goes to lugs 2+3 and the bridge ground to 5+6. Although in the picture it seems to be reversed (i.e" neck ground and bridge hot). What difference will this make?

It's very possible that they are different; the diagram came from a different user. There are a few possible wiring variations that can be used - you could also modify the wiring to make it "push for series, pull for parallel", for example.

But functionally they're the same. You can create a series circuit by connecting the output of *either* pup to the ground of the other (which is what the switch does in the series position).

The only difference I can see is, if you follow the diagram, the neck vol pot would be your master volume in series mode, rather than the bridge vol pot (since, in the diagram, series mode disconnects the bridge pup hot from the bridge vol pot, and redirects it to the neck pup ground).
 
Are you guys using the same knob for where the switch goes, or do you need a special knob that won't come off when you pull it?

Maybe you don't really pull it? Does the switch works like a pen where you push it in and every other click it "pulls"?
 
So question..

Is the explanation up there different to the following diagram..
Link Removed

In the explanation he says the neck hot goes to lugs 2+3 and the bridge ground to 5+6. Although in the picture it seems to be reversed (i.e" neck ground and bridge hot). What difference will this make?

In the text explanation, in series mode, the Bridge pickup is first, followed by the Neck pickup. In the picture, the Neck pickup is first. I imagine this could affect tone, but I'm not sure how.

Are you guys using the same knob for where the switch goes, or do you need a special knob that won't come off when you pull it?

Maybe you don't really pull it? Does the switch works like a pen where you push it in and every other click it "pulls"?

It's a push/pull pot. The whole knob itself will move, but only the shaft of the pot is moved, the pot itself is mounted to the body. So you pull up on the knob, and push it back down. The 'pen' mechanism that you're talking about is how the Fender S-1 switch works. It has a button in the center of the knob that you push in, and when you push it in again, it pops back out.