3 Pick config all permutations possible?

[kuys]

I'm wondering if it's feasible to wire a bass with three PU to have all possible combinations of pickups possible. Would it involve kill switches?

In my head I'm thinking a 5 way switch with individual kill switches for each PU and a volume for each pickup with a master tone? Possible or not?

 

[sonic assassin]

just as a heads up, that sort of thinking is always flamed around here.

the "why not just buy a P bass" people will be in to mock you shortly.

 

[raymondl3]

Check out the Ernie Ball Game Changer. Who care's if it's flamed. The EB was flamed when it came out.

 

[line6man]

The easiest way would be to simply have an on/off switch for each pickup.

 

[line6man]

just as a heads up, that sort of thinking is always flamed around here.

the "why not just buy a P bass" people will be in to mock you shortly.

I'm on the fence with this one.
A lot of Strat players like to add a switch to connect the neck and bridge pickups in parallel so you can have all 7 combos of the three pickups.

 

[anubis16]

Define "all permutations." It's not just turning pickups on and off: there's serial and parallel connections, in and out of phase.... you're looking at hundreds of permutations.

 

[darkstorm]

3 pups equals 7 pup selection choices possible. Easiest way to do it is with 3 seperate on/off switches, one for each pup. Are you by chance thinking of useing P pup sets, bridge. middle, neck? LMAO for those whod say just get a normal simple single P pup bass.

 

[sonic assassin]

if you really want ALL possible options, you're going to want a cleaned up brian may type setup. i think i saw someone modernize that somewhere.

 

[kuys]

I'm on the fence with this one.
A lot of Strat players like to add a switch to connect the neck and bridge pickups in parallel so you can have all 7 combos of the three pickups.

You nailed it there.

Actually it was going to be P' Pup in the sweet spot, Mudbucker neck and Jazz or mini humbucker at the bridge. I'm doing another project bass from scraps already have it assembled with the P' Pup in the sweet spot with a simple volume tone config. I like the P' in this position a lot.

I have pickups laying everywhere and I thought; Why the hell not?

 

[Mayers]

Well the EBMM Big Al and Game Changer is what you are looking for.

 

[kuys]

Well the EBMM Big Al and Game Changer is what you are looking for.

Can't afford it.

I just picked up a new 12 string bass and don't have the money. This is all learning for me. I want to become proficient at this type of mod'ing and building.

My first assembly/finishing turned out horrible; this one came out pretty good, intonation is good, action is good, electronics are quiet.

 

[xaxxat]

35 tones enough?

[This invalid link has been removed]

 

[bassbenj]

I'm wondering if it's feasible to wire a bass with three PU to have all possible combinations of pickups possible. Would it involve kill switches?

In my head I'm thinking a 5 way switch with individual kill switches for each PU and a volume for each pickup with a master tone? Possible or not?

Not only feasible, but it exists. It exists on my three pickup Modulus. It originally only had a on-off switch for each pickup. That wasn't too bad. Gives you neck-sweet spot-bridge in any combination. I tended to use Neck+Bridge or Sweet Spot alone a lot.

Then I got to rewiring my SX Jazz basses. I started to appreciate the tonal shifts you get between series and parallel. So I began to ponder how you could do three pickups. What I wanted was a scheme where the switch for EACH pickup would have three positions. Center would be "off". One way would be series and the other way parallel. So Turning pickups on and off in the "parallel" direction is pretty much what it was before. But now I can flip into "series" mode and it puts any number of pickups into series. You can for example if you flip all 3 into series then all 3 pickups are in series (and are considerable louder than 3 in parallel!) If you flip one of those into parallel it gives you two in series plus the third in parallel and so on for any combinations. These are all Bart soapbars. I posted the diagram in pickups and electronics a while back. I presume the Barts are humbuckers but the coils are as they came from the factory and not split. So each switch is for a relation to OTHER pickups not for the coils in each one.

I did not think that out of phase wiring was anything I'd want. So those options are not available.

If you had MM pickups (I've got some plans here!) You could add a second switch to each pickup like on a G&L L-2000 where you can put the COILS in series/parallel/ single coil! Now that would be some MAJOR mojo in pickup switching! Why we could ALMOST call it a "gamechanger"!

I know what you are going to say: "Well, where is that diagram?"
One moment please: <giant search ensues on the OTHER computer sitting here...>

Try this: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

If you want to become "proficient" at this type of modding, figuring this out should help you do it! This is really pretty advanced stuff!

Good Luck!

 

[R. Laevinus]

I'm on the fence with this one.
A lot of Strat players like to add a switch to connect the neck and bridge pickups in parallel so you can have all 7 combos of the three pickups.

This is what I've done on my Strat.

(I also added a switch to tap the bridge and neck full-size humbuckers, and individual stacked vol/tones are in the mail.)