Anyone Like Over-the-top Silly Wiring Schemes?

[J Posega]

Then I've got the project for you!

For the Luthier's Corner 2023 Build-Off, I'm putting together a Bass VI-style instrument.

The instrument has three humbuckers (never mind that 2 of them are technically quad-coil, they only have 4 wires, so treat them as regular dual-coil humbuckers).

Yes, there is a ton of redundancy and stupidity with this, but that's what this project has devolved into.

Yes, I made my diagram in Excel because I don't know how to reach real electronics schematics nor do I have a drawing program nor did I feel like learning one.

I think I managed to follow along and combine each of the various wiring mods, but if anyone cares to proof this, I'd be forever grateful.

To summarize the wiring scheme in text:

• 3x On/Off - 1 per pickup
• 3x Series/"Single"/Parallel - 1 per pickup (single meaning north or south coil, because it's not truly a single coil with the quad coils)
• 3x Phase - 1 per pickup
• 1x Series/Parallel - global control
• 1x Treble Cut (low pass) - global control
• 1x Bass Cut (high pass) - global control
• 1x Momentary Killswitch - global control (arcade button)

0 pots, 0 knobs, 13 switches.

 

[tindrum]

OMG

 

[cataract]

Amazing! I dig this

 

[sikamikanico]

OMG

agreed, OP needs to add the OMG switch!

 

[geshel]

On the one hand - this makes me think "just wire each pickup to a circuit board and you can control all this with software (still analog - using micro relays / switches)". On the other hand, having real tactile switches is super useful when playing.

Regardless - thumbs up!

Oh - to really cover all the bases (pun intended), don't you maybe want selectable North/South coil in "single"-coil mode?

 

[J Posega]

agreed, OP needs to add the OMG switch!

You put an idea in my head, but after googling it, I want fully humbucking mode in series. Maybe OMG mode on the neck pickup only?

On the one hand - this makes me think "just wire each pickup to a circuit board and you can control all this with software (still analog - using micro relays / switches)". On the other hand, having real tactile switches is super useful when playing.

Regardless - thumbs up!

Oh - to really cover all the bases (pun intended), don't you maybe want selectable North/South coil in "single"-coil mode?

I wanted to keep this to typical two or three position switches, otherwise I would have north/south selection. I’d love to learn more about electronics and schematics and eventually learn how to design PCBs. How much easier this would be to have a PCB that each bank of switches mounted to with only the wires between banks to worry about.

 

[Lo-E]

You put an idea in my head, but after googling it, I want fully humbucking mode in series. Maybe OMG mode on the neck pickup only?

You know that OMG mode can be made switchable, right? And I feel like this bass could probably use a few more switches.

Better yet, eliminate all the switches and, instead, install a full patch panel! You could have the world’s only bass that looks like a modular synth circa 1971!

 

[J Posega]

You know that OMG mode can be made switchable, right? And I feel like this bass could probably use a few more switches.

Better yet, eliminate all the switches and, instead, install a full patch panel! You could have the world’s only bass that looks like a modular synth circa 1971!

I’m at 13 switches now which was a coincidence and I’d like to keep it that way.

I did actually consider installing a patch bay rather than switches when I was first brainstorming this project.

 

[sikamikanico]

You put an idea in my head, but after googling it, I want fully humbucking mode in series. Maybe OMG mode on the neck pickup only?

yeah, would be quiet in OMG mode on the quads. Or, you can implement it between pickups. I tried it on a jazz type bass, where the neck pickup served as the bass boost for the bridge pickup, worked just as I hoped. I thought it would be cool on pickups located up to the Stingray position (or bridge pickup on a Rick). IMO/IME, its value decreases the more you go towards the neck, tho of course that may be exactly what someone else wanted…

 

[DDawg]

Awesome. I love over-the-top silly wiring schemes, and this is about as extreme as you can get. Personally, I would add individual volume pots for the pickups to offer even more flexibility.
I've done something similar on 3 pickup and 4 pickup basses, but rather than having a single global series-parallel switch, I divided the pickups to have 1 switch for series-parallel per pickup pair, and then another switch after to switch the pairs to series-parallel (or in the case of the 3 pickup bass, adding the third pickup). This way, you can run any pickup(s) in combination with any other pickup(s) in series or parallel, rather than having to combine all 3 pickups in either series or parallel modes. For example, on my 3 pickup bass, I often run the P and J pickups combined in series, then add the front mudbucker in parallel. I don't think you can do this with a single global series-parallel switch. But doing this would add another switch to your bass.
Here's an earlier thread that has some wiring options if you want to look further into wiring volume controls for series-parallel operation.
PJ Series / Parallel wiring.

 

[smeet]

Wait, you can’t choose which coil to use in single coil mode???

 

[DDawg]

Maybe wire out the leads for the split coils so you can use one coil in one pickup and another coil in a second pickup, and then another coil or two in the third pickup. I did this with the 2 split pickups on my Dingwall and it works great. I'll often run a single coil on the bass strings for a pure bass tone, and then 2 coils on the higher strings for the phasing interaction. Throw in some series-parallel switching for some more fun.
I'm losing count, but you're going to need another half-dozen or so switches.

 

[Lo-E]

I tried it on a jazz type bass, where the neck pickup served as the bass boost for the bridge pickup

That’s really quite clever.

 

[J Posega]

Wait, you can’t choose which coil to use in single coil mode???

I wanted to stick with toggle switches so I’ve decided to hardwire my “single” settings.

Lots of interesting ideas @DDawg, going to consider how I might introduce some of them. I’ve purposefully planned this as a knobless build since I tend to use volume and tone controls either on or off. And this isn’t meant to be practical. I have a really nice Bass VI that has normal controls for that