Bartolini soaps wired series/single/parallel?

[fourstringbliss]

My bass came with USA Bart's which are hardwired in series. There is one conductor where the braided shield around the hot wire is twisted and used as the ground wire. On the back of the pickup is a short wire connecting two solder points. I'm assuming this wire is what connects the coils in series.

Can I wire these pickups with a series/single/parallel switch using this wire on the back? I'll post a pic of the pickup back later.

 

[ex-tension]

My bass came with USA Bart's which are hardwired in series.

There are several different types of Bartolini pickups. 'USA Barts' doesn't give any clue.

On the back of the pickup is a short wire connecting two solder points. I'm assuming this wire is what connects the coils in series.

Without knowing the type of pickup we can't assume what that wire is. Sometimes it's the pickup shield connection.

Invalid Link Removed

Can I wire these pickups with a series/single/parallel switch using this wire on the back? I'll post a pic of the pickup back later.

Depending on the type of pickup you can or can't.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Here's a pic of the back of one of the pups.

These are custom pickups made by Bartolini for Ibanez Prestige line basses more than a decade ago - same as the second picture above. Unfortunately, they're a weird size. Longer and narrower than BC so I can't install different pups without getting the routes enlarged to P2 size.

Could I wire this with 4 conductors for series/single/parallel wiring?

 

[ex-tension]

Here's a pic of the back of one of the pups.

These are custom pickups made by Bartolini for Ibanez Prestige line basses more than a decade ago
...
Could I wire this with 4 conductors for series/single/parallel wiring?

OH! Custom pickups. I don't know these pickups. And Bartolini site doesn't have any info as far as I see. I think they are called RT4 pickups.

Looks like there are two coils but I don't know are they split-coil, dual (or quad) coil or stacked-coil. If they're not dual (or quad) there is no point in wiring them to switches.
(They might be dual-coil: Ibanez SR5000 Prestige Bass Team J Craft USA Bartolini Pickups, Wenge-Bubinga Neck Wenge)

You can test them by taping on both sides of the pickups under each string, with a screwdriver tip or hex wrench, while the bass is plugged in to an amp. If you hear loud clicks under each string on both sides of the pickups we can think about the switches.

 

[fourstringbliss]

OH! Custom pickups. I don't know these pickups. And Bartolini site doesn't have any info as far as I see. I think they are called RT4 pickups.

Looks like there are two coils but I don't know are they split-coil, dual (or quad) coil or stacked-coil. If they're not dual (or quad) there is no point in wiring them to switches.
(They might be dual-coil: Ibanez SR5000 Prestige Bass Team J Craft USA Bartolini Pickups, Wenge-Bubinga Neck Wenge)

You can test them by taping on both sides of the pickups under each string, with a screwdriver tip or hex wrench, while the bass is plugged in to an amp. If you hear loud clicks under each string on both sides of the pickups we can think about the switches.

Thanks! I'll do the tapping in a little while. Pretty sure they'redual coil, but I'm not sure. The Sweetwater page for this bass just lists them as custom.

 

[fourstringbliss]

I did the tap test and got sounds through my headphone amp when tapping on either side of the pickup, testing from end to end. Tap sounds all the way down on both sides where the strings are, so not split coil pups.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Also, I sent a support request on this to the good folks at Bartolini, but I'm not holding out a lot of hope that they're going to give me much help rewiring 12 year old custom pickups. We'll see.

If these were Nordstrand pups, though, I'd get an answer right quick.

 

[fourstringbliss]

ex-tension, check out another thread I have going about this. Another TB'er had me check some connections.

Rewiring series pickup to be 4-conductor?

 

[ex-tension]

I did the tap test and got sounds through my headphone amp when tapping on either side of the pickup, testing from end to end. Tap sounds all the way down on both sides where the strings are, so not split coil pups.

ex-tension, check out another thread I have going about this. Another TB'er had me check some connections.
Rewiring series pickup to be 4-conductor?

OK, I checked out the other thread, too. You're right, to be sure about the readings, you shoud have removed those blue and red bridges before measuring. But with these information, I guess the connections (with Bart color codes) are like this:

So, if you're going to try the switches you have to remove those bridges. And when you do, measure again. You should read 4.12 kohm resistance between BLACK & WHITE (C & D on your diagram), also 4.12 kohm resistance between GREEN & RED (A & B) and nothing between the shield (E) and the others.
If I'm right, use the Bart wiring/switching diagrams to connect your switches.
https://bartolini.net/wp-content/uploads/Docs/PickupWiring4Conductor.pdf

 

[4StringTheorist]

OK, I checked out the other thread, too. You're right, to be sure about the readings, you shoud have removed those blue and red bridges before measuring. But with these information, I gues the connections (with Bart color codes) are like this:
View attachment 3470009

So, if you're going to try the switches you have to remove those bridges. And when you do, measure again. You should read 4.12 Kohm resistance between BLACK & WHITE (C & D on your diagram), also 4.12 Kohm resistance between GREEN & RED (A & B) and nothing between the shield (E) and the others.
If I'm right, use the Bart wiring/switching diagrams to connect your switches.
https://bartolini.net/wp-content/uploads/Docs/PickupWiring4Conductor.pdf

If I had to guess, I'd say you've nailed the labeling here. I'm having fourstringbliss cut the red wire and check those contacts against the others just to be absolutely certain of which terminals meet which coils (and therefore which terminal is Bart red and which terminal is Bart white)

I'm pretty sure you nailed which one is green and which is shield too, but me being me, I'd check that too if I was full-on rewiring this pickup for a 4-conductor + separate shield wire.

 

[fourstringbliss]

With the bass connected to my headphone amp I tapped the full length of both pickup sides with a screwdriver and got sound where coil should be and no sound at the ends of the pickups. Would that make these dual-coil pickups?

 

[4StringTheorist]

With the bass connected to my headphone amp I tapped the full length of both pickup sides with a screwdriver and got sound where coil should be and no sound at the ends of the pickups. Would that make these dual-coil pickups?

Makes it pretty likely I'd say. The best test is from the other thread with a compass as posted by KilledByDeath. I'd say it's a strong certainty that these Barts are dual coil so that single coil mode will work out in addition to series and parallel.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Makes it pretty likely I'd say. The best test is from the other thread with a compass as posted by KilledByDeath. I'd say it's a strong certainty that these Barts are dual coil so that single coil mode will work out in addition to series and parallel.

I don't have a compass - I wonder if I can find one at the dollar store. So I would run the compass down the length of the pickup and see if it switches part way down? If it stays north or south the fullmlength then they're dual-coil - if it switches then it's split-coil?

Thanks for all of the help everyone!

 

[4StringTheorist]

I don't have a compass - I wonder if I can find one at the dollar store. So I would run the compass down the length of the pickup and see if it switches part way down? If it stays north or south the fullmlength then they're dual-coil - if it switches then it's split-coil?

Thanks for all of the help everyone!

dual coils will indicate N all along one side of the pickup, and S all along the other side.
Split coils, both sides will be half-N and half-S.

 

[AndyPanda]

My best guess is this is the layout and you can verify just by having both coils on (whether series or parallel) and listen to the bass to see if it is in or out of phase and reverse one coil if it sounds out of phase.

In my experience (50+ years) it takes less time to just wire it up and listen and then reverse the wires and listen again than trying to measure the magnetic field etc. In or Out of phase is obvious to the ear when you compare the two by listening.

 

[fourstringbliss]

dual coils will indicate N all along one side of the pickup, and S all along the other side.
Split coils, both sides will be half-N and half-S.

I don't have a compass but I took a black ceramic disc magnet and tested both sides of the pickup. One side of the magnet stayed stuck to a pickup side the whole length but wouldn't stick on the other side of the pickup. The magnet flipped around and stayed stuck the whole length of that side. Dual-coil, right?

What's my next testing step here?

 

[ex-tension]

With the bass connected to my headphone amp I tapped the full length of both pickup sides with a screwdriver and got sound where coil should be and no sound at the ends of the pickups. Would that make these dual-coil pickups?

Yes, that would make them dual-coil. There is no problem with the coil configuration. Sorry if I caused confusion by quoting two things at the same time.

I don't have a compass - I wonder if I can find one at the dollar store. So I would run the compass down the length of the pickup and see if it switches part way down? If it stays north or south the fullmlength then they're dual-coil - if it switches then it's split-coil?

dual coils will indicate N all along one side of the pickup, and S all along the other side.
Split coils, both sides will be half-N and half-S.

Tapping test was good so, no need for a compass.

Sometimes 'dual-coil sensing' pickups would house a quad-coil (2 split-coils) configuration as well. Then the compas would still switch at the middle (at both side of the pickup).

 

[fourstringbliss]

Yes, that would make them dual-coil. There is no problem with the coil configuration. Sorry if I caused confusion by quoting two things at the same time.



Tapping test was good so, no need for a compass.

Sometimes 'dual-coil sensing' pickups would house a quad-coil (2 split-coils) configuration as well. Then the compas would still switch at the middle (at both side of the pickup).

Thanks! What should I do next to test which connection is which to know how to wire this as 4-conductor?

 

[AndyPanda]

I'd also guess this is what the structure looks like inside looking from the end:

 

[ex-tension]

Thanks! What should I do next to test which connection is which to know how to wire this as 4-conductor?

So, if you're going to try the switches you have to remove those bridges. And when you do, measure again. You should read 4.12 kohm resistance between BLACK & WHITE (C & D on your diagram), also 4.12 kohm resistance between GREEN & RED (A & B) and nothing between the shield (E) and the others.
If I'm right, use the Bart wiring/switching diagrams to connect your switches.
https://bartolini.net/wp-content/uploads/Docs/PickupWiring4Conductor.pdf

And, I'm quoting your post from the other thread:

To disconnect the red wire should I cut in the middle or unsolder at one end? What are the wires soldered to anyway - pins? I usually like to leave things soldered, cut and then solder more wire to add length.

Wires should be soldered to the pins sticking out from the pickup. I recommend carefully unsolder the wires. Then solder new wires on the pins to connect them on the switches.