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Basses with series/parallel switches

#41
Here are some pics of my Bacchus that has one. Sounds AMAZING! I've had sooo many soundmen approach me saying how it's one of the best sounding jazz basses that they have ever heard. They call it a "Turbo Switch". It's a push/pull tone knob. Only comes on the higher-end Bacchus basses (Woodline series, Craft series, Handmade series).

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#42
40Hz said:
Yeah, I found that out-of-phase setting only marginally useful too. I've often thought of rewiring it to be like yours because I could never see the point of why the neck couldn't be soloed. But I generally found that running in parallel and playing with the midrange setting let me dial-in everything I wanted so I never bothered. Seems a shame to mod it after all these years since it's all factory original...still...maybe...just maybe...:laugh:
Click to expand...

Parallel is a good sound. Very big and fat and also good for percussive sounds with some good high frequencies. Neck only, though, is much more focused and I find it fits in my music quite often.

Lucky me it was modded back then when there was no Internet and it was just a bass and all I cared about was getting better sound out of it, not whether it was original or what affect anything would have on the value.

For better and for worse, I've alway just done what I wanted with it. Besides, in this case, factory original was, IMO, a mistake: they left off the neck only setting. I know Gibson was trying to do something "different" so perhaps they wanted to make sure it couldn't sound like a P bass.

I really appreciate the Q-filter midrange, so much that I just added one to my SX P-bass. The bad news is that that has reduced my playing of the Ripper, which has seen a lot of use and needs new frets.

Otto
 
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#45
A few years ago I put a bill lawrence (wilde) p-46 in an old p-bass that was limping along in need a rewound pup. I didn't have the money to get it rewound, so I ordered one from them and it arrived with leads allowing for series and parallel wiring, so I figured what the heck, throw a switch in there and see how it sounds. The result was a game changer for me, and now I will do this quick mod on any p-bass I will ever play! Not really helpful for the OP, just wanted to throw in my two cents on the subject.
 
#47
Ffreddy said:
A few years ago I put a bill lawrence (wilde) p-46 in an old p-bass that was limping along in need a rewound pup. I didn't have the money to get it rewound, so I ordered one from them and it arrived with leads allowing for series and parallel wiring, so I figured what the heck, throw a switch in there and see how it sounds. The result was a game changer for me, and now I will do this quick mod on any p-bass I will ever play! Not really helpful for the OP, just wanted to throw in my two cents on the subject.
Click to expand...

Your 2 cents is always welcome! :)
 
#49
ofajen said:
Parallel is a good sound. Very big and fat and also good for percussive sounds with some good high frequencies. Neck only, though, is much more focused and I find it fits in my music quite often.

Lucky me it was modded back then when there was no Internet and it was just a bass and all I cared about was getting better sound out of it, not whether it was original or what affect anything would have on the value.

For better and for worse, I've alway just done what I wanted with it. Besides, in this case, factory original was, IMO, a mistake: they left off the neck only setting. I know Gibson was trying to do something "different" so perhaps they wanted to make sure it couldn't sound like a P bass.

I really appreciate the Q-filter midrange, so much that I just added one to my SX P-bass. The bad news is that that has reduced my playing of the Ripper, which has seen a lot of use and needs new frets.

Otto
Click to expand...

In my case it isn't so much the resale value as nostalgia. It's been my goto since 1974. I'll never sell it. The next person to get to own it is listed in my will and won't pay a penny. Once it's his, he can do what he wants with it. But he loves it just as much as I do so I'm guessing he'll feel the same wsy.

FWIW, I've never felt the need to do anything to it personally. But I generally buy an instrument because I liked it as is rather than acquiring a bass with the intent of having a platform I can mod off of. I'll do a bespoke build if I'm in the mood to experiment. But that's me.

Mine has it's original frets. They've only been lightly dressed once. Other than that, they've only had the occasional polishing and are still fine. So is the rest of it. But I play with a light touch and take very good care of musical instruments, so most basses I own are also in excellent shape. Since I prefer to buy new, I don't really have any excuse for them showing signs of damage. However they looked the day I got them is pretty much the way they look today.
 
#51
40Hz said:
FWIW, I've never felt the need to do anything to it personally. But I generally buy an instrument because I liked it as is rather than acquiring a bass with the intent of having a platform I can mod off of.
Click to expand...

I'm the same way. I've never bought a bass with the intention of doing mods. I got the Ripper already well used for a great price, which was why I could afford it. But it definitely needed wiring repair and I had no idea how to do it way back then. And up until recently, I had no idea that my wiring was different from stock. It just made sense to me that there would be a neck only setting. I did eventually start to wonder why there was no bridge only setting, and now I've rewired it so that it has one.

I guess it should be no surprise that the only mod I've done on my lowly SX P bass is to add a Q-filter midrange cut like the one I've grown accustomed to playing the Ripper all these years.

Otto
 
#54
Apart from the wonderful Gibson Basses mentioned, the early 90s Precision Plus (Boner Basses) are PJs that have series/ parallel and a three position pickup selector, coupled with Lace Sensors. Great basses and not expensive for what they are. Very versatile, if you like the Lace Sensors (which I do), but if you don't a swap out for your favourite PJ set would be an option.

I have done the series/ parallel mod to one of my Jazzes and like it much better, BTW.
 
#57
40Hz said:
What is the second switch for? You only need one for series/parallel.
Click to expand...

Two pickups - two switches.
One switch for each pickup.
e.g. neck pickup parallel & bridge pickup series or neck single coil & bridge parallel or neck series & bridge single coil etc., lots of options.

I had the same switches on my Modulus Q5 that I stupidly sold quite a few years ago. It also had two pickups and two switches.
 
#58
caligula said:
Two pickups - two switches.
One switch for each pickup.
e.g. neck pickup parallel & bridge pickup series or neck single coil & bridge parallel or neck series & bridge single coil etc., lots of options.

I had the same switches on my Modulus Q5 that I stupidly sold quite a few years ago. It also had two pickups and two switches.
Click to expand...

Per my prior post, this points out the difference between switching the coils within a given pickup from series to parallel, as opposed to running two separate pickups in series or parallel.
 
#60
Dingwalls have been mentioned.

My Z2 has the option of parallel/series both pickups individually via the little switches, and you can select (via the 4-way rotary switch) neck, both series, both parallel, and bridge. Tons of options without even touching the 3-band eq. I am firmly in the camp of "all series" - just love the grunt which does not result in loss of clarity or definition.

Using the same 4-way rotary in my first build and again find amazing variation in sound just by using the 4-way (again gravitating towards the series).

Regards,
Michael
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