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Blend pot issue

Seth DuSith

Seth DuSith

Jan 21, 2023
623
863
Canada
#1
Okay today I have just noticed that my blend pot is wired weirdly. When I have it on the bridge, only the neck pickup seems to work, in the middle, both seem to be on, and on the neck, only the neck seems to be on

I tested this by putting a metronome aop with the phone speaker against the pickup and it seems like it's wired weirdly this way.

The blend knob seems to have like 11 soldering points on it
 
#2
The yellow and red wires are pickup wires
 

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#6
Some of these basses on Ali look great at least on the picture. The wiring however is often pretty weird. From the photo you posted, it looks s nit clear how this is connected. If you can solder and have a multimeter, you can desolder the blend pot and metter the contacts, figure out what is what. Alternatively, you can get a new, regular blend pot with 6 connections and replace the one you have now.
To identify which pickup is on, you can simply tap on it with a screwdriver or some magnetic metal.
 
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#7
kgbeast said:
Some of these basses on Ali look great at least on the picture. The wiring however is often pretty weird. From the photo you posted, it looks s nit clear how this is connected. If you can solder and have a multimeter, you can desolder the blend pot and metter the contacts, figure out what is what. Alternatively, you can get a new, regular blend pot with 6 connections and replace the one you have now.
To identify which pickup is on, you can simply tap on it with a screwdriver or some magnetic metal.
Click to expand...
Thanks man that's a good idea with the screw driver . If it isn't working, I might purchase a new blend pot and if my bridge pickup is faulty, maybe a new bridge pickup.

On a side note, does anyone know how to wire a blend pot to go "bridge-bridge/neck(parallel)-bridge/neck(series)-neck"?
 
#9
Typically, a blend pot is (in basic essence) a stack of 2 pots, using 6 contacts.
This does appear to have 9 contacts, as well as 2 other spots.
That is odd!
But I do see an "M" and some numbers, so if it's an MN500k or something like that, it is supposed to be a blend pot.
(EDIT: unless this is a stacked vol/blend pot?)

Multimeter and some investigation of pickup leads may fix it. But a more traditional pot setup would be more of a guarantee.
 
Last edited:
#11
rojo412 said:
Typically, a blend pot is (in basic essence) a stack of 2 pots, using 6 contacts.
This does appear to have 9 contacts, as well as 2 other spots.
That is odd!
But I do see an "M" and some numbers, so if it's an MN500k or something like that, it is supposed to be a blend pot.
(EDIT: unless this is a stacked vol/blend pot?)

Multimeter and some investigation of pickup leads may fix it. But a more traditional pot setup would be more of a guarantee.
Click to expand...
Yea i might do just that. Get myself a regular blend pot and take this one out.
 
#12
If you do really want the rotary switch thing to happen, I've used that numerous times with great success.
Here's how you'd wire the pickups for that:

Rotary 4-way V1.jpg


This is a 3P4T rotary switch.

Selector-rotatorio-3P4T.jpg


Not hard to find, not terribly expensive. You have 4 positions in the switch and each does what it says it does. I've done this because a number of times, I've found that a blend (or even VV setup) basically just turns one pickup or the other on or off when you go away from center.
This defines the sounds absolutely and works quite well, if you don't crave blending (or don't believe in the efficacy of it).

Rotary switches are essentially like a sideways version of a blade switch, if you're familiar with guitar stuff.
They make them in numerous configurations.
On this particular application, I used a 3P4T (3 pole, 4 throw) because I couldn't locate a 2P4T switch.
"Poles" are the different common connections you can use on the switch, "Throws" are the different positions that the switch can be set in.
If you only need 2 POLES, you can use switches with more poles and only use the amount you need.

Hope this helps and doesn't cause too much confusion.
 
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#13
rojo412 said:
If you do really want the rotary switch thing to happen, I've used that numerous times with great success.
Here's how you'd wire the pickups for that:

View attachment 5398091

This is a 3P4T rotary switch.

Selector-rotatorio-3P4T.jpg


Not hard to find, not terribly expensive. You have 4 positions in the switch and each does what it says it does. I've done this because a number of times, I've found that a blend (or even VV setup) basically just turns one pickup or the other on or off when you go away from center.
This defines the sounds absolutely and works quite well, if you don't crave blending (or don't believe in the efficacy of it).

Rotary switches are essentially like a sideways version of a blade switch, if you're familiar with guitar stuff.
They make them in numerous configurations.
On this particular application, I used a 3P4T (3 pole, 4 throw) because I couldn't locate a 2P4T switch.
"Poles" are the different common connections you can use on the switch, "Throws" are the different positions that the switch can be set in.
If you only need 2 POLES, you can use switches with more poles and only use the amount you need.

Hope this helps and doesn't cause too much confusion.
Click to expand...
I wonder how the one I have is positioned? It seems to look a bit different. But truth be told I'm not attached to keeping it. It seems too difficult for me to know how to wire it haha
 
#15
What I see on the photo:
It looks like the pot is a MN250k pot, so not a switch, just a regular pot. It's mounted on a mini PCB.
Bottom 6 pins are pot pins.
Top 3 are pickup connections: pickup1-hot, GND (of both pickups), pickup2-hot.
The 2 on the side are signal output and GND.

The pickup cables (red & yellow) are shielded cables. Maybe some loose strands from the shield wires are touching the rivets on the pot or something else.
 
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#16
ex-tension said:
What I see on the photo:
It looks like the pot is a MN250k pot, so not a switch, just a regular pot. It's mounted on a mini PCB.
Bottom 6 pins are pot pins.
Top 3 are pickup connections: pickup1-hot, GND (of both pickups), pickup2-hot.
The 2 on the side are signal output and GND.

The pickup cables (red & yellow) are shielded cables. Maybe some loose strands from the shield wires are touching the rivets on the pot or something else.
Click to expand...
Thanks man, does it look wired correctly ? I'll try putting some tape to shield the wires from each other and see if it fixes it
 

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