Hello! I am currently working on a tri-pickup bass project, I have a Seymour Duncan ricky pickup sandwiched by two guild bi-sonics (guild - neck, SD ricky - middle, guild - bridge). I plan on wiring it with a volume & tone for each pickup, 3 individual on/off switches for each pickup and a master volume (500k pots all around). I figured i could wire each pickup like a p-bass then send it through the switches and have everything meet at the master volume, would it work like that? Can i do it entirely passively?
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Custom Triple Pickup Wiring Questions
- Thread starter Nate D14
- Start date
- Apr 18, 2008
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Cool bass, and cool pickups!
But way too many knobs and switches.
All that passive circuitry is going to load down your pickups, dulling their tone. And your separate tones will all become master tones, affecting all pickups when they’re at equal volumes. And it’s going to be a pain in the butt to wire.
I love three-pickup basses, but I use a Freeway Switch and a single master volume to keep things simple.
But way too many knobs and switches.
All that passive circuitry is going to load down your pickups, dulling their tone. And your separate tones will all become master tones, affecting all pickups when they’re at equal volumes. And it’s going to be a pain in the butt to wire.
I love three-pickup basses, but I use a Freeway Switch and a single master volume to keep things simple.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,011
- 1
- 31,719
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You can. It’s still a lot of loading with all of those volume pots. You can certainly try it out and see.
How about an on/off switch for each pickup, and one master tone and master volume?
For me personally, I would treat the middle and bridge as a single twin pickup. So i would have a 3 way switch to select the "bridge mode" where it would be middle, both, or bridge. Result of that would go to a blend pot where that is balanced with the neck pickup, and then the result of that would be also connected to a master tone pot. I or the same can be wired as dual volume and a master tone.
I apologize for being stubborn here, but couldnt i wire it like a guild bass with an extra pickup? The guild starfires used a volume and tone on each pickup before going to a three way switch and a master volume. I would simply replace the three way with the individual on/off switches
Not sure why you ask the forum if you can wire something certain way. Of course you can wire however you want. If you questioning the functionality, draw up a schematic and post here. Someone will take a look and let you know. If I understand what you are suggesting right, I do not see why that would be a non-functional wiring.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,011
- 1
- 31,719
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,011
- 1
- 31,719
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
You’re switching ground on and off, and leaving the hots permanently connected. That’s a recipe for lots of extra noise.
Instead, switch the hots between being connected to the master volume, and being connected to ground.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,011
- 1
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Yep!
And remember, when you have multiple pickups turned on, their tone controls become master tone controls.
And remember, when you have multiple pickups turned on, their tone controls become master tone controls.
