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Dimarzio Model Js pot/wiring recommendations

HolyCityBassist

HolyCityBassist

Mar 11, 2015
9
7
36
Charleston
#1
Jbass pickup wiring help!

I have no experience wiring pickups at all but know how to solder. I’ve found tons of information online and here but i need some things cleared up (as all the useful threads I’ve found the images and links are dead) So... I have a Geddy Lee cij jbass with the stock wiring and 250k pots, I would like to swap them with some Dimarzio Model Js.

Everything I have read suggested 500k pots (since they are humbucking) and the pickups wired in series, and some suggested parallel. Some people recommended 2x 500k pots for the volume of each pickup (vvt configuration) and 250k for the tone.

So....if I wanted to have the option of series vs parallel would I need the following: 2x 500k push/pull pots, and 1x 250k for tone? Thanks for all the help.
 
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#5
HolyCityBassist said:
2 500k OHM pots for the tone
Click to expand...

Look at the wiring diagram, it has one treble cut pot.

500K Ohm (10% tolerance)
Link Removed

push/pull
Link Removed

I'd recommend linear taper for volume & audio taper for the treble cut. Here's the difference:

potentiometer_taper.png


DOH!
just noticed my first link has pots with 1K minimum purcahse
 
#6
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#8
Killed_by_Death said:
You don't need 500,000 pots :smug:
, but I would suggest 500K OHM pots.

You only need one push/pull for series/parallel:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JazzBass_2VppSP_1T.pdf

note that with this configuration you won't have individual volume controls in series, one volume for both in series
Click to expand...

Actually, if we’re going to be pedantic, let’s suggest 500 kOhm. The symbol for kilo is a lower case k. Upper case K is kelvin. That’s alright, I know you yanks don’t use the metric system ;)
 
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#14
That's a wiring diagram, not a schematic. This is a schematic:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


I should mention now that the first diagram I posted won't match DiMarzio's wire colors.
Here's a comparison:

color_codes-809x1024.jpg


edit: Oops, that comparison chart is for humbuckers & the S.D. drawing is for single-coils.
For DiMarzio humbuckers (Model J or Ultra-Jazz):
green replaces black
red replaces white
 
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#17
Having used Dimarzio Model J's in a CIJ Geddy in the past, I would recommend 500k ohm volume pots. I believe I left mine at 250k and always wondered if 500k pots would have opened up the sound a little more. There was nothing wrong with the way it sounded, just didn't quite have the high-end extension that I'm used to on that bass.

You can leave the standard tone control as-is, but I switched my cap out to a 0.1u for a little deeper rolloff when closed.

I've honestly changed stuff around so many times in that bass that I can't even remember what's in there now. I think the first volume is 500k push/pull for series/parallel, second volume is 250k, and tone is 250k with a 0.047u cap (with Nordstrand Big J Blades now).
 
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#18
I think part of the confusion is what you mean when you say "series/parallel wiring". Most of the time on a Jazz, that means putting the pickups in series or parallel *with each other*, since the standard Jazz pickup is single-coil. However, the Model Js are split-coil pickups, so each pickup can be wired with the coils in series or parallel. (That's what the bridge and neck "dual sound" switches in the diagram above are for.)

Which one is it that you are thinking about doing?
 
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#19
I just got a CIJ Geddy too and it just so happens to have the Dimarzio Model J's in it. I love this bass. I can't put it down. Its plays and sounds wonderful. I too have wondered about doing the series/parallel mod at some point. But man is it confusing to me! I have some kind of wiring harness I bought and installed in my VMJ and I like it well enough. But then I think maybe I should just leave well enough alone and leave the Geddy as is. Cause it's beastly.

Def watching this thread. Right up my alley atm.
 
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