Fender Blacktop Club

[hillerup]

Thanks!
It was a lot of work, and at one point I almost turned it over to my local luthier. I even drove over to his shop, but he was still out from New Years. So, I took it as a sign that I should bite the bullet, and finish the work myself.
I'm glad I did, but I can't help but feeling it's darker than it was. It might just be that I got too accustomed to the Rickenbacker, which is obviously much brighter.
It is so much quieter now though. It was very noisy before I did all that shielding & reconfiguring the wiring scheme.
I was also reading, just today, that grounding the pole pieces will take some of the highs away. DOH!

I guess that explains why you feel it's darker sounding than it was...

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I grounded the pole pieces, because when you touched them, it would buzz.
Yesterday, I went through and touched each pole piece, and they were all fine but one. The top pole piece on the bridge pickup has buzz, but only at high volume.
I think maybe the copper tape isn't making a good connection on that piece.
I dread the thought of taking it all apart again, which would be necessary to get under that pickup.

I also consider doing a little experiment to see if the grounding of the pole pieces is making it dark, or the capacitor/potentiometer in the tone circuit.
I might as well, while I've got it open.

 

[Wallygator]

Hey everyone, Ok So I have had the Blacktop Jazz for going on two years. I love the tone but I have had it with the volume controls that act more like kill switches. Been reading through the club posts here. From what I have read, switching the volume and tone pots to 250K and something about changing the capacitor (??) will make the volume controls actually work? Also would this modification change the tone to any degree. Love the tone just hate not being able to tweak the volume easily on stage. Suggestions welcome

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Use 500k Ohm pots, but get LINEAR taper ones, just for the two volume pots though. Leave the tone pot as it is.

 

[slugger]

Just 'swingin through' to see any new basses/members added to the club. Still got my 2(member #69). The '66 lookin one still has the '59RI with the willpower bridge PU with dual tone/dual volume. ....Thinking of swapping a '62RI in the neck.
The all black one has custom satin hardware, Black inlay dots(not quite finished in picture), black 'anodized' plastic PG, Lindy Fralin PU in the neck (low output), stock bridge PU (both with solid pickup covers). And DR blacks strung up.

Other basses in picture:
'12 Fender select P bass with gold anodized PG and tonestyler 8 way switch.
Fender frankenbass- Dirnt body sanded and resprayed as a black burst, original '72 mudbucker, antiquity split, all parts neck.

CHEERS!

 

[MBauer]

New member and new owner here...it's my first bass (I've played guitar in fits and starts for years, and I've been playing drums and percussion with some local folks over the last few years). I traded some camera gear for it and I'm the third owner. It's pretty much in mint condition.

Re strung with flats...running it through an Ampeg pf350 and a pf-115LF cab. I think it needs a bit of a setup, as the action seems high to me. I'm going to re wire to V/B/T with a vintage jazz rewire kit.

I guess this is where I ask for a number?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

If you're concerned about output levels, a V/B/T is going to take away some of your output, unless you go with an ungrounded M/N taper potentiometer for balance.

 

[MBauer]

Thanks - I was actually just reading up on that. One question I have, though - most of the schematics I've seen show the Blend pot with six lugs...the kit I am looking at (that was referenced at the start of this thread) seems to show all the pots with only three lugs. Unless this is a mistake in the photo, I am guessing the blend requires the six lug configuration?

Maybe I missed it in the previous posts - does anyone have the schematic of this w/o the ground on the blend?

If you're concerned about output levels, a V/B/T is going to take away some of your output, unless you go with an ungrounded M/N taper potentiometer for balance.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Here is a drawing of a blend pot that's ungrounded:

Ignore the switch that's between the pickups & the blend pot.

I'm not sure how a 3 lug pot could blend, especially w/o unnecessary loading of the circuit & decreased output.

 

[MBauer]

Awesome - thanks

To ignore the switch, you would just "connect" each row horizontally or vertically? I am assuming vertically - but it looks like the Blend would still be connected to ground...correct?

You're right on the pot - I think the kit I was looking at was for the models that didn't have a blend - I think I can just order the vintage PBass wiring kit and then add the blend pot to it

Here is a drawing of a blend pot that's ungrounded:

View attachment 807832
Ignore the switch that's between the pickups & the blend pot.

I'm not sure how a 3 lug pot could blend, especially w/o unnecessary loading of the circuit & decreased output.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I'm pretty sure to have no extra load (decreased output) on the circuit, you would need to use an ungrounded M/N taper pot. There might already be a thread in the Electronics - Pickups sub-forum about it, or you can start one.
I just kept mine V/V/T, because I couldn't get my head around how to wire it up in series & do an ungrounded blend.

 

[MBauer]

Gotcha. Upon some googling, I came across this - it's one of the clearer diagrams I've seen

http://www.bestbassgear.com/wiring-diagrams/volume-blend-tone.pdf

I'm pretty sure to have no extra load (decreased output) on the circuit, you would need to use an ungrounded M/N taper pot. There might already be a thread in the Electronics - Pickups sub-forum about it, or you can start one.
I just kept mine V/V/T, because I couldn't get my head around how to wire it up in series & do an ungrounded blend.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I wouldn't wire it that way, because in the center position, there is resistance between the output of the pickups & the volume control.

 

[MBauer]

I guess I need to compare it to others out there to see the differences and see what you mean

I wouldn't wire it that way, because in the center position, there is resistance between the output of the pickup & the volume control.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Most are going to be wired the old-fashioned or standard way, which unnecessarily loads the circuit, decreasing output.
V/V/T would eliminate that problem, or you can try using a M/N taper balance that won't load the circuit.

Here is a discussion about just such a thing:

Ungrounded M/N Blend and Pot Values

 

[MBauer]

Cool - thanks - this discussion takes it a little further - this is what I am after:

Ultimate No-load Ungrounded Blend Pot (Pics!)

I think I just need a better understanding of the different diagrams to understand how the loading is different between them.

Most are going to be wired the old-fashioned or standard way, which unnecessarily loads the circuit, decreasing output.
V/V/T would eliminate that problem, or you can try using a M/N taper balance that won't load the circuit.

Here is a discussion about just such a thing:

Ungrounded M/N Blend and Pot Values

 

[ET777]

Hey everyone. Regrettably, I am going to have to drop out of the Blacktop club and am selling my Blacktop Precision. Its pretty much mint. I cant list it here but will put it up on Reverb . com tomorrow at a super low price. Its pretty much mint if anyone is interested.

 

[stelles75]

Hey, y'all!

My blacktop P cannot stay in tune well enough and it's driving me crazy. I do not know the tuning peg size. I found a cheap set of Hipshot HB6C 1/2 (black). Will these fit? The description says:

"1/2" STRING POST FITS 5/8" HEADSTOCK HOLES."

 

[gfen]

Fender is pretty standardized, I would think if it fits one Fender it'll fit them all.

 

[stelles75]

I don't quite know what that is. Is what I posted about standard?