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Help me wire my first project bass, please!

Lewis7789

Lewis7789

Sep 17, 2004
396
21
Akron, Ohio USA
Disclosures
Sales; ClearSonic Mfg.
#1
Hi guys. I'm building a Warmoth Jazz 5 string. I've got the body and neck and most of the electronics and I've been researching all my homework on how to wire it up. But it's really getting frustrating. Please help me out with a more direct answer... :hmm:

Set up;
Volume+Volume+Treble+Bass 4 knob set up with active/passive switch (Just like my Marcus Miller Jazz)

I just recieved my Nordstrand NJ5F pups and pots and I'm having a hard time figuring out the wiring diagram. I've got the wiring diagrams but I'm still a little confused.
1- Does the white wire from the pup connect to the middle terminal of the volume pots? Does the black wire from the pup connect to the ground (right side terminal or left side BLUE terminal?)
2- I have a capacitor coming for the active/passive switch, but do I need to order an "internal trim pot" as well? I don't need to adjust the passive tone. So would it be wired directly from the switch to the cap?

Here's the wiring diagrams;
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I'm pretty good with a soldering iron and read the great threads of tips and tricks. I wish i just had an easier to read diagram that tells me exactly what goes where. Thanks in advance for ANY help!
 
#2
1. White wires connect to middle lugs of the volume pots; black wires go to (black) ground.

2. The cap is for the tone pot they have included in the active/passive switching scheme. If you don't want a tone pot, then you don't want a cap either.

disclaimer: I've never worked with an Aguilar preamp before, so everything aforementioned is an educated guess.
 
#6
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't every component (pots, switches) need to be grounded? That diagram doesn't clearly show that.

I've never wired an active circuit, but I have wired several passive. On passive, everything needs to be grounded or the system won't work. Some manufacturers would even run a bare ground wire across the back of all of the pots, to the switch, etc.
 
#7
Busker said:
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't every component (pots, switches) need to be grounded? That diagram doesn't clearly show that.

I've never wired an active circuit, but I have wired several passive. On passive, everything needs to be grounded or the system won't work. Some manufacturers would even run a bare ground wire across the back of all of the pots, to the switch, etc.
Click to expand...

I popped open the control cavity on my MM Jazz and you are correct, all the pots and switch are grounded. Fender just soldered a ground wire to the back of the pot on each one. Is that the "correct" way to do it?

I've also checked out "grounding stars" and will do that as well.

What is a good soldering iron wattage for this application? I'll probably just buy a decent one seeing how they are inexpensive for a 40watt Weller from Home Depot. ($18) Is 40watts enough or should I find one higher?

What specific solder should I use for wiring?

ps- Fender's wiring in my Jazz is horendous! :rollno:
 
#9
Lewis7789 said:
Fender just soldered a ground wire to the back of the pot on each one. Is that the "correct" way to do it?

What specific solder should I use for wiring?

ps- Fender's wiring in my Jazz is horendous! :rollno:
Click to expand...

Yes, that is the typical way to wire the ground wire to the back of the pot.

60/40 rosin core solder

40 watt iron should do. I use 30-40 watt controlled soldering station/iron for most stuff and an 80 watt for the case of the pot but you can get a 40 watt iron to work if you add some solder while heating to get it to flow.
 
#10
Okay, I've been beating myself up all week tryin gto figure out how to wire this thing. Could someone PLEASE double check this schematic I made to make sure it's right? (Yellow is white for the pups)
preamp.gif


Here's the Aguilar one I went by...
support_wiring_obp1aguilar-.gif
 
#11
Whoops; forgot to add the white wire from the preamp to the treble middle lug.

I took apart my MM Jazz and am using that as a guide for the wiring. I just want to make sure I'm going to do this right. I've been researching for a week now here and am learning a TON! This site is packed with great info and helpful members.
 
#12
1:42am and three cans of Mountain Dew later, I think I've got it... This is just a mirror image of the Fender preamp and control cavity, which seems like it will work just fine??? Though the Fender pre has one more white wire going to the bottom terminal of the active/passive switch. I'm not sure what to do there... any ideas?

Forgive me for posting so much in here. I'm just really excited to have this bass almost complete! So close! :help:

preamp-2.jpg
 
#13
Hmm, you might want to reverse the pickup leads so they connect to lug 1, with the output on the wiper, but that part of what you have will work.

Not sure what you're doing with that cap on the output jack. You don't have a passive tone pot, so that cap doesn't seem to belong here.

If your cavity is not shielded, then the wire from pot to pot is good. If your cavity is shielded, then remove the wire on the pot casings.

Your active/passive switch is incorrect. What switch do you have? You would want a DPDT (two rows of three lugs each).
 
#14
Thank you SO much for your quick reply and help!

-So for the pups, you mean I connect both black wires from the pups to the left volume pot casing, then the black ground wire comes from the left wiper lug to the star ground? I'm sorry... :hmm:

-I wasn't sure about the cap either. Here's a Aguilar Preamp schematic.

aguilar_dia_5.gif


-I shielded the cavity with 5 coats of shielding paint, not copper tape.

-I have the two rows of three lugs each style active/passive switch. I forgot to add the other row.
 
#15
No, I mean connect the yellow wires from the pickups to the lugs that currently have the blue wire connected, and move the blue wire to the middle lugs.

The Aguilar diagram is not an active/passive switch - it just adds a passive tone control if you use a different switch to use the bass in passive mode.

When I have more time later tonight I'll put up a diagram of how to wire an active/passive switch.

Lewis7789 said:
Thank you SO much for your quick reply and help!

-So for the pups, you mean I connect both black wires from the pups to the left volume pot casing, then the black ground wire comes from the left wiper lug to the star ground? I'm sorry... :hmm:

-I wasn't sure about the cap either. Here's a Aguilar Preamp schematic.

aguilar_dia_5.gif


-I shielded the cavity with 5 coats of shielding paint, not copper tape.

-I have the two rows of three lugs each style active/passive switch. I forgot to add the other row.
Click to expand...
 
#16
Thanks again.

This thing is so bloody confusing. I got myself in too deep...

Here's Aguilar's Schematic;
support_wiring_obp1aguilar-.gif


And here's the schemtaic from Warmoth;
aguilar_dia_4.gif


They have the blue wires switched in the diagrams and you are saying the white (yellow in my diagram) wires go to the right lug on the volume pot? I'm so confused... :bawl:
 

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