• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Help me wire this pickup

TimWilson

TimWilson

Aug 28, 2007
1,192
24
Southwest Virginia
www.myspace.com
#1
I'm trying to add a Jazz pup to my P. This J pup looks like a DiMarzio, but has no markings. What it DOES have is four leads: Yellow and brown at one end, Green and white at the other.

Ignore the wiring scheme I tried here (photo)... That's definitely not right.

I need to know what's hot and what's ground. What gets tied together, if anything? I'm not using any switches, just two simple volume pots.
 
#3
It is good that you are using simple V-V-T wiring. It is also good that the J pickup is humbucking so it will work better with the P pickup.

Unfortunately, without knowing the make or model of the J pickup, it is not possible to just "know" which lead is the hot, and therefore which leads tie the coils together, and which lead is the 4th to ground. Unless someone else on the forum or elsewhere knows the wiring code, you're on your own for getting not only the right polarity for the pickup itself, so the two coils will work together as a true humbucker, but then you have to match that, both electrically and magnetically, to the P pickup.

I know, I've been there with combining a RIC humbucker in the P position with a DiMarzio UltraJazz in the bridge position for my custom fanned fret bass. Fortunately, purchasing the DiMarzio new, I knew which wires were which, but I had to go through all four permutations of magnet and wire polarity and in which order to make it match both magnetic polarity and coil polarity with the RIC pickup.

Good luck!
 
#4
Start with a multimeter set to Ohms.
Measure the resistances across two wires at a time. You should end up with two pairs that have roughly the same resistance - let's say 8K, more or less, as an example.
Each of those pairs is one half of your humbucker - one coil. To find out how to wire the two coils, you have two options: You can use an analog multimeter (if you have one) or trial and error.
Multimeter: Hook up one coil to the meter, set to Ohms, then gently tap the magnets with a small screwdriver. Note which way the needle jumps. If it jumps towards the higher side, then your red meter lead is connected to the positive wire. If not, they're reversed. Repeat with the other coil and then connect the two coils in either series or parallel and you're off to the races.
Trial and error: If you don't have an analog meter with a needle, connect the two coils in parallel and play. Then reverse the two wires on ONE of the coils. Whichever way sounds louder is the one where the polarity of both coils is the same. Next, wire them up with the neck pickup, play and reverse the polarity of BOTH coils. Whichever is louder is in correct phase with the other pickup. Now you can choose to wire the bridge p'up either series or parallel as before.
 
#7
Put the pickups in the cavity just like it should be in the endd, but with all four cables accessible.

Then you get a signal cable and temporarily connect two of the wires to the jack. (Just hold one of the wires to the sleeve and one to the tip. It will probably buzz like hell, but that doesn't matter right now.)

Start by holding for instance the brown wire to the sleeve of the plug, and try each of of the other wires until you get a signal. (Remember to pluck a string on the bass between each try). You now have 3 possible combinations. Should be easy to figure out. When you get signal you have found the first pair of wires. The two other wires is now the other pair.

Then you need to figure out what's positive and what's negative. Twist one cable from each pair and connect to the sleeve of your signal cable. The other two wires go to the tip of the signal cable. You may want to tape the wires to the cable for this as you'll introduce lots of noise by touching the bare wires. Try playing a few notes. Then you change the polarity of only ONE of the two pairs. One combination will sound better than the other. Wire it up the way it sounds best.

The only thing left now is to get the J pickup in phase with the P pickup. Do this the same as the previous step, but now you have to connect the j pickup into the wiring harness of the bass.


This method is a bit of trial and error, but it probably won't take you much more than 10-15 minutes to do. :)


edit:

TimWilson said:
Is it possible that one wire isn't necessary at all?

I'm finding that yellow+ white works as hot with green alone as ground, and brown left hanging. Could that be right?
Click to expand...

Then the two coils probably aren't separate.

Try connecting brown and white/yellow to ground and the other of white/yellow to signal (hot).

The green is probably a coil tap. Don't connect that one to anything.


(White/yellow must be reversed if the J is out of phase with the P pickup.
 
#8
In the end, it was white + yellow = hot, green + brown = ground.

I still don't have the VV setup right, but the mistake is a good one: unless the J pup is turned up, nothing works. With the J pup on, the P pup control works ALSO, but that J control is acting as a master. Which is good, because I'll often use the J pup alone, or with SOME P pup. But I'll never use the P pup alone: not my sound.

So, now I have to stop playing with this cool new sound and clean up all this shite. I hate this part.
 
#9
Not so bad once you're used to it.

FWIW, it might not be a bad idea to pick up the cheapest Radio Shack multimeter they have. It'll come in handy. If not with this project, then with the next one!

Just find a Jazz bass diagram and connect the dots and you'll get that stuff cleaned up no problem.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back