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Help wiring passive PJ pickups?

Discussion in 'Pickups & Electronics [BG]' started by Rockin Mike, Dec 26, 2014.

  1. Dec 26, 2014 #1
    Rockin Mike

    Rockin Mike

    May 27, 2011
    I have a Fender 4-string (1994 Cowpoke) that I am getting ready to sell. I find I just need that 5th string with all the on-the-fly transposing we do. It has an old EMG PJ set with no preamp that I would like to keep, and I have a passive PJ set from a Squier Affinity that I would like to install. There are 2 holes in the top for pots, I would prefer not to drill any more.

    The Squier P pup halves are connected together by a white wire. There is a black wire coming off one half, and a white wire coming off the other half. Does it matter which one is used for the E&A and which for the D&G?
    The Squier J pup has a black wire and a white wire coming off it.

    What is the best way to wire the Squier PJs to get a nice tone?
    I'm thinking VV (stacked) and Tone. Is this a bad idea?
    What values for the pots/caps/resistors/etc?
    Anything I haven't thought of that I should think of?

    Thanks for your help!
     
  2. Dec 26, 2014 #2
    divetone

    divetone

    Jun 25, 2012
    I used a stacked pot in my PJ in the tone knob position hole. I wired it VVT with the single P vol for the P pup and the upper knob of the stacked pot for the J pup vol and the lower knob for master tone. You can get a CTS stacked pot with 250k/250k pot values or a '61 Jazz Bass stacked with a 250k/500k pot configuration.( I have the 250k/500k and use the 500k for the tone control) I see no reason you couldn't use the stacked 250k/250k for VV and the single 250k (or 500k ) for tone. Basspartsresource.com is a good source for pots, knobs etc I used the " standard PJ " wiring diagram from Seymour Duncan to guide me through the setup. It shows three separate pots instead of a stacked pot but I wired them as if they were separate. The stacked pots are grounded to each other by design so just eliminate the ground wire between the two that you see in the SD diagram. Good luck!
     
  3. Dec 26, 2014 #3
    Rockin Mike

    Rockin Mike

    May 27, 2011
    Is there a reason to prefer the V + VT configuration you used versus the VV + T I was thinking of?
    Is that the way most people would do it?
    This is going to be for sale so I want to do it as standard and "right" as possible.
     
  4. Dec 26, 2014 #4
    divetone

    divetone

    Jun 25, 2012
    Well, I'm not a PJ expert but volume, volume/tone seems intuitive to me. I mainly use just the P pup so the single vol knob in the traditional position seems to me the most practical.
     
  5. Dec 28, 2014 #5
    Rockin Mike

    Rockin Mike

    May 27, 2011
    The concentric pot has to mount in a rear-routed cavity where the top wood thickness is about 6 mm. The non-concentric pot that's in there now has a threaded portion 10mm long and it fits with only 2mm to spare.

    Does anybody know where to find a concentric 250k/500k linear audio taper pot with a 10mm (about 3/8") or longer threaded collar?

    For some reason nobody seems to make "long shaft" concentric pots. I wonder why?