I need Bartolini Preamp and pick-up “wiring For Dummies”

[MrArose13]

OK guys here’s the situation and please excuse me if my terminology is wrong.

I’ve got a Bart 3.4 Pre (prewired harness), a Bart XXP26C-B neck pick-up, a Bart XXP26M-T bridge pick-up and I’m not sure how to wire the PUs’ to the Pre. There are no switches or anything; I just want to solder the PUs and Pre together. I’ve looked all over TB and general internet searches, and can’t find anything that makes sense to me. It looks to me that I should only be soldering 1 wire to the number two lug of the stacked volume pot (neck on top, bridge on bottom) but that seems too easy, not to mention the neck PU has 5 wires. I admit, (and have admitted before) electronics are my weakest area and this is my first active setup. If I am correct, conformation before soldering will be nice, if I’m not (which I expect) all assistance will be appreciated.

Two side questions of less importance:

1) is a bridge ground necessary with this active circuit (or any active setup)?

2) I plan on putting wood covers on these pick-ups, are there any tricks or suggestions on how to go about doing this (or is it just like any other pick-up)?

 

[mmbongo]

Can't help you with the covers, but yes you need a bridge ground.

Wiring your pickups to the preamp is simple like you said...solder the hot to the lug of the blend pot, and solder the ground. However, you also have to wire the pickups themselves, and here are the diagrams for that:

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I would strongly suggest series/parallel/single coils switches for each pickup, but if you don't want to do that you'll have to choose either series or parallel wiring. Series is fatter sounding with higher output. Parallel is brighter with lower output, sounds more like single coil. It's personal preference, but my Barts stay in parallel or single coil mode. Series is just too much...for me.

 

[Musiclogic]

Andrew, as for the covers, I always remove the raised logo and usually about 1/16" off the top. If the logo is the impressed version, only remove the top until the logo is gone. Square up the case, as Barts are rarely square, then inset into the cover and you're good to go.

 

[MrArose13]

Can't help you with the covers, but yes you need a bridge ground.

Wiring your pickups to the preamp is simple like you said...solder the hot to the lug of the blend pot, and solder the ground. However, you also have to wire the pickups themselves, and here are the diagrams for that:

Invalid Link Removed

I would strongly suggest series/parallel/single coils switches for each pickup, but if you don't want to do that you'll have to choose either series or parallel wiring. Series is fatter sounding with higher output. Parallel is brighter with lower output, sounds more like single coil. It's personal preference, but my Barts stay in parallel or single coil mode. Series is just too much...for me.

one of the confusing things, there is no blend pot V/V stack, mid/fer push pull, B/T stack. I'll talk with my client about the switch, it would make since to have one/two.

Andrew, as for the covers, I always remove the raised logo and usually about 1/16" off the top. If the logo is the impressed version, only remove the top until the logo is gone. Square up the case, as Barts are rarely square, then inset into the cover and you're good to go.

thanks JC, sanding the pick-ups is a scary thought, but it's probably best.

 

[MrArose13]

I think I got this; it’s not as different from a passive circuit as I thought, but just to confirm.

Neck PU (5 wires, quad coil) wired in series, red and white soldered together, green and ground soldered together, black soldered to the top #2 lug of volume stack pot. (Maybe throw in a DPTT switch, bass coil/neck coil. Customers’ choice)

I thought all the quad coils had a P and reverse P on a switch option? So witch Barts do have this option?

Bridge PU (2 wire, split coil) solder braided wire to ground and shielded wire to the bottom #2 lug of volume stack pot. (no switch option?)

Again, I thought I had series/parallel on a switch option on a split coil/this split coil.
I’m guessing or learning that split coil is not the same as a duel coil hummbucking, correct?

Despite the disappointments for me and the options I thought, (let’s say we) had, my customer didn't ask for or want switches. So as for wiring it up as is (no switches) does this sound right?

 

[Musiclogic]

Andrew, sanding the tops and sides is not as scary as you might imagine. Most pickup companies have between 1/16" and 1/8" cast or cover around the actual pickup, so if you are like me and make up a jig to run the pickups through your sander or to use your router, you can remove small layers at a time, when you discover the copper tape, you have gone far enough.....it's all about baby steps. I use my drum sander almost exclusively for tops now as I can remove micro thin layers....see my 8 string build with the 3 single coils for reference

 

[MrArose13]

got it. Thanks again JC. any thoughts on the rest of my pick-up dilemma