I want to test bass guitar electronics

[Dave Grace]

Hi,
I'm new here, and hope to find some new Bass friends.

My problem at the minute is that I picked up an abandoned P bass in a roadside throwout. It needs some love and attention, which it is getting, but its electronics are not good, and I am trying to get them working again. The electrics consist of a volume and tone pot. It is no more complicated than that.

I thought I had them right, but the last time I plugged it into an amp, I got feedback and sounds which I am sure were straight from the seventh level of hell -hmmm, might be useful in some contexts, but I'd like to control the sounds!

Anyway I don't want to harm either my ears or my amps as I remedy this, and I was thinking of building a very simple amp which might use light rather than sound to show if there are faults in the electrical circuit.

What do others out there do to test circuits?

 

[Chris Laarman]

1) Saving a bass (or whatever musical instrument) sounds good to me!

2) For testing circuits, I'd switch from "musician" to "electric engineer" and grab a multimeter. So you do have sound, but the impedance (similar to "resistance") seems wrong.
Others here are likely to be more experienced than me, so be patient (remember time zones).

3) Ultimately, you could replace the electronics: spares and alternatives are available.

4) As always, there may well be videos on YouTube regarding "modding" an instrument, even a P-bass in particular.

 

[abarson]

Welcome to TB!

Although there are continuity testers that use light indicators, they really aren’t useful for working on electronics. It should also be clear that you don’t work on the electronics with the bass plugged in.

I would start with getting a multimeter and learning how to use it. Even an inexpensive one is fine. Most important to learn is continuity and resistance.

Next you need a wiring diagram for your circuit, something like
P-Bass Style Wiring Diagram
Take the time to learn what each component in this circuit does and how to measure it.

You will also need a soldering iron to replace any defective parts.

You could also get the cheapest working little amp possible and just use it for bench testing.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Hi,
I'm new here, and hope to find some new Bass friends.

My problem at the minute is that I picked up an abandoned P bass in a roadside throwout. It needs some love and attention, which it is getting, but its electronics are not good, and I am trying to get them working again. The electrics consist of a volume and tone pot. It is no more complicated than that.

I thought I had them right, but the last time I plugged it into an amp, I got feedback and sounds which I am sure were straight from the seventh level of hell -hmmm, might be useful in some contexts, but I'd like to control the sounds!

Anyway I don't want to harm either my ears or my amps as I remedy this, and I was thinking of building a very simple amp which might use light rather than sound to show if there are faults in the electrical circuit.

What do others out there do to test circuits?

Welcome to TalkBass! And we love pictures here!

 

[Killing Floor]

Good news is there isn’t much to test. And you can bypass any of the pots as you go.