Jazz bass wired in series

[UmamiBass]

Capacitors don’t add resistance. In the type of circuit a bass uses you can change the upper frequency characteristics by either decreasing capacitance or increasing resistance in the circuit. So lower value capacitors or higher value pots will brighten up the overall sound.

You're right of course! Capacitors add capacitance... that should have been clearly stated in the name

All I'm saying though, is that if one of the pickups needed to have a darker character, or seem as though they were at a different level, this may take care of it.

I used to have a stacked knob jazz bass, and I always thought that rolling the tone knob off on one of the pickups had more of the effect of one of the pickups sounding less prominent. It sounded less prominent in a different way that backing off the volume of the pickup, but still in the ballpark somewhat. I'm guessing obviously, but I was thinking that sticking a big capacitor in there may be like having a "character" switch.

Personally, I'd still advocate for a push pull pot, but I don't know the make, model, or dimensions of the control cavity.

 

[TonyP-]

Remember that a DiMarzio Model J pickup is a split-coil pickup: two coils in each pickup housing, one for the E-A strings, and one for the D-G strings. The pickup comes as a 4-conductor, so any number of wiring possibilities may be utilized. In "standard" wiring, with the coils on each pickup wired in series, each pickup is a ballsier version of a J pickup. Because of this, series/parallel wiring to both pickups is not necessary with a pair of Dimarzio Model J pickups.

I will admit that I have a couple of 4 string J basses with the Dimarzio Model J in them.

Those pickups have enough grunt in them (at least to me) and I personally leave those in parallel.


The only Alinco pickups I prefer in parallel is if you are using the Audere preamp with the Low Z mode. That thing THICK sounding preamp.

 

[john_g]

I have done this to all my Alinco pickup basses but 1.

I love the sound.

I had a Fender 60th Anniversary Jazz that had the S1 switch and I loved it. Read that alot of people hated it, but not me. I just got a G&L Jazz and would love to put in a push/pull S1 like switch.

 

[TonyP-]

I had a Fender 60th Anniversary Jazz that had the S1 switch and I loved it. Read that alot of people hated it, but not me. I just got a G&L Jazz and would love to put in a push/pull S1 like switch.

If you like that sound, then you can’t go wrong. I like bypassing the balance pot since I never use it.

I have a G&L JB-2 (that I need to put some guts in actually, all the electronics are gone) but I will wire that in series as well with a Nordstrand 2 band

 

[SacRush]

Ok fair enough...
Same song as a studio recording...
My I suggest headphones, ect...
I have several basses with Nordstrand Big Singles and they are all in series. The panpot is bypassed.

Holy Cr@p! Is that what bass solos are supposed to sound like. I gotta lotta work to do...

 

[TonyP-]

Holy Cr@p! Is that what bass solos are supposed to sound like. I gotta lotta work to do...

Hi @SacRush I take it that is good thing...I hope
I usually just a meat and potato’s kind of guy but I like to reach out on occasion.

 

[john_g]

If you like that sound, then you can’t go wrong. I like bypassing the balance pot since I never use it.

I have a G&L JB-2 (that I need to put some guts in actually, all the electronics are gone) but I will wire that in series as well with a Nordstrand 2 band

On my G&L's, a L2000 and L2500, I always ran it in series. To be honest, I didnt even know what it was for a while. I just flipped the switch and loved the sound. I think some people didnt like it on a Jazz because it was somewhere between a Jazz and P (thought the Jazz was trying to sound like a P and didnt quite get there). For me, it added a lot more "oomph". Anyone have a tutorial on how to set it up on a Jazz? Its not my forte.

 

[SacRush]

Hi @SacRush I take it that is good thing...I hope
I usually just a meat and potato’s kind of guy but I like to reach out on occasion.

Totally was meant to be a compliment. That sound is crazy! I clicked to check out your rig, but was disappointed not to hear more of a New England accent, tho.

 

[TonyP-]

Totally was meant to be a compliment. That sound is crazy! I clicked to check out your rig, but was disappointed not to hear more of a New England accent, tho.

Lol

Thanks @SacRush much appreciated.
Get me drinking and I’m throwing the Rs out the window like like no tomorrow... #truth

 

[TonyP-]

@SacRush
You might hear a little hear (I was bit tired and just flew in to LA)
Not quite a J Bass because of the pickup spacing (on this one anyways) but this video has a bass wired in series as well.

 

[Ric5]

I'm looking to wire my jazz bass in series to get a little more thickness and oomph out of my pickups. I'm guessing by wiring in series, the two pickups essentially become one, defeating on of the volume knobs (both knobs on full). Only problem is, i'm not a fan of the jazz tone with both pickups full open, i usually keep the bridge pickup about 50-75%. Is there anything that can be done to remedy this?

Try the 4 band Audere preamp or the John East j-retro and boost low mids that will give you the fat tone you want

 

[HolmeBass]

None of this fits with my experience at all, tbh. Series sound is still scooped like a Jazz bass, however with a much fatter low end and hotter output, And Still fully hum cancelling.

If this is what you experienced, the pickups weren't balanced or something else was amiss.
Paired Jazz pickups have one that is reverse-wound, reverse-polarity from the other & they should act as a humbucker, whether in parallel or series.
What definitely does get noisier in Series is a P/J.

Huh, that’s odd. I immediately restored mine to parallel wiring because it was so bad. It was louder, for sure, but really ungainly.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

A Jazz wired in series is a force to be reckoned with.

 

[HolmeBass]

Huh, that’s odd. I immediately restored mine to parallel wiring because it was so bad. It was louder, for sure, but really ungainly.

I have to wonder if what you’re saying is true, why aren’t they all wired in series? Why would you ever wire in parallel? Understand I believe you, even though my experience was different, but given what you guys are saying, why would anyone ever wire in parallel? What is the benefit?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Why did C.L. Fender use scrap tiles for inlays?
Maybe it was cheaper to wire them in parallel.

Why are guitar-players still calling a vibrato bridge a "tremolo"?
Fear of change is human nature.

 

[NKBassman]

I have to wonder if what you’re saying is true, why aren’t they all wired in series? Why would you ever wire in parallel? Understand I believe you, even though my experience was different, but given what you guys are saying, why would anyone ever wire in parallel? What is the benefit?

parallel wiring has better clarity, less mud, and overall a cleaner sound.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I have to wonder if what you’re saying is true, why aren’t they all wired in series? Why would you ever wire in parallel? Understand I believe you, even though my experience was different, but given what you guys are saying, why would anyone ever wire in parallel? What is the benefit?

parallel wiring has better clarity, less mud, and overall a cleaner sound.

Series wiring also destroys the twangy, sharp character of single coil pickups.

 

[NKBassman]

Series wiring also destroys the twangy, sharp character of single coil pickups.

Whatever floats your boat.

 

[2F/2F]

I'm looking to wire my jazz bass in series to get a little more thickness and oomph out of my pickups. I'm guessing by wiring in series, the two pickups essentially become one, defeating on of the volume knobs (both knobs on full). Only problem is, i'm not a fan of the jazz tone with both pickups full open, i usually keep the bridge pickup about 50-75%. Is there anything that can be done to remedy this?

The question doesn't make any sense. By wiring the pickup in series, you are by definition eliminating the standard Jazz Bass parallel settings.

What you really want to do if committing to series, is to do it with independent volumes. That way you can run the pickups in any series combination you like. 100 percent bridge plus a little neck (one of the best settings IMO). 100 percent neck plus a little bridge (also nice). 50/50 - same output as running a single pickup, but with an e.q. in between neck alone and bridge alone. 100/100 - high output humbucker. And so on and so forth.

What I would like to figure out is series with independent volumes AND a 3-way toggle switch. But series with independent volumes is right at the limit of my electronics understanding, so I can't quite wrap my head around how to throw a switch into the mix when the pots are being used as shunts rather than in the typical way.

 

[GreyBeard]

Get a push/pull pot and wire it so you can run it series or parallel. Thats what I do to my jazzes and PJ's.

I don't understand why more manufacture don't do this. Just make the pan pot push/pull series/parallel. How much could this add to the cost of production? And, this would add a whole nother tone to the bass.