I've done it a few times. It depends how powerful the pickups are. With low output pups it works. With hot pups it sounds like a foghorn in a tin bathtub. My 5 string is so configured - using a dpdt switch (which can be a push-pull pot) it's a straightforward mod - and I did have an old jazz bass configured in the same way. My reason for doing it was so that I wouldn't have to take two basses to a gig. Just take the jazz and leave the P at home. However, I quickly discovered that J in series does NOT = P, and if you want a P sound you need a P. I guess I run the mod 5% of the time, or less, with most playing in parallel, because that's what a jazz bass sounds like.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Jazz bass wired in series
- Thread starter Beardsley
- Start date
The original Fender S1 wiring bypassed the neck volume control by re-routing the leads of both pickups to the neck volume control.
That is true, but the reason the tone changes is not resistance, but the increase in inductance in the circuit from the series wiring. The raise in inductance lowers the resonant frequency of the resultant series circuit, as well as the top end rolloff.
Any series/parallel switching is going to need to disable one volume. Did you even look at the wiring diagram?
It's permanent series wiring.
Yes, I looked at it. And dismissed it. You can have the second coil wired with a double pot to lower the output of one coil. Washburn did this about 20 years ago with what they called their VCC (for Voice Contour Control, or Variable Coil Cut) circuit, which essentially was a variable coil cut on a guitar humbucker. It worked fairly well, but was subtle. I had one, and I did perceive a little bit of added clarity when I rolled the VCC control down to about 7. I still have the control in my gig box, because to my ears it was not effective on the bridge pickup, so I rewired the guitar to remove the bridge pickup VCC and add a master tone control.
Last edited:
That makes ZERO sense, since it is a way to have independent volume controls in series.
It IS possible to have independent volume controls in series, contrary to what many on here believe.
It IS possible to have independent volume controls in series, contrary to what many on here believe.
Why I got my series wired J pickups hooked up directly to the output jack socket of the bass, bypassing any extra resistance and capacitance, since I am fine with just that one tone it gives me.
Others seems to still do fine with a more traditional wiring that includes going through a tone pot and a cap though.
You still get an increase in inductance from the coils being in series:
Link Removed
pickups are reluctors, not inductors. although they may measure some inductance. correct me if i am wrong1
My point was that bypassing the pot and cap, wiring the pickups directly to the output jack socket of the bass, counteracts the lowered resonant frequency and roll off from the pickups being in series to some extend.
Also frankly I couldn't care less about the technical measurements as long as it sounds great, and it does to me.
Are you saying that 2 series pickups can't have individual volume controls for each pickup?
I'm confused 'cause I posted two ways to do it. Danelectro has been doing it for decades and Killed_by_Death post another way that uses a shunting method to directly turn each pickup on, off, or anything in-between.
Or did I miss your point?...which happens more frequently these days LOL.
It certainly did with mine; the bridge pickup volume is defeated when it's in series mode.
If the OP wants independent volume controls & Series wiring, I posted WalterW's drawing for that configuration on the first page.
If you don't understand how it functions, please ask questions, but don't argue about it.
It works, I've used it in more than one bass guitar & you can basically have your cake & eat it too. If you want some highs that Series takes away, just turn down the volume on the neck pickup.
All the arguing & contrary stuff after that is just fodder to make some of us laugh & some of us shake our heads in disbelief.
If you don't understand how it functions, please ask questions, but don't argue about it.
It works, I've used it in more than one bass guitar & you can basically have your cake & eat it too. If you want some highs that Series takes away, just turn down the volume on the neck pickup.
All the arguing & contrary stuff after that is just fodder to make some of us laugh & some of us shake our heads in disbelief.
Sorry to kinda hijack this one but I'm a bit curious. I tried walterw's diagram killed by death posted and the results were... strange. As in, volumes went other way around, one pot killed both pickups etc. All after swapping wires around. In any case, I figured I must've had done something wrong and I found out one pot was fried anyway so, yeah.
Still, how could I have this diagram with independent volumes in series for the two J's, and another volume for the extra humbucker? With the two J's in series with independent volumes and in parallel with the extra humbucker. And what about the unused tabs on that diagram?
Still, how could I have this diagram with independent volumes in series for the two J's, and another volume for the extra humbucker? With the two J's in series with independent volumes and in parallel with the extra humbucker. And what about the unused tabs on that diagram?
This sounds like the pickup leads on one of the pickups got wired backwards, resulting in out of phase, which would make the tone thinner instead of fatter.
What I dismissed was the assertion that you automatically must sacrifice one of the volume controls on one of the pickups when the wiring is switched from stock parallel to series. The rest of my post is also an illustration that with the proper dual pot and wiring, you can effectively have a volume control on both pickups. Whether it is a guitar humbucker with the two coils right next to each other, or a Jazz Bass with the two coils separated in placement, the same wiring can work.
