Kent Armstrong strange HB's

[darthplagis]

ok going from the top pic, if you just use one side hot and the other side earth with the coils connected in the middle (i would use white for hot, black for negative and bare for the middle as its just a little gap also if you just bucker them use black for the earth lug too).

as for how to connect and pots you could wire up as a jazz (vol,vol,tone) or blend pot,vol,tone (awkward but doable) or vol,vol,tone,tone with switch.

if you 'really' wanna get fruity then you could put either little switches to tap the coils per pickup or even add a 3 way MM style so you can series/single/paralell each pickup hehe but that is getting WAY complicated.

 

[MAGUS®]

yeah, Vol Vol Tone, ...

or Vol Vol Tone Tone, though a friend mentioned that 2 tone controls didnt sound right on a bass of his, though he didnt say why.

Also, if using 2 vols 2 tones, why bother having a switch ? Surely the Vols do the work of Neck on, Bridge on, or both on, so increasing or decreasing the vol of each depending on the required blend ?

And the top photo already has the wiring in place ( ok, its a bit short ) but is that not enough ? The hot ( red ) and the bare ( ground )?

I was under the impression that 2 wires, not 3 as you say, would be all thats required.

 

[MAGUS®]

This bit may interest the technically minded

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[Aussiephoenix]

Hey guys.


I've got an Esh bass, loaded with Kent Armstrong 5 Str Jazz Pups, and (might be the preamp, its weird...) I really dont like the sound I get out of that bass...

I was wondering how you guy's would rate KA pickups in general.

A friend of mine has just replaced some with Barts and he was REALLY impressed... I wonder if its really worth the investment...

 

[MAGUS®]

Aussie , you'd be better off starting another new thread for more answers, rather than posting a thread within a thread

 

[luknfur]

This bit may interest the technically minded

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Interesting, a modularized cut and paste wiring diagram. That's different. First time I've seen something like that. Kind of cool.

Anybody that's done a fair amount of wiring can follow it. More an experience thing that technical knowledge. At least using myself as a benchmark. Technically I'm a stooge. I know how to connect parts but have no clue per se' about what goes on to make them work. Like knowing how to drive a car not build one - and that's all the knowledge bass you need to use that link.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Ebony wood cover look to them in the pic.

They are actually cast black epoxy. They have wood grain in them from the original wooden models made to make the molds.

 

[MAGUS®]

Interesting, a modularized cut and paste wiring diagram. That's different. First time I've seen something like that. Kind of cool.

Anybody that's done a fair amount of wiring can follow it. More an experience thing that technical knowledge. At least using myself as a benchmark. Technically I'm a stooge. I know how to connect parts but have no clue per se' about what goes on to make them work. Like knowing how to drive a car not build one - and that's all the knowledge bass you need to use that link.

Well the confusion on my part lies in that fact that none of the diagrams match mine - i have just 2 wires ( well only on 1 of the pickups ) ... 1 bare and 1 red. Maybe theres some missing

 

[luknfur]

They are actually cast black epoxy. They have wood grain in them from the original wooden models made to make the molds.

Well if they're half as convincing in person as pic a pretty respectable cop. I think I've seen it done before but been a while. I thought maybe they were brushed or something.

 

[luknfur]

Well the confusion on my part lies in that fact that none of the diagrams match mine - i have just 2 wires ( well only on 1 of the pickups ) ... 1 bare and 1 red. Maybe theres some missing

Those are like Barts with protruding terminals - sort of like the MMC with 6. It doesn't matter if you have any leads at all as long as you know what the terminals do - and Kent told you that.

If you want to access all the options beyond how it's currently hard-wired you're going to need to remove the jumper and solder individual leads to each terminal and run switching anyway. I'm guessing you should get DCR reading between the two existing leads and it's hard-wired humbucking.

 

[darthplagis]

as for the amount of wires as I mentioned before, if you're only doing volume volume tone the white is the hot (so that goes to one of the lugs on the volume pot, see wiring diagrams) and the black wires I suggested is (pickup) negative(from pickup lug) and general pickup earth(from bottom of magnet) so both would be connected to the ground cnnection (usually the top of the pots then to the sleeve of jack).

i have a les paul style bass with vol vol tone tone with a switch and they are VERY interactive and if i knock one vol off no signal goes out of either pickup with both selected, i am gonna re-wire it when i get the time (i saw an isolated vol tone vol tone diagrame on the web a while back)

 

[MAGUS®]

I must be missing something, but i posted a photo of the pickup..theres is no white wire, or black wire. Theres a red and bare in grey sleeve.

2 wires - thats it. Presumably the red is hot and the bare is ground. With the jumper left where it is, and using that existing 2 wire, then i'm guessing i've got the simplest ( which is what i want ) option. Both in series / HB mode. Wired to 2 vols and tone ala typical jazz.

I was contemplating the other options, but i'm getting a headache

 

[luknfur]

Theres a red and bare in grey sleeve.

2 wires - thats it. Presumably the red is hot and the bare is ground...

Concur (although technically you have four wires but the jumper's functioning as the other two). Think of it as the typical 4 lead HB with two short leads acting as your jumper tied together to join the two coils with the longer ground and hot leads run to pots (one from each coil). The coiltap terminals are being skipped as is.

 

[PilbaraBass]

See the photo:

This should help

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I have stuck to the KA wiring colours (coil #1 Red(+) Black(-), Coil #2 Green(+) White(-) )

 

[MAGUS®]

Thats a great pic pilbara, thanks !

I think we have lift off, so thanks to all you guys. I've made up my mind i will be keeping the 2 wire as it is, for simplicity sake, jumpers left as they are - series HB mode. Job done

The only trivial thing now would be to know the build year - but i can phone Aaron Armstrong abou that

Cheers !

 

[darthplagis]

yeah sorry magus i shoulda used the armstrong colours rather than the common ones my bad.

 

[PilbaraBass]

Thats a great pic pilbara, thanks !

I think we have lift off, so thanks to all you guys. I've made up my mind i will be keeping the 2 wire as it is, for simplicity sake, jumpers left as they are - series HB mode. Job done

The only trivial thing now would be to know the build year - but i can phone Aaron Armstrong abou that

Cheers !

you're welcome, Magus...Series is a great choice to start...

eventually, you should put in a series/parallel switch for each pup...that will give you a few more distinct tones...

 

[MAGUS®]

yeah sorry magus i shoulda used the armstrong colours rather than the common ones my bad.

No probs guy - your help was appreciated

 

[MAGUS®]

you're welcome, Magus...Series is a great choice to start...

eventually, you should put in a series/parallel switch for each pup...that will give you a few more distinct tones...

yeah maybe later Pil - but i'd have to wait till someone could do the wiring, which is a pain, but something to think about for the future

 

[MAGUS®]

Quickie...

To those interested, probably Pil, Darth, and Luk mainly, i had a phone call from Aaron Armstrong today re. the pickups. I've emailed him the photos at his request, and he's going to ponder over them and get back to me.

Sadly ( well not for him ) he's on holiday for a bit, so he'll get in touch after he gets back.

I'll keep yez posted