• 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.

L2000 modded for Series/Parallel/SC Inside/SC Outside (Diagrams & Sound Samples)

Femto

Femto

Jul 5, 2003
430
10
Keighley, W.Yorkshire, England
www.wolf-359.com
#1
Hey there folks,

I've been doing some reading of the posts made by DavePlaysBass and Sunbeast and took it upon myself to modify my L2K Tribby to allow all 4 modes at once. Those modes being Series, Parallel, Inside Single Coils and Outside Single Coils. After quite a lot of getting-my-head-round-it, I've succeeded.

I've made a web page with sound samples that you can listen to just in case you're wondering if the mod is for you or not. It sure was for me. It's made this L2000 which is a versatile instrument, tone-wise as it comes from the factory into a very versatile one.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Thanks go to DavePlaysBass and Sunbeast for the inspiration.
all-hail.gif


Here's a photo of my L2K Tribute with the extra 3-way switch:
l2k_after_sc_mod.jpg
 
#6
Nicely done. I think your clips capture the essence of the mods well. You should get your page linked up top.

The one thing I will add is that if you add the bass boost caps things will not work as expected. This is because the series setting is not like the orignal Leo wiring. Which is fine if you do not use the bass boost caps.
 
#8
DavePlaysBass said:
Nicely done. I think your clips capture the essence of the mods well. You should get your page linked up top.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave. Glad you like the clips. The page is gonna be there permanently and if I move to a different webspace provider (which I have no plans to) the link will be maintained.
Also, it'd be an honour to have my post stickied. :smug:

DavePlaysBass said:
The one thing I will add is that if you add the bass boost caps things will not work as expected. This is because the series setting is not like the orignal Leo wiring. Which is fine if you do not use the bass boost caps.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I realised that the bass boost caps would affect the circuit in such a way that it would no longer function but in all honesty, I can't see anyone needing a bass boost on these instruments. I find my L2K Tribute to have an abundance of low-end anyway and I sometimes have to dial the lows down a bit - especially in Series mode.

The new single coil modes give, in my opinion anyway, a selection of very useable tones. Both pickups together, set to the outside coils seem very close in tone to a Jazz Bass, which I'm quite pleased with. As for the inside coils, the clarity of the tone in that setting is really quite impressive. Those inside coils have a tone all of their own.

I was worried at first that the way I've modified the circuit, i.e. intercepting the ground wires and selectively lifting either the outside or inside coils' grounds would produce a hum but as you will have heard in the clips, fortunately, there is none. Even when using headphones, the only noise is a slight hiss from my Roland amplifier's preamp.

By the way Dave, I've updated my page with your comments so thank you for that. I've also sent you an email with your document attached but I've converted it to a PDF file just in case some people don't have a program that opens Word docs. :)
 
#9
Femto, I think you're my new hero.

I'm going to see if i can figure out a way to do this with a push/pull pot. I modded to have SC inside as an option with the big switch, and have OMG mode (i.e. single coil with bass-boost, using the capacitors) available using a push/pull. However, I've found OMG mode to be a bit unwieldy...yes, I can simulate earthquakes with it, but it doesn't seem practical. So I want to see if I can reappropriate the push/pull for this purpose instead.
 
#11
millahh said:
Femto, I think you're my new hero.
Click to expand...

I agree totally. Really an inspiration, and nice to hear the clips so you can really get a sense of how worthwhile the mods are.

I'm going to see if i can figure out a way to do this with a push/pull pot. I modded to have SC inside as an option with the big switch, and have OMG mode (i.e. single coil with bass-boost, using the capacitors) available using a push/pull. However, I've found OMG mode to be a bit unwieldy...yes, I can simulate earthquakes with it, but it doesn't seem practical. So I want to see if I can reappropriate the push/pull for this purpose instead.
Click to expand...

That's close to what I want to do... I haven't done the mod yet, but this is how I mapped it out based on DavePlayBass's chart. Got some help from Sunbeast as well.

I am had to "connect" the wires to see how everything worked, so the ugly additions to DavePlayBass's nice diagram are mine...

3218c5657f477d1318f6bf3f164109cf0_large.jpg


This is DavePlayBass's SC-inside/parallel/series mod with bass boost on the Series and SC-inside settings. The DPDT switch adds SC-outside without bass boost.

I bought a 1 meg pot with a push-pull switch that I plan to put in the bass eq position. The idea is to leave it down (on-on) all the time except when I want single coil-outside without bass boost. To do that, I need to put the "big" switch in "parallel" mode, and put the push-pull into the "up" position.

The proveso is that the push-pull switch will only work in the parallel position, but I think I can live with that ;-)
 
#12
That will work. I have considered doing exactly with a 250K push pull on the volume pot. And if you want the series mode bass boost caps, this will not interfere with them.

But I have two kids and a job that make it hard to find practice time, let alone time to rewire.
 
#13
That sounds cool, fender3x. But where'd you find a w meg push/pull pot? I didn't even think such a thing existed...

My idea for outer coils is to use a push/pull to kill the inner coils. In parallel mode, when the switch is thrown, it'll leave just the outer coils. In the other modes, it will act as a kill switch. I wouldn't even need to remove my bass-boost mode to do this (the two options wouldn't interfere, and I have an extra p/p pot lying around).
 
#14
millahh said:
...where'd you find a w meg push/pull pot? I didn't even think such a thing existed...
Click to expand...

Link Removed

It's even solid shaft--the only push/pull pot I could find that was. The main reason for putting it on the bass pot, however, was that it seemed to require moving the least amount of stuff in that overstuffed control cavity.

DavePlaysBass said:
That will work. I have considered doing exactly with a 250K push pull on the volume pot. And if you want the series mode bass boost caps, this will not interfere with them.
Click to expand...

Nice to have that endorsement!

DavePlaysBass said:
But I have two kids and a job that make it hard to find practice time, let alone time to rewire.
Click to expand...

Me too. That's why I am still planning this, but haven't started. I have all the parts, been playing my backup bass while the back stays off my ASAT... just need to find the time to do it ;-)
 
#15
I'm very interested in doing this mod on my L2500 Tribute, but I've got some wiring questions. Hopefully someone here can help me with it.

Here are the wiring diagrams:

Series-Parallel.gif


SCSwitch.gif


It looks to me like the black neck pickup wire goes to pin 2 on the series/parallel switch and pin 11 on the single coil switch. Is this right? Should I attach it to pin 2 and run another wire from there to pin 11, attach it to pin 11 and run another wire from there to pin 2, or should I run separate wires from each pin and solder them to the end of the neck black wire?

The single coil switch diagram says that on the neck side I should connect the "green + bridge backplate wire" to pin 8. Would that be the neck green + bridge backplate wire or the bridge green + bridge backplate wire? I assume it's the neck green wire because that's the neck side of the switch, but I just want to be sure.

Thanks!
 
#18
fourstringbliss said:
Anybody?
Click to expand...

I am not an EE, but I think it will work. You are basically disconnecting the ground on the coil you don't want to hear from. What I am not sure about is the wisdom of disconnecting the ground plate. I wonder if it would be better to break the connection to the yellow when you don't want the neck-facing coil, than to break the ground. I have been reluctant to chime in, though, since I figure other's "get" this better than I do!

This has given me ideas, though...
 
#20
Here's another parts question:

DavePlaysBass specifies the CKN1139-ND switch ($17 from DigiKey) and Femto mentions 1M46T1B5M1QE ($4.65 from Newark). They are, for our purposes, equivalent, right?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back