My First Bass Operation

[ColinGWood]

Hey guys, I have cut my Ibanez SR400qm open and ripped her electronics out. I was tired of the shoddy blend knob, the not too desirable (in my case) "style sweeper", and the stacked boost/cut knobs for treble and bass.

This is the first I time I've done anything more than slap a sticker on a bass or paint knobs. Hopefully some of you knowledgable TalkBassers will check in and give any advice you can to my no doubt upcoming questions.

Thanks in advance for your help! I will take pictures along the way

 

[ColinGWood]

To start things off I'll introduce the patient in this surgery, Naomi:

My first pickle is this:

I want to have a 3 way pickup selector, a master volume, and a master tone. However, the diagram on the still VERY helpful Seymour Duncan site ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) only shows a scematic for individual volumes on each pickup with a master tone.


EDIT EDIT EDIT

Okay, so I know how to get the 3 way selector in. It's a gibson style.

WHERE do I send the ground from the Selector? To the output jack's ground? To the top of the volume pot? Does it matter?

Should everything be grounded to the bridge wire?

HOW DOES GROUNDING WORK!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

any information on grounding relevant to this set up is GREATLY appreciated!

GROUNDING!

 

[tunylund]

Grrrrround!! Actually, I have a similar operation coming on my old Ibanez sr1015. The electronics have connection issues and the knobs are broken, so I'm looking for new electronics and possibly new pickups as well. And I have never done this operation either. So I would as well appreciate any tips anyone could give.

Edit.: Except that I'm going for active instead of passive...

 

[Rickett Customs]

Ground your 3way with the pot housings. Only if your bridge has a ground wire, which may not be (doesn't that one have active electronics?). Why not just do away with the blend and put the 3 way in it's place, that way you can still use the electronics?

 

[ColinGWood]

I don't want the electronics. Just want passive tone in this bass's body.

Right now I have just a 3 way selector and a volume pot. I need a capacitor to maek a tone pot later.

I am just getting started soldering the selector right now, this is tough!

 

[ColinGWood]

Well, after roughly 24 hours, my project is complete. This has been great experience.

I've discoered that you kind of need three hands to solder!
It was tough not getting a cold joint when i was soldering the ground wires to the back of the volume pot.

Oh yeah, and I decided to skip on the tone pot, just volume and selector.

Here's pictures, although my camera didn't handel the tiny electronics compartment very clearly.

My bass pre surgery. Lookit that hornets nest! Jeez!

Here's the empty cavity

Here's the pre amp... anyone interested??? give me a msg

This is the soldering set up i used. A Weller 40w soldering iron (about 30 bucks at Canadian Tire), and a spool of Rosin cored Silver wire, also from Canadian Tire

and here it is... the finished product

Here is the front. Any suggestions for what to do to plug the two extra holes? and no, I am NOT putting ghost knobs on