Need help with mm bass pickup series/single/parallel switch wiring

[thebassbuilder]

I know this has been asked a few times but not able to find the answer I need. I am trying to do the above and I have attached the diagram I used and I feel this is the correct diagram.

When in single coil the pickups sound like they should and the appropriate coils are working on each pickup. I have tap tested the magnets and only the selected coils are making a sound.

Now series and parallel when selected both sound thin and non existent. They both make a sound but I would say 20% of what the single coil is putting out and I know this should not be the case. The bass and mids just disappear while the treble is the most up front.

Also I did check with a multi meter to make sure of which wires go to which coil. In this case for example for neck pickup red/green is neck side coil black/white is bridge side coil. Now these are import MTD mm style pickups. So that being said not sure if just because I know which wires go to which coils, that I still have say one set reversed causing them to be out phase when not in single coil position.

Hopefully you can help.

 

[ctmullins]

not sure if just because I know which wires go to which coils, that I still have say one set reversed causing them to be out phase when not in single coil position.

Im betting that’s your issue. Try reversing the leads on one coil and see if that fixes things.

 

[thebassbuilder]

Im betting that’s your issue. Try reversing the leads on one coil and see if that fixes things.

You know what looking back at the diagrams I posted (neck pickup) I feel like need to change the green and white leads. If middle selection is single coil then that should be red and green as the white goes with the black for the other coil. I pray this is it and thanks for the reply.

 

[thebassbuilder]

Okay I am tried to change two wires and no go. I double checked and the switch show on, on, on so I know I have the proper switch. I feel like I need to know how these switches work to figure it out. I do know red and green go to neck side coil and black and white go to bridge side coil. There is a fifth wire that I have grounded to the common ground connection.
I also found the attached diagram and it is saying to wire it this way but it is different from the other one I posted.
Maybe someone with experience wiring these can tell me based off my wire colors where they should go.

 

[ctmullins]

There are two types of on/on/on switches:

The Warman diagram will work with the second type (the one on the right, without the arrow pointing to it).

The Nordstrand diagram will work with either type the one on the left. I'm 90% sure....



Well, the more I stare at it, the less sure I am....


Do you have a multimeter?

 

[thebassbuilder]

I do have a meter. I did not think to try that. Thanks!

 

[thebassbuilder]

I also forgot all about checking Bartolini and found this diagram and this has been the ones I have used in the past.

 

[thebassbuilder]

I’m back again on this. This time I have tried the attached and in single coil mode they work fine but trying series it still sounds wrong and thin with more treble and way less bass and mids. Now with this being said I did check the magnet polarity and I feel it is reverse from Bartolini and I think the neck side coil is south and opposite north. So my thought is, instead of red to white should it be red to black and make green and white the outgoing wires? This bass has gotten me so confused. Also the neck and bridge pickups are the same meaning neck side coils are both south and north for bridge side on both pickups. Is this normal?.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Also the neck and bridge pickups are the same meaning neck side coils are both south and north for bridge side on both pickups. Is this normal?.

Yes, having two of the same pickups (neck and bridge positions) with the same polarity on each coil is normal.
Within each pickup, the two coils hum cancel. When you run single coil with both pickups, the two outer coils and two inner coils will hum cancel, having opposite polarities and winding direction (just like if they were in one pickup).
This is why the Nordstrand diagram in your original post has the two pickups sort of wired backwards with respect to each other, so that when in SC mode, the opposite coils are active rather than the same coil of each pickup.

Typical wiring of a dual-coil pickup is Black/White are neck coil, Red/Green are bridge coil. Not all manufacturers follow the same principal, but most do.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/color_codes-809x1024.jpg

 

[thebassbuilder]

Yes, having two of the same pickups (neck and bridge positions) with the same polarity on each coil is normal.
Within each pickup, the two coils hum cancel. When you run single coil with both pickups, the two outer coils and two inner coils will hum cancel, having opposite polarities and winding direction (just like if they were in one pickup).
This is why the Nordstrand diagram in your original post has the two pickups sort of wired backwards with respect to each other, so that when in SC mode, the opposite coils are active rather than the same coil of each pickup.

Typical wiring of a dual-coil pickup is Black/White are neck coil, Red/Green are bridge coil. Not all manufacturers follow the same principal, but most do.

Thanks for this info. Any suggestions why I cannot get a series setup to connect properly with these switches? I have tried 3 or 4 wiring options and the series always sounds thin and too much treble with little bass and low mids. It is crazy too me. I have even changed switches to see if that was the problem but always the same outcome. Also when running both pickups together they seem out of phase. I have wired so many of these in the past and never had this many issues.