P/J bass 2 knob options and wiring advice, help!

[winsorbass]

I've got an old Squire SQ series P bass that has an added J pickup - It's wired V/T with a 3 way on-on-on mini toggle switch, so I can do P/both/J.

Here's the issue, I want to put a new pick guard on, but don't particularly want to add another hole, whether it's for another volume knob or a toggle switch. So my first thought is to wire it like a 3 knob P/J - V/V/T but use a stacked pot and concentric knob as the second for the J volume and the outer ring as a master tone.

I know that this will work, but the way I understand it is that in order to truly isolate the P pickup you really do need to use a toggle switch, otherwise doesn't the P potentiometer load into the J pot even if the J is turned down?

If anyone has any ideas on how to tackle this it would be appreciated!

 

[LoveThatBass]

Use a pot with a switch on it for the P's volume pot and simply switch the J pickup out of the circuit. Let me say this. I have had P/J basses and heard people say this but if the J's volume pot is turned to zero….I am sorry but I hear NO difference in the P's tone whether it is switched out or just turned down. A lot of these people are "P Purist" with claims that I personally just do not see. I have worked in electronics for 42 years before retiring and wired many guitar's and basses. If you want to switch the J out of the circuit then get a pot with an attached switch. I would be willing to bet turning J pickup to zero or switching it out you will not be able to hear the difference. Put the switch in place and try it both ways if you wish but I am certain you will not be able to hear the difference between turning switch off and just turning the volume pot to zero on the J

 

[walterw]

So my first thought is to wire it like a 3 knob P/J - V/V/T but use a stacked pot and concentric knob as the second for the J volume and the outer ring as a master tone.

I know that this will work, but the way I understand it is that in order to truly isolate the P pickup you really do need to use a toggle switch

it's less about totally isolating one pickup or the other as much as it is the drawback to a 2-volume no switch arrangement, namely that you have to wire the pots "backwards" like a jazz bass otherwise turning one volume off kills the whole signal

this results in a worse sweep on the pots and more tone loss when you turn them down

if your knob settings consist of "dimed" and "off" then maybe not such a big deal, in which case the traditional way to do a P/J is to add a side jack and use the three existing P pickguard holes for V/V/T. an alternative is to do V/blend/T, that gives you a volume you can wire "normal" for a smoother sweep (search "ungrounded blend" on TB for more info than you ever wanted to know about the best way to do blend pots)

 

[XLunacy]

Stacked volume/tone + 3 way switch?

 

[winsorbass]

Thanks for the responses! I'd like to avoid using a blend pot as well as using a 3 way switch as I'll have to drill something for the pick guard - not the end of the world especially if the 3 way will help.

XLunacy - I'd rather have the option to blend the pickups a la jazz bass. Ilovethat bass has a good idea in that I could use a push pull volume with one setting for pure P bass and the other activating the J pickup and thus the other volume (concentric with the tone). I'd omit having a tone control, but a lot of my playing involves being able to roll that tone off when needed for certain sounds/pedals. Not really into routing it out for a side mounted jack, its a vintage bass I'd rather not mod the body.

Granted it will be kind a wiring challenge but I think it's doable. I'll try to diagram what I'm thinking and post it later today. Thanks again!