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P pickups

Discussion in 'Pickups & Electronics [BG]' started by Davidoc, Nov 8, 2001.

  1. Nov 8, 2001 #1
    Davidoc

    Davidoc

    Sep 2, 2000
    Northern VA and JMU
    After installing a Bartolini I had in my new (really old, I just got it)washburn, I realized I liked the washburn pickup better. The washburn had a really weird volume pot with 6 terminals mounted on the pot. Each pickup part had its own wires; 4 wires total.

    when I put the bartolini in, I yanked the volume pot, and replaced it with the pot from my retired Yamaha. I realized I wanted the Washburn back, but didn't know how to wire it to that crazy 6tab pot extension. When I test-wired (twisted) in series, then touched one wire to a volume tab (the normal pot from the Yamaha), and the other to the ground, it worked. It worked in any combination of wirings. I'm used to a braided and a copper, not 4 seperate coppers.

    Does it matter which wires go where? It doesn't seem to. One housing has blue and white, the other one has red and black.

    Does it matter if the left pickup goes on teh right and the right on teh left? I accidently put it in backwards (with the logoed pickup on the wrong side) and don't want to take it off and do the strings again. Does that matter?
     
  2. Nov 8, 2001 #2
    Flatwound

    Flatwound Supporting Member

    Sep 9, 2000
    San Diego
    Check and see if it's a push-pull pot. I have a Washburn that had such a setup, and the wiring was like you describe. I think the push-pull switch changed the wiring from series to parallel. Mine broke, and I ended up replacing the pots with Fenders and the pickup with a Seymour Duncan SPB-2. I think your pot is also probably a 500k Ohm, it it's like mine was, and a 250k pot won't sound the same. But I agree, the stock pickup isn't all that bad. I wax-potted mine and put it in a "project" bass.
     
  3. Nov 9, 2001 #3
    Davidoc

    Davidoc

    Sep 2, 2000
    Northern VA and JMU
    Thanks for the help Flatwonud!

    The pots were 500k, and the pot was pullable!

    Do you know which position was series and which parallel?

    I'm just not sure about which wires go to the other pickup and which to the pots; it seems like any way works. Is any way ok?

    I'm going to get new pots; what are the pros and cons of different ohmage? 500k, or 250k?
     
  4. Nov 9, 2001 #4
    Flatwound

    Flatwound Supporting Member

    Sep 9, 2000
    San Diego
    Yes, it makes a difference which wires go where. However, I don't remember how they go on that bass. If you call Washburn (there's a phone number on their site), they may be able to help you. As far as how the value of the potentiometer affects the sound, I'm not really sure. I just know that different values are spec'd for different applications.
     
  5. Nov 9, 2001 #5
    Davidoc

    Davidoc

    Sep 2, 2000
    Northern VA and JMU
    Thanks for the reply!
    After agony, a ****load of buzz, (the pickup worked despite this), me trying other pickups and them being quiet, I've concluded my best bet it to put that damn 6 tab pot in and find a wiring diagram.

    Can anyone help me find one?