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Passive PJ - alternatives to VVT?

Flippy

Flippy

Jun 9, 2017
532
710
Europe
#1
Time has come to upgrade the electronics on my PJ. It seems that unless both volume pots are on the exact same level, one pickup gets much more volume over the other. Perhaps the pots are mismatched, or it's an expected behavior on passive basses.
Either way, I just don't want to deal with two volume knobs. Please note that I don't want to have master volume + tone + a dummy pot :)

I considered replacing the second volume pot with blend knob, though it's difficult to get such pot. Also I'm worried it wouldn't work well on a passive bass.
Then I found out about Dingwall Super PJ, and I think that's what I'm gonna get. The Super PJ has a four-way rotary switch, toggling P/PJ-series/PJ-parallel/J modes. (I would be thankful for a wiring diagram for that :thumbsup:)

Both pickups are SD quarterpounders, so I expect them to play nice together in any setting. What other options would you recommend?
 
#2
With a blend knob you often have even less control of mixing pups... one thing I'd consider are two linear taper pots (assuming you have the more common audio taper), should allow finer mixing... but I think your idea is best, a pickup switch.

I'm not sure how series PJ will sound, but some people like a series/parallel option for just the P, as it's more balanced with the J... though I'm not sure if one can wire it all to a single rotary switch, but I suppose a toggle switch does not take up much room...
 
#6
Oh whatever, here it is
sch.png


Please correct me if something is wrong there :thumbsup:
 
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#7
Flippy said:
@Julia H currently I'm considering master volume, bridge volume, master tone setup. It features a series/parallel switch :D I can put up a diagram if you want to try that.
Click to expand...

Just food for thought, I had my MIM P Bass special (was originally PJ active) modified to passive only with Aguilar PJ pickups, push pull volume for series/parallel, blend, and separate tone for each pickup. I'm sorry I can't share how it's wired I didn't do the work however. But it gives you an idea of one of many options.
Flippy said:
Time has come to upgrade the electronics on my PJ. It seems that unless both volume pots are on the exact same level, one pickup gets much more volume over the other. Perhaps the pots are mismatched, or it's an expected behavior on passive basses.
Either way, I just don't want to deal with two volume knobs. Please note that I don't want to have master volume + tone + a dummy pot :)

I considered replacing the second volume pot with blend knob, though it's difficult to get such pot. Also I'm worried it wouldn't work well on a passive bass.
Then I found out about Dingwall Super PJ, and I think that's what I'm gonna get. The Super PJ has a four-way rotary switch, toggling P/PJ-series/PJ-parallel/J modes. (I would be thankful for a wiring diagram for that :thumbsup:)

Both pickups are SD quarterpounders, so I expect them to play nice together in any setting. What other options would you recommend?
Click to expand...
 
#13
Flippy said:
@Jonathan C did you find having dedicated tone knobs useful?
Click to expand...
Absolutely! I was pleasantly surprised how useful to be able to blend in the jazz pickup with it's tone rolled back while the p pickup is wide open, and vise versa. Since my bass had four knobs to begin with and I like the stock gold pick guard I figured it was worth trying out. The series switch only works when the blend is anything less than full toward the jazz pickup. My luthier explained that when he wired it up. It's not an issue for me. I will send him an email to see if I can get the schematic if you wish? I'm also very happy with the Aguilar pickups (the jazz is split coil) by the way, highly recommended.
 
#14
Jonathan C said:
Absolutely! I was pleasantly surprised how useful to be able to blend in the jazz pickup with it's tone rolled back while the p pickup is wide open, and vise versa. Since my bass had four knobs to begin with and I like the stock gold pick guard I figured it was worth trying out. The series switch only works when the blend is anything less than full toward the jazz pickup. My luthier explained that when he wired it up. It's not an issue for me. I will send him an email to see if I can get the schematic if you wish? I'm also very happy with the Aguilar pickups (the jazz is split coil) by the way, highly recommended.
Click to expand...
Sure, if you think I should really try it out :) In any case, it may be useful for anyone stumbling upon this thread .
 
#16
Perhaps the pots are mismatched
Click to expand...

No, it's the pickups. This is very common for PJs, even with a set from the same maker. I play a PJ, and I have a hot, mid-rangey Dimarzio model J and an underwound P (about 2/3 the windings of a typical P). My blend pot is an unearthed 200K A/C pot. It works very well. Every bit as smooth as an active blend control. You also have to make sure the pickup heights are adjusted so you have an equal output from each pickup.

It's not uncommon for guys like Seymour Duncan to offer a strat pickup set where the bridge pickup has twice the windings than the other two. But I've never seen any main stream pickup maker take this approach to a PJ set.

though it's difficult to get such pot
Click to expand...

Yeah I've made many custom pots over the years by disassembling and swapping in other wafers etc. But I think with some searching around you'd be able to find one.
 
#17
RobbieK said:
No, it's the pickups. This is very common for PJs, even with a set from the same maker. I play a PJ, and I have a hot, mid-rangey Dimarzio model J and an underwound P (about 2/3 the windings of a typical P). My blend pot is an unearthed 200K A/C pot. It works very well. Every bit as smooth as an active blend control. You also have to make sure the pickup heights are adjusted so you have an equal output from each pickup.

It's not uncommon for guys like Seymour Duncan to offer a strat pickup set where the bridge pickup has twice the windings than the other two. But I've never seen any main stream pickup maker take this approach to a PJ set.



Yeah I've made many custom pots over the years by disassembling and swapping in other wafers etc. But I think with some searching around you'd be able to find one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for insightful information! Do you think adding a resistor would be enough to balance the pickup blend? Otherwise I guess a blend pot wolusnt work well otherwise right?
 
#18
Flippy said:
DOH! I haven't tinkered with electronics for way too long. Thanks! :) Here's an updated version
View attachment 1167964
Click to expand...

Looks good. Another thing I should have pointed out is that the tone control will work a lot better if you move it before the volume pot. In any wiring scheme, if you have the ability to do it (it's not always possible), it is best to have the tone control wired to the outer terminal of a volume pot, rather than the wiper terminal. The reason being that the impedance changes less drastically at the outer terminal than at the wiper terminal, and since the effect of a tone control is dependent upon impedance, that helps to minimize the effect, so that the tone control wont sound too different as you adjust volume.
 
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#20
RobbieK said:
.

...It's not uncommon for guys like Seymour Duncan to offer a strat pickup set where the bridge pickup has twice the windings than the other two. But I've never seen any main stream pickup maker take this approach to a PJ set.

.
Click to expand...


Yes, i was facing this when trying to think of a PJ config. I ended up with the Dimarzio model p and an Ultra Jazz (which from my research was hotter than the model j) They aren't equal volume, but it's much closer than you typically get.
 

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