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Peavey T-45 electronics suggestions needed!

Discussion in 'Pickups & Electronics [BG]' started by Chopperfreak, Jun 6, 2019.

  1. Jun 6, 2019 #1
    Chopperfreak

    Chopperfreak

    Jan 5, 2015
    Cape Fear, N.C.
    So I have an '82 T-45 and the electronics are jacked. Even in humbucking mode, strung with flats, and with the tone rolled all the way off it still sounds hollow and brittle. My first instinct was to drop in a Bartolini preamp and go the active route, but with as hot as these pickups are I am wondering if wiring it like a p bass, but with an HB/SC coil tap, would yield good results. The tone I'm going for is a meaty low-end stingray type, and my main bass rig is a Mesa Bass 400 and a fearful 15/6. Any input would be greatly appreciated as this bass has more sentimental than monetary value.
     
  2. Jun 7, 2019 #2
    ctmullins

    ctmullins Dominated Gold Supporting Member

    Apr 18, 2008
    MS Gulf Coast
    I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
    First thing to try is wiring the pickup straight to the jack, to make sure the problem isn’t inside the pickup itself. It’s encapsulated in epoxy, so it’s unlikely to be a problem inside the pickup, but it’s not impossible. Do this with both hot leads to check both the HB and SC settings.

    If that checks out okay, then a P-bass wiring with an additional switch would work just fine.
     
  3. Jun 12, 2019 #3
    Chopperfreak

    Chopperfreak

    Jan 5, 2015
    Cape Fear, N.C.
    Thanks ctmullins, as soon as I get new tips for my soldering iron that will be the first thing I test. I have been looking into the actual wiring of the T-45 and from what I have found is the white wire is hot for both coils, the bare and green wires are both grounds, and the red wire is the wire that grounds one of the coils for single coil. Does this sound correct? If so will an SPST wired from red to ground do the trick to go from humbucker to single coil? After watching videos online I think maybe it is all working correctly and that this is just how this bass is supposed to sound so we shall see.
     
  4. Jun 14, 2019 #4
    bigtone23

    bigtone23

    Dec 10, 2014
    Denver, CO
    Your wiring is correct-the red is the split wire.
    I did a virtual T45 with my Ibby RB630. Routed it out and installed an official Peavey T series pickup--it's a beastly, P-ish tone in humbucker mode and really nice in single coil mode, too. Mine splits to the bridge side coil, which is not far off from where a Ric has it's bridge PU, so it kinda gets that sound.
    Instead of the spin a split Peavey uses, I used a push/pull tone pot for single coil mode. Also installed a Q Filter and tuned it as close to 500Hz as possible. Lots of great sounds to be had, and the push/pull single coil mode is great for using the tone control's full range in single coil mode.
    The Q filter is great for getting fat, dubby tones, too.
    If you are going for a Stingray type sound, you will need a different pickup (wired in parallel humbucking) and a preamp to boost some highs. The T45 pickup is located right where a P bass pickup is located, so it will never quite have that Stingray punch, but rather the P bass's thump.
    [​IMG]
     
    mech likes this.
  5. Jun 14, 2019 #5
    Chopperfreak

    Chopperfreak

    Jan 5, 2015
    Cape Fear, N.C.
    Thanks bigtone23, and that bass looks sweet! I figured that I would have to go active to get a stingray type tone, I am just curious as to what I can get tone wise keeping the bass passive. A pbass thump wouldn't be a terrible tone lol. I also stumbled onto a few threads where people have converted T-40s into 5 stringers so I may end up with a T-45-5.
     
  6. Jun 14, 2019 #6
    mech

    mech In Memoriam

    Jun 20, 2008
    Meridian, MS, USA
    I've converted several T-40s to five string and highly recommend you tune the strings up a full step to see if the neck will adjust to the extra tension before you drill the extra tuner hole. Let it sit for a couple of months to be sure. Had a couple that didn't act quite right as a 5.
     
  7. Jun 14, 2019 #7
    bigtone23

    bigtone23

    Dec 10, 2014
    Denver, CO
    I have an '83 Ibanez RB920--it's a passive bass with a double J pickup (Ibanez calls it a Super J6) right in the Stingray sweet spot. There's a 3-way mini switch to do split/series/parallel operation of the pickup. Running it in parallel is pretty much the essence of the fundamental Stingray tone, just because of the pickup location. The preamp on a Stingray adds the extra sizzle and some low end.
     
  8. Jun 15, 2019 #8
    Chopperfreak

    Chopperfreak

    Jan 5, 2015
    Cape Fear, N.C.
    Thanks for the heads up on that! I think the conversion threads I saw were yours. Out of curiosity will a vintage Dyna 5 neck fit in the neck pocket of a T-45? One popped up for sale and I thought about going that route and swapping the neck and bridge onto my T-45 body. A sane person would just play the Dyna 5, but I have years worth of stickers and memories on this bass and she's not ready for retirement just yet lol.
     

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    H2okie likes this.
  9. Jun 16, 2019 #9
    mech

    mech In Memoriam

    Jun 20, 2008
    Meridian, MS, USA
    They won't fit. The first model Dyna Bass 5 string (Super Ferrites) is about 1/8" wider than the T-45 neck and the second model Dyna Bass 5 string (Passive VFL) neck is about 1/4" wider.
     
  10. Aug 14, 2019 #10
    Chopperfreak

    Chopperfreak

    Jan 5, 2015
    Cape Fear, N.C.
    Finally pulled the trigger on the conversion. Here is my T45-5. She still needs a string tree and some electronics work but damn does she play amazing T45-5.JPG with that narrow string spacing!
     
    mech likes this.
  11. Aug 14, 2019 #11
    ctmullins

    ctmullins Dominated Gold Supporting Member

    Apr 18, 2008
    MS Gulf Coast
    I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
    ooooh, nice, very well done!
     
  12. Sep 3, 2019 #12
    Chopperfreak

    Chopperfreak

    Jan 5, 2015
    Cape Fear, N.C.
    I really like the idea of a push/pull instead of toggle switch for single coil mode to keep the original triple metal knob look. So does your push/pull pot also work as a secondary tone control or am I reading that wrong?
     
  13. Sep 3, 2019 #13
    bigtone23

    bigtone23

    Dec 10, 2014
    Denver, CO
    My bass has a regular volume pot, regular pot for the Q filter and a push/pull tone pot. The push/pull switch does the coil splitting. The pot operates as a tone in both positions.