Permanent Series Wiring - Jazz Bass

[Dan_reeves]

I have been reading through some of the threads on this and I have a Jazz parts bass that I don’t play much that I’d like to do an experiment on.

I want to wire it permanently in series with only a volume control and a tone control. Currently, the bass has Dimarzio Model J’s. Would this work with Model Js? I don’t see why not, but am admittedly ignorant. I have seen the “wire it like a P bass” comments, but the Js have a few extra wires due to the humbucking qualities. Is it still the same basic operation? And tips or diagrams would be helpful - I am fairly good at soldering and following directions without really knowing what I am doing. I am going for just one big higher output humbucker that only has a volume then tone control. No idea how it’ll sound, but I’d like to try it.

Any tips? I have the three hole jack plate already, and think I have some 500k pots and some wiring. Thank you for any tips.

I would also love a basic diagram to follow - I could not find one anywhere. Thanks again!

 

[Killed_by_Death]

"permanent"

DiMarzio Model J's...wire in series?

 

[Dan_reeves]

"permanent"

DiMarzio Model J's...wire in series?

Ah, good call. Fixed the title.

I read that post a few times, but I am struggling with how to do this with only two pots vs three in Walter’s diagram. Most of the diagrams I have found assume three pots and independent volumes or two tones, which is not really what i want.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

If you really want only 1 volume pot, you can wire it like any other single-volume setup, but the (+) wire from one pickup connects to the (-) wire of the other pickup.

 

[Will_White]

Here's the way I wire two pickup basses in series
It uses an on/off/on selector switch.

KbD's suggestion of wiring the positive of one pickup to the ground of the other and then wiring it like a Pbass works as well.

 

[Dan_reeves]

If you really want only 1 volume pot, you can wire it like any other single-volume setup, but the (+) wire from one pickup connects to the (-) wire of the other pickup.

Does it matter which is + and which is - ? And do you simply solder together then cover with shrink tubing, or does it have to go somewhere? Thanks for all the help!

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Think about it just like putting two batteries into a device. + goes into -
shrink-tubing is a good idea, so that connection between the two pickups doesn't connect to anything else

 

[somebrains]

I have been reading through some of the threads on this and I have a Jazz parts bass that I don’t play much that I’d like to do an experiment on.

I want to wire it permanently in series with only a volume control and a tone control. Currently, the bass has Dimarzio Model J’s. Would this work with Model Js? I don’t see why not, but am admittedly ignorant. I have seen the “wire it like a P bass” comments, but the Js have a few extra wires due to the humbucking qualities. Is it still the same basic operation? And tips or diagrams would be helpful - I am fairly good at soldering and following directions without really knowing what I am doing. I am going for just one big higher output humbucker that only has a volume then tone control. No idea how it’ll sound, but I’d like to try it.

Any tips? I have the three hole jack plate already, and think I have some 500k pots and some wiring. Thank you for any tips.

I would also love a basic diagram to follow - I could not find one anywhere. Thanks again!

I'm glad someone is exploring this.
It'll explain all those mega knob basses and guitars from the 60's and 70's, references to "hidden super secret squirrel mods".

Try the tone pot mods, explore what people have done with rotary switches and caps.

Ignore the idea that a given pot value only does "X" and try it for yourself. A lot of middle school science class will come back.

You can wire passive experiments in with active preamps, there are many possibilities.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

the Js have a few extra wires

Keep black & white tied together, unless you want to do a series/parallel configuration to make it brighter.
If you leave black & white tied together you'll have 4 coils in series, which could get dark.

To retain the brightness you could treat green & black as the (-) wires & white & red as the (+) wires, which would put the pickup coils in parallel.
You could do this for both pickups or just one.

Here's a DiMarzio drawing show how they switch series/parallel:

Link Removed

 

[somebrains]

Up the primary Vol pot to 500k it 1meg, depending on how whether you want to experiment with caps, is advised

 

[Dan_reeves]

Thanks guys - I ended up doing it this afternoon with parts on hand. I left each pickup in series, then I took the negative from the neck pickup and soldered it to the positive of the bridge pickup. Finally, I followed the wiring diagram for a p bass. I used 250k mojotones since I had them on hand, with an orange drop as the cap. It sounds like a j bass on steroids now! I really like it. Thank you for your help everyone. I will be trying it live in a band on Wednesday night. Excited!

 

[Dan_reeves]

Oh, and to round it out - it has broken in medium Chromes on it, and I am playing through a Rumble. I personally don’t think it sounds too dark - no darker than my P bass. And I am going more for a darker sound anyways so it’s all good.

 

[somebrains]

400/800rb, ampeg svt2-pro, svt4-pro, DG B3k pedal.

 

[alder]

that os ba

Here's the way I wire two pickup basses in series
It uses an on/off/on selector switch.
View attachment 3173447
KbD's suggestion of wiring the positive of one pickup to the ground of the other and then wiring it like a Pbass works as well.

That is basically Danelectro wiring. Should be noted that the switch is not a typical guitar switch, it is a hardware store on-off-on switch. The action of the switch is to short-out either pickup, or neither. A standard guitar switch is on-both-on, and won't work.

But why make it permanent? A simple push-pull on the tone knob will make it selectable. You could also wire a Jazz bass with a selector switch, master volume, and tone, with a push-pull on the tone. I like that better than standard Jazz wiring.

Here is a diagram for series/parallel blend control, using a 4pdt switch:

You can get a 4pdt switch on ebay. It is a big thing, you'd have to put it in the jack hole and move the jack to the side. The configuration would be volume-blend-tone-switch.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

it is a hardware store on-off-on switch

mentioned right in the post:

It uses an on/off/on selector switch.

 

[Xapt]

I suggest you hear the tone character of J's in series wiring before deciding to make it permanently. Personally I dislike it. The low frequency was noticeably lost. It's probably the reason why most J basses don't come in series wiring.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Hmm, something wasn't right with that then, because series wiring will definitrely give you MORE lows.
It's physics, two coils in series will lower the resonant frequency, vs. the same two coils in parallel.

 

[brianrost]

The series mod is not permanent because it only requires unsoldering two wires from the pots and then soldering them to each other. It's easily reversed. It's just not something you can switch on the gig.

 

[Dan_reeves]

Yeah permanent is maybe not the right word for it.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I'm sitting here thinking of a way to wire them each with a series/parallel switch & still keep them in series. I think it would work!