PJ bass with s1 switch, good or bad idea?

I have a PJ and looked into that (though havent actually tried it) and theres actually 2 ways it can go:

1) wire the 2 pickups in one series. Super beef and extra output. (I tried to hardwire mine like this, sounded good but had a hum I couldn't locate... so it was quickly abandoned....) or;

2) wire the P pickup itself for a series/parellel option. This makes the P sound like a single coil for a faux jazz bass sound.

For heavy stuff, I'd say #1, but for pop and funk, #2 might be the way to go

Here's a video with option #2 featured. I could not, for the life of me, find any demos of option 1...
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...EwBXoECAEQDQ&usg=AOvVaw1x_ZkkQ1AvOgfnxpWNNTyq

In the end, I put a Dimarzio model J in the bridge. And I still solo the P pickup 90% of the time....

 

I got nutn on the switch. But WELCOME to TalkBass!!!

 

The S1 as Fender used to install on a pbass throws the P out of phase. Absolutely useless. I've not found a series/parallel on a single P pickup to be much better.

On a 2 pickup instrument however you have the option of installing it as a series/parallel switch. That will give you the option of switching between the usual parallel arrangement and series wiring which essentially turns the two pickups into one big pickup. The resulting tone is usually louder and thicker with stronger low-mids but a bit less definition.

Series/parallel is a fantastic option for J basses and I've put it on almost every J I've ever owned. Someone else would have to comment on its suitability for a P/J setup but there is no harm in trying it out yourself. It's a reversible mod. I suspect it will sound great. My current jazz has series/parallel switch for a pair of DiMarzio model J pickups ( hum-canceling, similar to a P in a J housing)and it sounds excellent when I switch to series.

Whatever you decide, do yourself a favor and skip the Fender S1 and instead use a regular push/pull pot. Much cheaper and more reliable.

 

My main bass for the last 25 years is a PJ with a serial/parallel switch and I love it. It gives a full, deep and boomy tone, perfect for anything that requires filling the room.

 

At about 0:25 it switches from parallel to series.
It is a passive bass with Bartolini pickups. The P is a 8S and the J is a 9W4J.

 

I've been really into P bass sound since I got one. I got this PJ as a backup, because it had a jazz neck I liked. I thought I'd explore the PJ, but I hardly ever use it.

If I played heavier rock I'd definitely want to try the all-in-series. That clip from Jazz Ad sounds pretty good!

 

Nice work! Finally, an example for the record.

Not a huge difference in tone, but I can definitely hear a little treble drop and volume boost. I dig it!

 

This guy likes it:

 

Agree. My SO has them on some of her Strats and they’ve all become problematic after awhile. Definitely go with a push-pull pot.

 

I wish people would stop saying a P bass pickup in parallel is a single coil and in series is a humbucker. It's a humbucker either way. Wiring it series or parallel doesn't change the humbucking nature of the P-Bass pickup - the difference is higher impedance (series) or lower impedance (Parallel).

 

Good catch. I've edited my post.

 

I was mainly referring to the YouTube video a couple of posts up.

The P bass pickup is a humbucker that has a lot of properties of a single coil because there is only one coil under any particular string (One coil catches E and A, the other coil catches D and G). But it doesn't sound like a Jazz Bass single coil neck pickup for a few reasons. One reason is that the shape of the winding (short and fat for P vs Tall and skinny for J). Another reason is the location under the strings is different from a J neck pickup. And another reason is the higher impedance.

So I can see how switching a P pickup to Parallel might move more in the direction of a J pickup (the lower impedance should be clearer/brighter but not as hot and without the same resonant peak as a series P).

 

I’ve owned a pj with a series/parallel switch and putting the P into parallel mode made some cool tones when both pickups were blended. I do not like a solo p pickup in parallel, I much prefer it in series(stock) Fwiw, I put a series/parallel switch on my Jazz Bass and love it, but that’s a whole different story haha.

 

There are multiple possible configurations that buck hum in a literal sense, but some people prefer to use the term "humbucker" to refer only to pickups that use two side-by-side coils as per traditional PAF humbuckers. Those people would call other configurations something else, e.g., "hum cancelling". The distinction can give an indication of the sort of tone to expect.

Having said that, I agree that calling the parallel configuration "single coil" makes no sense, there are still two coils.

 

I hated the S1 every time I've tried it. A completely non-useful sound to me.