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Show us your 3 pickup basses!
- Thread starter Doner Designs
- Start date
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
Carrier update (third pickup is hidden under PG - mudbucker with holes in PG for poles)...
So I have lurked on this for awhile (even talked with Steve with some wiring questions) and finally pulled the trigger on an idea running through my brain. Maybe this should be posted in the "Show me your 4 pickup bass" but I couldn't find the thread 
I have a 5 string SX j bass that I love, but wanted to modify for tonal variety. Pictured below is what I have come up with. I still need to wire it all up but the controls are as such:
Each soapbar pickup has an on-on-on for series-single coil-parallel. Each pickup then has its own volume knob (the four bottom pots).
The two bridge pups will be wired in parallel with each other. The two neck pups will be wired in parallel with each other.
A 4 position rotary switch (pot neck to the four toggle switches) will then allow for:
1. bridge pups
2. bridge pups in series with neck pups
3. bridge pups in parallel with neck pups
4. neck pups
And finally there will be one master tone pot (top - far right pot)
I have a 5 string SX j bass that I love, but wanted to modify for tonal variety. Pictured below is what I have come up with. I still need to wire it all up but the controls are as such:
Each soapbar pickup has an on-on-on for series-single coil-parallel. Each pickup then has its own volume knob (the four bottom pots).
The two bridge pups will be wired in parallel with each other. The two neck pups will be wired in parallel with each other.
A 4 position rotary switch (pot neck to the four toggle switches) will then allow for:
1. bridge pups
2. bridge pups in series with neck pups
3. bridge pups in parallel with neck pups
4. neck pups
And finally there will be one master tone pot (top - far right pot)
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
Eight coils...sweet! Four is a lot of volume controls to fumble with. You might want to add a master volume and/or master kill switch. You could use the master tone pot as master volume and skip the tone. With so many pickup options you really don't need the tone control anyway. Or, you could install another mini switch to use as a tone switch. With an on/off/on switch you could wire it with two different capacitors. Or you could stuff another pot in there. If you use mini pots it would fit fine.
Did you cut the pg yourself? Looks really good. You may want to cut off the control panel part from the rest. Looks like your screw holes are drilled with that in mind.
I am a little jealous.
Did you cut the pg yourself? Looks really good. You may want to cut off the control panel part from the rest. Looks like your screw holes are drilled with that in mind.
I am a little jealous.
So I have lurked on this for awhile (even talked with Steve with some wiring questions) and finally pulled the trigger on an idea running through my brain. Maybe this should be posted in the "Show me your 4 pickup bass" but I couldn't find the thread
I have a 5 string SX j bass that I love, but wanted to modify for tonal variety. Pictured below is what I have come up with. I still need to wire it all up but the controls are as such:
Each soapbar pickup has an on-on-on for series-single coil-parallel. Each pickup then has its own volume knob (the four bottom pots).
The two bridge pups will be wired in parallel with each other. The two neck pups will be wired in parallel with each other.
A 4 position rotary switch (pot neck to the four toggle switches) will then allow for:
1. bridge pups
2. bridge pups in series with neck pups
3. bridge pups in parallel with neck pups
4. neck pups
And finally there will be one master tone pot (top - far right pot)
I cut the pickguard out of a blank piece with a jig saw and then sanded till it was deemed "good enough for who it's for". I probably will cut it in the future, but I went ahead and left it for now.
The reason for the 4 volume knobs is being able to dial in how much of a single pickup I want. The situation that I think of is: I have both the neck pups maxed for a real bassy tone....but I want to add in just a touch of treble. I roll the volume for the bridge pup up just a bit and I'm there.
I like what you're saying about the tone switch. Right now I'm probably going to wire it up as is, see what sounds I think are useful, and then use that information towards future projects (eventually building my own bass). I might have to try those ideas out though.
For the record, where does everybody buy their electronics? I just surf ebay, pay the guy in china, and wait 2 weeks. If I need it faster, I pick a US seller.
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
On the electronics question - guitarelectronics.com has everything for one offs but they are expensive vs an electronics house. If you want to stock up, places like Newark Electronics (wholesale distributors) are good and accept online orders from consumers. I also use Meunier because they are similar to Newark and a friend of mine heads up the sales department. Invalid Link Removed
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,967
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Some photographic evidence that the "Retro Switcho" (original post) project is still alive!
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
If you might recall, the "bank" of E-A halves and the bank of D-G halves are each assigned a 3-way switch.
Each switch position was supposed to select one of three halves in that bank (1,or 2, or 3)
It turns out 3-way switches do not work that way.
In my case here's how they normally would work: 1, or 1+2+3,or 3.
BUT-luckily we're going with an Audere pre-amp.
It's architecture is such that Dave Meadows can assign each throw in a switch however he chooses, so we are able to do the switching as planned.
(boy I hope that made sense!)
...so what's the finished bass look/sound like?
Question: I play roots reggae music using a 5 string Jazz bass. I have long thought that a 5 string with a pickup close to the neck would make sense since with reggae it's all about moving air with the low notes. I pluck right at the neck heel to accentuate the lowness, so I'm thinking a pickup right there is a no brainer for this style of music. I've had non bass players tell me I'm out of my mind. Is there any technical reason why this is a bad idea?
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,967
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
This isn't a 3 pu bass but it is a reggae-monster (moving air with the low notes) maple Ric-esk body/Steinberger carbon lined fretless neck) Bartolini HB at the neck w/Agular OP-2 pre. Big low.
I've seen quite a few bands use Rickenbackers tuned down to low C, low B, or even low A.
They have pickups right up against the neck. These bands aren't going for clean, of course, but there's no reason it wouldn't work.
I've also seen Laudanum, specifically, use an Ovation Magnum bass, with its huge neck humbucker, and they tune very low. They sound massive.
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
All done except for some heavy setup work, Naval aviator signature and professional photography (that's my son in the first picture)...
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
I like Cruise and the Top Gun movie, but think we can top that. We have an informal commitment but I'm not counting on it until it actually happens.
Sweet bass Steve. Glad it came out nice.
Here's my bass update. All wired up. Still needs a set up but overall I am pleased
And under the hood (it was pretty tight)
Here's my bass update. All wired up. Still needs a set up but overall I am pleased
And under the hood (it was pretty tight)
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
mgalat - very nice. Are you going to shield the cavity? The paint from stewmac is great for irregular shapes.
Thin copper tape works also for odd shapes. Thin, like 0.6mm. I use lots of layers of that stuff, it conforms to any shape if you're careful.
That said, paint is certainly less time consuming.
That said, paint is certainly less time consuming.
Good luck on that! And as usual yet another absolutely killer charity bass!
I'm curious, however, that while everybody here is nuts about bass, wouldn't charities get better interest with guitars rather than basses? Just wondering... (I obviously prefer you build basses!)
