Squier Bronco + Dimarzio rail pickup: two-knob options

[SlinkyMonkey]

Decided to start a modding project with a bronco bass + rail pickups with coil splitting options.
I would really appreciate your opinions on two topics:

• Between Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan "humbucker in a strat housing" options, what have you tried and what do you like the most? These are the two brands I have easier access to (based in Europe otherwise would really like to try the Bill Lawrence L45s ones). Both brands have a dozen models, and I suppose their descriptions don't really translate well to a bass pickup setting.
• I would like to explore the options to do single coil/series/parallel, without drilling an extra hole in the pickguard. I figure there are two options:

1. Use stacked pots for volume/tone and put an on/on/on switch in the other hole. This way I have access to all three options, though I read on another thread that series is more or less a worse version of single coil. If I go with this, what kind of stacked pot should I use? I see 250k/500k and 500k/500k options, for instance.
   
2. Use a push/pull pot for either volume or tone, then I have access to two settings. In this case what kind of pot would you recommend?

Thanks a lot in advance!​

 

[iiipopes]

For a clear tone, I have used the bridge version of a SD Cool Rails. For a pushed tone, I used the Hot Rails, neck or bridge depending on how much push I wanted. I really haven't used the DiMarzio offerings or the off-brand offerings. The pickup in a mid-90's Squier Telecaster bass I have died. You can't get the smaller version of a 1st gen single coil P-pickup anywhere retail, so until I stumble upon one, I have a Duncan Designed version of a Hot Rails in it. Good, forward tone. I would stay away from pickups which are described as either too trebly or too midrange or too high output in their description.

I understand the desire to experiment with wiring. I did that for over thirty of my 48 years of playing bass, including with my first Sears guitar that Mom bought me for Christmas in 1974 and I promptly took it apart to see how it worked. Well, I put it back together after trying series, parallel, phase reversal, etc., and ended up putting it back stock, put a pair of GFS pickups in the style of DiMarzio soapbar humbuckers in it, and I still bring it out occasionally. For a one-pickup Bronco, if you use a bridge version of a Hot-rails or equivalent, I would simply wire it V-T, with a push-pull on one pot or the other to do series-parallel to the wiring. This will get you two good options, retain the humbucking characteristic, which is very important on stage with bad wiring or neon bar signs, and is relatively easy to do. If you must have the single coil option, put it on a push-pull on the other control.

One thing you have access to now that were not available back then is a push-pull pot that has a very compact switch body to the pot. I don't know the brand names, but look for push-pulls that advertise as compact or for thin solid bodies.

If you want a tempered top end, use 250 kohm pots. If you want a brighter tone, use 500 kohm pots. If you want traditional roll-off of the tone control, use a .047 capacitor; if you want to retain a little more upper mids when rolled off, use a .033 capacitor; if you want more of a dub tone, use a .068 or .1 capacitor to cut most or all of the top end when you roll off the tone.

 

[SlinkyMonkey]

For a clear tone, I have used the bridge version of a SD Cool Rails. For a pushed tone, I used the Hot Rails, neck or bridge depending on how much push I wanted. I really haven't used the DiMarzio offerings or the off-brand offerings. The pickup in a mid-90's Squier Telecaster bass I have died. You can't get the smaller version of a 1st gen single coil P-pickup anywhere retail, so until I stumble upon one, I have a Duncan Designed version of a Hot Rails in it. Good, forward tone. I would stay away from pickups which are described as either too trebly or too midrange or too high output in their description.

I understand the desire to experiment with wiring. I did that for over thirty of my 48 years of playing bass, including with my first Sears guitar that Mom bought me for Christmas in 1974 and I promptly took it apart to see how it worked. Well, I put it back together after trying series, parallel, phase reversal, etc., and ended up putting it back stock, put a pair of GFS pickups in the style of DiMarzio soapbar humbuckers in it, and I still bring it out occasionally. For a one-pickup Bronco, if you use a bridge version of a Hot-rails or equivalent, I would simply wire it V-T, with a push-pull on one pot or the other to do series-parallel to the wiring. This will get you two good options, retain the humbucking characteristic, which is very important on stage with bad wiring or neon bar signs, and is relatively easy to do. If you must have the single coil option, put it on a push-pull on the other control.

One thing you have access to now that were not available back then is a push-pull pot that has a very compact switch body to the pot. I don't know the brand names, but look for push-pulls that advertise as compact or for thin solid bodies.

If you want a tempered top end, use 250 kohm pots. If you want a brighter tone, use 500 kohm pots. If you want traditional roll-off of the tone control, use a .047 capacitor; if you want to retain a little more upper mids when rolled off, use a .033 capacitor; if you want more of a dub tone, use a .068 or .1 capacitor to cut most or all of the top end when you roll off the tone.

That's some thorough advice! Thanks a lot! I felt like I'm going to eventually agree that most of the time things are the best when kept stock, but I guess I'll try to still play around a bit just to scratch that DIY itch haha.

 

[J Posega]

I think the "single" setting on those rail pickups sounds pretty bad in a Bronco bass. It's like a thinner and quieter but noisier version of parallel. Not really worth setting up.

I would just do a push-pull pot for series/parallel and call it good.

I also feel like there's not much difference in the brand name rails versus cheaper ones. I put a GFS in my Bronco and it's been great. I've also bought cheap cheap ones from Amazon and they sound as good as the slightly less cheap GFS. Really, anything will be a major improvement over the stock pickup, so I wouldn't go tossing more money than necessary at the name brand.

 

[SlinkyMonkey]

Thanks a lot for your suggestions! I ended up going with the concentric knob + three way rotary solution. It was my first time soldering stuff so I made quite a few messy joints, but now it's all under the pickguard and functioning as expected!

As for the sounds, I found myself liking the series mode a bit more, probably because it's the loudest... Haven't tried it in a band setting, can't wait.

P. S. I found the original tone cap not doing too much muffling even at 0. Maybe I'll try one with a larger cap value later on.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

I've only tried the SD Cool Rails and I didn't like it at all. Too much mids, not enough lows, clearly voiced for guitar, not bass. I actually preferred the tone of the stock ceramic Strat pickup but I found it useless due to the INSANE amounts of noise it picked up.

I installed a Musicmaster pickup from The Creamery in my Bronco instead. That made the Bronco into a proper bass. Or at least it would have if the neck on mine had been able to handle 45-105 strings, which it didn't...

Of course a Musicmaster pickup isn't hum cancelling but at least it didn't pick up nearly as much noise as the stock Strat pickup. With proper shielding the Musicmaster pickup worked fine and sounded great.

 

[SlinkyMonkey]

Or at least it would have if the neck on mine had been able to handle 45-105 strings, which it didn't.

What do you mean by unable to handle 45-105 strings? Did the truss rod adjustment max out when you try to straighten the neck with higher gauge strings?

 

[Deleted member 271037]

What do you mean by unable to handle 45-105 strings? Did the truss rod adjustment max out when you try to straighten the neck with higher gauge strings?

The neck bent like a banana, the truss rod was not able to compensate and ultimately the neck developed a twist. Even with perfectly levelled frets it now has severe fret buzz unless the action is adjusted sky high. The neck just bends/twists like crazy under tension. I installed a set of piccolo string on it, which it can handle just fine (a set of LONG scale piccolo strings, so the tension is relatively low, but feels ok, on a short scale). I've never actually used it for anything but it was either that or firewood. At some point I will probably slaugther it and use that lovely Musicmaster pickup from The Creamery for something else.

My Bronco was also from that huge batch with the faulty 2-saddle bridges, where there was a HUGE spacing between A-D and much smaller spacing between E-A and D-G. Which means I had to replace the bridge as well. Luckily I replaced it with a traditional 4-saddle Fender-style bridge. I don't think the intonation with a 2-saddle bridge would have been acceptable with piccolo strings, where you might want to play some chords.

I'm not saying ALL Broncos are junk but mine was. Easily the worst bass I've ever owned. Stupid impulse buy online. I guess I should have returned it for a refund but I got it as a mod project, basically to practise re-fretting. Not that re-fretting it helped in any way, but it was a process I needed to learn as I had gotten a job at a guitar workshop, and this was the cheapest bass I could find at the time. Better than practising on a customer's vintage instrument.