switches

[GODSBASSMAN]

Just finished a Jazz bass experiment that IMHO came out just great. Used a 3 hole control plate: mounted an output jack and 2 SPST mini toggle switches. The switches serve as full on / full off for each of the pickups and no resistance against the pickup signal to the jack. All EQ is done at the amplifier. Marvelous attack and tonality choices. Is this nuts or what!!

 

[PilbaraBass]

Just finished a Jazz bass experiment that IMHO came out just great. Used a 3 hole control plate: mounted an output jack and 2 SPST mini toggle switches. The switches serve as full on / full off for each of the pickups and no resistance against the pickup signal to the jack. All EQ is done at the amplifier. Marvelous attack and tonality choices. Is this nuts or what!!

It's a quite a good idea, actually.

I wired a P-bass incorrectly a couple of weeks ago, and it was full on with no tone to the jack…the sound was BIG and BRIGHT…

Unfortunately…not a tone that I need live…I need the volume control and tone control…so I wired it correctly…

But for recording, this setup would be IDEAL…

thanks for your thread...I'm now going to wire a bypass switch to my P-bass…
Position 1 = standard vol/tone Position 2 = straight to jack (for recording)

 

[GODSBASSMAN]

Thank you. And quite a good idea you have to wire in that bypass to achieve best of both worlds.
I like the piano type authority the direct wiring brings out. When I run through my Fender Pro 800 into a 2 ohm speaker load there is plenty of EQ to deepen this setup and then some; especially flipping on the neck pickup.
I like things "simple". This setup gives me "flip of the switch" control. My Pro sits beside me at all times in a roll control box and the 2 cabinets can be as far away as the speaker cables are long. And besides, The DI is used to run to the house for live PA supplement and recording purposes.
I personally need this sound from this jazz bass.
Hope this inspires others as well.

happy wiring. Peace. david

 

[jimbob]

Sounds cool! I'd like to try it. Could you share how it was wired up?

 

[kraigo]

They'd have to be parallel wired. Pick one color of the wires coming from each pickup. Tie them together and run them to ground/the sleeve of the output jack.

Take the remaining wire for each pickup and run it to one lug of each respective switch. Run a wire from the remaining lug on each switch to the tip of the output jack.

There aren't a lot of variations, this has got to be pretty much it for it to work as described.

It might be more fun to run the pickups in series and use the switches as a mute/unmute and single coil (hardwire which pickup you want to solo)/series.

KO