Wiring gurus... I need some help on a wiring mod

[SMG]

I wonder if anyone would know how to add an active/passive switch along with a passive tone knob to an Artec SE2a preamp. Ideally, I would like to add to install it in a bass that is currently wired passive with two volumes and a tone control. My idea would be have a stacked control where Volume one is with the top being neck pickup volume and the bottom being passive tone. Volume two would be a push/pull to activate or bypass the preamp, with the third knob being the stacked treble/bass.
Here is what I have drawn up, that would work with a Duncan Blackout preamp or EMG BTC
Here is the Artec SE2a. Note that both the volume and balance go into the board so I don't know if I can it with this or not. I have some stacked vol/tone pots and some push/pull pots so I thought it an idea to try out, along with the Artec preamps that I have. I have no problem with scraping the volume and blend pots that are currently wired to the board...it has been assumed that that would need to be done from the start.


PS...Thinking along this line is what playing a Sire V7 has done to me....

Help with this would sure be appreciated if anyone has an idea of what to do.

 

[bholder]

PS...Thinking along this line is what playing a Sire V7 has done to me....

I hear you, I just bought @jlepre's extra Sire preamp to stick in another bass. Sorry I can't help much with your question though.

 

[SMG]

Off topic on the thread I started, but where does one get a Sire preamp?

 

[RobbieK]

Yeah man, that looks right, provided you want the passive tone control to only work in passive mode. Some guys want the passive tone pot on all the time, others want it like you have it.

As for the pre... Well, that exact pre I haven't seen, but from the pic you posted, if you want two vols instead of a balance pot, then yeah remove the blend pot and simply use its connection as the pre input. One will be earth and the other hot. You should be able to tell which is which just by looking at the board, but if not, then earth should be the terminal that has continuity (use a multimeter) with the "gnd" terminal of the output jack.

For the removal of the existing volume, it depends on how the board is wired, but you'll probably need to put a jumper across the middle and clockwise terminal, and I'd recommend putting an appropriate resistor across the middle and anti-clockwise (probably earth) terminal. This is especially important if the volume is on the ouput, as without the resistor, in this situation, your bypass switch will probably pop.

If the existing vol is 10k-50k, it's probably on the output of the pre, and I'd recommend a 100K-220K resistor. If the vol is 250k-500k, then it's at the input of the pre, and it's a good idea to put a 1Meg resistor across the input terminals.

There may well be one or both of these resistors already on the board, so if you can follow a circuit, and identify tiny surface-mount parts, then leave them off.

 

[jlepre]

I hear you, I just bought @jlepre's extra Sire preamp to stick in another bass. Sorry I can't help much with your question though.

 

[Joseph basses]

Can somebody hellp with wiring! I have this artec 3band preamp and without balance pot, only one pickup i want add volumen push pull for active passive. Thanks!!