Wiring help

[maniac mikej]

Hey y'all. I have a Kramer Striker 700 p/j that i want to rewire. It has 4 holes, and I'm doing individual volumes, tone on the jazz, and a varitone on the p. How would I go about doing this? I know it sounds like a standard jazz wiring diagram, but i want the varitone on the p and the tone knob on the jazz only

 

[SGD Lutherie]

The tone and varitone will work on both pickups, unless you have them soloed. You can't have two tone controls and have them only work on one pickup unless the bass is active.

 

[maniac mikej]

well, thats the thing, i want them soloed. basically i want this wired like a les paul, without the switch, with a varitone in place of a tone knob.

 

[line6man]

As David said, it's not going to work.

Unless you want to sacrifice output by running resistors in series with the signal paths to prevent the tone controls from being in parallel.

 

[maniac mikej]

oh ew. that sounds all kinds of bad. alright, thanks guys

 

[SGD Lutherie]

You can do it, if you wire the volumes like a Jazz bass, and then wire the two tones (one tone, one varitone) to the pickup side of the volume pots.

Just be aware that when you have both pickups turned up the tone controls will affect both pickups.

Don't wire the volume pots like a Les Paul though, or you wont be able to solo one pickup without a pickup selector switch. On a LP you can't turn one of the pickup's volumes down without muting both pickups.

 

[maniac mikej]

when you say pickup side of the volume pot, do you mean the same lug? i was planning on wiring each pickup like a p-bass, then connecting each set to the jack

 

[SGD Lutherie]

when you say pickup side of the volume pot, do you mean the same lug? i was planning on wiring each pickup like a p-bass, then connecting each set to the jack

If you wire the volume pot like a P bass, turning one volume all the way down will turn down both pickups. You need to wire the volume pots like a Jazz bass or Rickenbacker.

Wire it up like a Jazz bass with the pickup going to the wiper (center) lug on the pot. Connect the tone control to the same lug.

 

[maniac mikej]

ohhhhh ok gotcha. the tone and varitone to the same lugs? and then just ground them, correct?

 

[SGD Lutherie]

ohhhhh ok gotcha. the tone and varitone to the same lugs? and then just ground them, correct?

Put the tone to one pickup/lug, and the varitone to the other.

 

[maniac mikej]

....but there's 2 volume pots. Does anybody have a diagram? That would quell my stupidity.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

....but there's 2 volume pots. Does anybody have a diagram? That would quell my stupidity.

One tone goes to one volume pot, and the varitone goes to the other.

I cobbled this together from a couple of Duncan diagrams. Your varitone would replace the neck tone pot.

 

[maniac mikej]

<3

 

[maniac mikej]

worked perfectly. cant even begin to thank you my good sir!

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Great! And you're welcome.