Wiring PJ V/V/T with toggle

[secondbestcody]

So I’m going to be wiring pickups in my PJ and I came across these two wiring diagrams on the Seymour Duncan site. Can someone tell me what the difference will be by switching the lugs on the volume pot?

Btw, the way it is now is a Dimarzio Split P humbucker at the neck and a stock single coil jazz at the bridge. When I use both turned up, the volume cuts which I assume is impedance difference and is what I want to get rid of. I have a Model P and Model J set coming to replace them so the impedance will be right.

One more question. Is it possible to wire them solo p/series/parallel since I wouldn’t be using the J solo’d?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

You did not find those on the S.D. site, they're clearly marked as DiMarzio diagrams.
You can't have series/parallel AND a pickup selector switch.

The one where the switch connects to the center lug of the pots blends differently than the other.
If both pickups are selected & you turn down one pickup, you're actually turning down both. It still blends, but be aware that if you turn one volume all the way down, both pickups are silenced.

The advantage to that is that turning down doesn't stifle the high-end like the other configuration does.
The advantage of having the pickup leads go to the center lug is that you can blend one pickup w/o affecting the volume of the other pickup, but there is more high-end drop-off when rolling back the volume.

Unless you're using DiMarzio pickups, the colors in those diagrams likely won't match your pickups.

 

[secondbestcody]

You did not find those on the S.D. site, they're clearly marked as DiMarzio diagrams.
You can't have series/parallel AND a pickup selector switch.

The one where the switch connects to the center lug of the pots blends differently than the other.
If both pickups are selected & you turn down one pickup, you're actually turning down both. It still blends, but be aware that if you turn one volume all the way down, both pickups are silenced.

The advantage to that is that turning down doesn't stifle the high-end like the other configuration does.
The advantage of having the pickup leads go to the center lug is that you can blend one pickup w/o affecting the volume of the other pickup, but there is more high-end drop-off when rolling back the volume.

Unless you're using DiMarzio pickups, the colors in those diagrams likely won't match your pickups.

Yes, DiMarzio diagrams. I was just looking at SD wiring diagrams before.

So what you’re saying is the more conventional way to do it is the side lugs, not the center lugs?

How would I got about wiring it solo p/series/parallel?

And yes, I will be using DiMarzio pickups.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

When I use both turned up, the volume cuts which I assume is impedance difference and is what I want to get rid of. I have a Model P and Model J set coming to replace them so the impedance will be right.

There's nothing wrong with the Impedance between the pickups, you probably just have the phase wrong on the bridge pickup. Try swapping the wires on it.
I wouldn't swap a Split-P for a Model P, but I might re-wire a Split-P to parallel to match a Model J pickup.

You should have bought an Ultra-Jazz to replace the bridge pickup & kept the Split-P, a great match.

S.D. have the best wiring diagrams around, IME:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/wiring-diagrams

Here's their series/parallel setup:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JazzBass_2VppSP_1T.pdf

That little six-dot box that represents the switch on a push/pull pot could be replaced with a normal (non-push/pull) DPDT switch where your pickup selector switch was.

I know the drawing has 250k Ohm pots, but I recommend 500k Ohm linear taper volume pots & a 500k Ohm audio taper for the treble-cut pot.
If you don't want the extra brightness & output then just use 250k Ohm pots.

Here's the pin-out diagram for that switch:

Since the S.D. colors won't match the DiMarzio pickups, there's this, also available on S.D.'s wiring diagram page:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WD_Pickup_Color_Codes.pdf

TBH I think FOUR coils in series will end up being mud. The Model J & Model P each have two coils, so all that in series would be 4 coils, unless you wired the pickups internally in parallel, which would actually not be a bad idea for the Split-P to match it up to the Model J & then sell or return the Model P.

Alternatively you could just return both pickups & get an Ultra-Jazz, with that & the Split-P you honestly wouldn't need to run them in series, plenty of output.

 

[secondbestcody]

There's nothing wrong with the Impedance between the pickups, you probably just have the phase wrong on the bridge pickup. Try swapping the wires on it.
I wouldn't swap a Split-P for a Model P, but I might re-wire a Split-P to parallel to match a Model J pickup.

You should have bought an Ultra-Jazz to replace the bridge pickup & kept the Split-P, a great match.

S.D. have the best wiring diagrams around, IME:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/wiring-diagrams

Here's their series/parallel setup:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JazzBass_2VppSP_1T.pdf

That little six-dot box that represents the switch on a push/pull pot could be replaced with a normal (non-push/pull) DPDT switch where your pickup selector switch was.

I know the drawing has 250k Ohm pots, but I recommend 500k Ohm linear taper volume pots & a 500k Ohm audio taper for the treble-cut pot.
If you don't want the extra brightness & output then just use 250k Ohm pots.

Here's the pin-out diagram for that switch:

Since the S.D. colors won't match the DiMarzio pickups, there's this, also available on S.D.'s wiring diagram page:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WD_Pickup_Color_Codes.pdf

TBH I think FOUR coils in series will end up being mud. The Model J & Model P each have two coils, so all that in series would be 4 coils, unless you wired the pickups internally in parallel, which would actually not be a bad idea for the Split-P to match it up to the Model J & then sell or return the Model P.

Alternatively you could just return both pickups & get an Ultra-Jazz, with that & the Split-P you honestly wouldn't need to run them in series, plenty of output.

Ok first off, thank you for all your help. Second, do you think the best idea would be to get an ultra jazz and just wire it in like a standard VVT with a toggle? I do like the split P humbucker a lot.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

The Spit-P is DiMarzio's greatest ambassador to Earthlings!
If you want series/parallel, do it per pickup, not globally. In that way you can keep the pickup selector switch.

Use 500k Ohm push/pull pots to switch between series & parallel on the respective volume pot:

https://d2emr0qhzqfj88.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/diagrams/1hum1ppv_dualsnd.pdf

However, for series/parallel on a Model J, I wouldn't recommend it, not enough output for parallel.
and it's a poor match for a Split-P

 

[secondbestcody]

I’m not sure if this will help, but this is what they had going on underneath. I feel like there are a few too many wires.

 

[secondbestcody]

The Spit-P is DiMarzio's greatest ambassador to Earthlings!
If you want series/parallel, do it per pickup, not globally. In that way you can keep the pickup selector switch.

Use 500k Ohm push/pull pots to switch between series & parallel on the respective volume pot:

https://d2emr0qhzqfj88.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/diagrams/1hum1ppv_dualsnd.pdf

However, for series/parallel on a Model J, I wouldn't recommend it, not enough output for parallel.
and it's a poor match for a Split-P

What is the function of the lead wires going to the toggle switch also going back to the ground wires on the other side and then being grounded to each pot? They also have the grounds from the toggle switch and the output jack grounding on the tone pot but also going to the left lug on the tone pot and capacitor on the center lug. This seems wrong but I’m no expert.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

That's done really well actually, using shielded wire, which is a bonus!
If your treble-cut pot works, leave it be.

All the grounding is to stop EMI from inducing noise into the wires:

Invalid Link Removed

shielded wire has one conductor that goes to ground & acts to absorb EMF (noise) induced from EMI

 

[secondbestcody]

That's done really well actually, using shielded wire, which is a bonus!
If your treble-cut pot works, leave it be.

All the grounding is to stop EMI from inducing noise into the wires:

Invalid Link Removed

shielded wire has one conductor that goes to ground & acts to absorb EMF (noise) induced from EMI

Ok great. I was really confused because I’ve never seen a bass wired up like this before. Thank you for all your help. I’ll get that ultra jazz and just wire it up the same as the stock jazz in there now.

What causes the volume/tone change when both pickups are at full volume. When I turn one down just a little the tone takes the sound of the pickup still at full volume? Is that because of what you mentioned before about the pickup being wired to the center lug?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

If it's a small volume dip it could just be the usual dip from two pickups on full volume. There has been some discussion on here about "comb filtering" which is worse with two J-style pickups IIRC.
IF it's a bigger volume drop, it might be a phase issue. To be sure just swap the white & black wires on the bridge pickup.
If it gets worse, it wasn't a phase issue, if it gets better, Voila!

 

[TheLowDown33]

You did not find those on the S.D. site, they're clearly marked as DiMarzio diagrams.
You can't have series/parallel AND a pickup selector switch.

The one where the switch connects to the center lug of the pots blends differently than the other.
If both pickups are selected & you turn down one pickup, you're actually turning down both. It still blends, but be aware that if you turn one volume all the way down, both pickups are silenced.

The advantage to that is that turning down doesn't stifle the high-end like the other configuration does.
The advantage of having the pickup leads go to the center lug is that you can blend one pickup w/o affecting the volume of the other pickup, but there is more high-end drop-off when rolling back the volume.

Unless you're using DiMarzio pickups, the colors in those diagrams likely won't match your pickups.

Pretty sure you can have a series and parallel switch with a 3way selector. I had one in a bass I put together, and I'm pretty sure G&L does this in their L2k bases, no?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

G&L does a series/parallel per pickup, like I explained in post #6.

 

[walterw]

Can someone tell me what the difference will be by switching the lugs on the volume pot?

the second one is better in every way tonally, except that if you roll one volume all the way down it kills the signal. (above that you can blend between pickups just fine). since you have a switch that's not a problem, and this is how gibson wires their 3-knob guitars like explorers and flying Vs.

the first one is just pointless since there's a switch. without a switch you have to do it that way to hear individual pickups, which is why jazz basses are wired that way.

+1 to @Killed_by_Death's suggestion to just series/parallel the P pickup itself (say with a push-pull pot), the split P is extremely powerful in series but sounds quite good in parallel, probably a better match for the J pickup.

 

[secondbestcody]

the second one is better in every way tonally, except that if you roll one volume all the way down it kills the signal. (above that you can blend between pickups just fine). since you have a switch that's not a problem, and this is how gibson wires their 3-knob guitars like explorers and flying Vs.

the first one is just pointless since there's a switch. without a switch you have to do it that way to hear individual pickups, which is why jazz basses are wired that way.

+1 to @Killed_by_Death's suggestion to just series/parallel the P pickup itself (say with a push-pull pot), the split P is extremely powerful in series but sounds quite good in parallel, probably a better match for the J pickup.

When I get my Ultra Jazz to match the Split P I plan on swapping the lugs, but as for the push/pull pot, I think I’m just going to stick with plain wiring for now. I’ll mess with it for a while like that and later on, if I decide to, I’ll add the push/pull for series/parallel. It has push on speed knobs as of now so I’ll have to find some set screw speed knobs.

 

[cvtonyd]

I have a different, more basic issue--as recommended above, i kept the stock P pickup in my Mustang PJ, and am trying to install a DiMarzio Ultra Jazz at bridge. DiMarzio has no wiring for this online that i can find, but i did see something that said wire white and red together, so i did that and wired it to the same pole on the switch that the white from the standard J pickup went. Then i assumed--perhaps incorrectly--that the black and green wires should also be joined, and connected them to the back of the tone pot where the former J pickup ground was connected.

both pickups work separately and it's dead quiet, but in the middle position of the switch the volume drops to almost nothing and sounds out of phase---should the green or black wires go somewhere else?

many thanks.

 

[secondbestcody]

I have a different, more basic issue--as recommended above, i kept the stock P pickup in my Mustang PJ, and am trying to install a DiMarzio Ultra Jazz at bridge. DiMarzio has no wiring for this online that i can find, but i did see something that said wire white and red together, so i did that and wired it to the same pole on the switch that the white from the standard J pickup went. Then i assumed--perhaps incorrectly--that the black and green wires should also be joined, and connected them to the back of the tone pot where the former J pickup ground was connected.

both pickups work separately and it's dead quiet, but in the middle position of the switch the volume drops to almost nothing and sounds out of phase---should the green or black wires go somewhere else?

many thanks.

Dimarzio always has you solder black and white together, green is ground and red is hot.

Check out their site, they have tons of wiring diagrams. This should be the one you need:

 

[cvtonyd]

thanks very much, i was all over their site but looking for an exact mustang PJ, not smart enough to to realize that a humbucker is a humbucker!

working now, but interesting the middle position on the switch sounds more like a soloed bridge PU and the rear position sounds more like the PUs blended. don't know how i could've done that, as i followed the diagram--ever heard of this?

thanks much.

 

[secondbestcody]

thanks very much, i was all over their site but looking for an exact mustang PJ, not smart enough to to realize that a humbucker is a humbucker!

working now, but interesting the middle position on the switch sounds more like a soloed bridge PU and the rear position sounds more like the PUs blended. don't know how i could've done that, as i followed the diagram--ever heard of this?

thanks much.

The only problem I ever had with my Mustang PJ was the volume tapering quickly when the tone was all the way up, but that was because of how they come wired.

As for your problem, it could be that the Ultra Jazz is higher output than the stock Fender P pickups and is overpowering it. Maybe try lowering the Ultra Jazz to get it further from the strings and see how that sounds.

 

[cvtonyd]

thanks!