The parallel/series modification; will cost you not even $10.

[kilian]

So I've spooked around Talkbass a few days and I've found a very usefull thing.

The parallel/series modification!

huh?
It goes like this: normally you have a jazz bass (other pickups are sometimes capable too) with two pickups and those are wired in parralel. If you install a switch (either a push/pull pot or a DPDT switch) you can swap between the two things. Parallel is your normal tone and series will give you a more beefy/fatter tone. It is sometimes said as a mix between a Pbass pickup and a Musicmanpickup. This will give you (even) more tonal variations on your jazz bass.

http://members.lycos.nl/tigerarmy/seriesparallel.jpg
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15665&stc=1
Basically it looks like this.

Ok now we want to achieve this.. but how? You will need:
- a switch or the pushpullpot.
- some wires
- solder equipment
- time (this is important! do everything slow and it will be OK)


I'll assume you have the tone pot section of your push-pull wired correctly, and just address the pickup circuit. I'll also assume you've gone down the road where "pull" is "series" (as you suggested you have).

Here's your push-pull (numbers are added to the lugs for purposes of the discussion to follow)

| | shaft
------
° ° ° tone section
------
------
°1 4°
°2 5° push/pull DPDT switch
°3 6°
------

How it should be wired:

- Jumper 1 to 4.
- Cut the "hot" wire from your neck pickup "in the middle" (assumes length is sufficient); the lead coming from the pup goes to 2, and the lead coming from the neck vol pot lug goes to 3.
- Cut the "ground" wire from your bridge pickup "in the middle"; the lead coming from the pup goes to 5, and the lead coming from the bridge vol pot ground (probably the back of the housing) goes to 6.

When you push down on the new pot, the internal connections are 2 to 3, and 5 to 6. So, as per the last two bullets above, pushing down simply "re-makes" the connections of the wires that you just cut. This is the usual Jazz bass wiring, or "parallel".

When you pull up on the new pot, the internal connections are 2 to 1, and 4 to 5. So the "hot" lead from your neck pickup is now connected "in series" to the "ground" lead of your bridge pickup by means of 2 to 1 (internal), 1 to 4 (jumpered), and 4 to 5 (internal). This is series mode; your neck vol pot will go dead (bridge vol pot is now master vol).
If you follow that, you will get your bigger, beefy, more basslike tone :thumb:
Read everything careful to understand it, I will upload a picture later when I have the camera..



I hope this helped.. feel free to ask questions. I thought that it was a real cheap, but extremely good mod.

^^For a Jbass or another bass with two pickups.

And the next schematic will be for a Pbass. Read further in the thread for more information. Pbasses are already in series normally (because the Precision pickup is actually two little pickups in one), so you will install the switch to switch from series to parallel.
i take no credit for this, it was from bgavin from talkbass, although the following explanation is from me, the schematic isnt

basically what you want to do is the wires that are connected together on your p bass, black wire in the schematic is the corresponding one. not all wires will be the same color, and actually, none of the wires on my bass was the same. also for the "red" and "green" just connect it to the pot where the schematic says to, you dont need to connect it to the switch first

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/6087/dpdtswitchpoints8dy.th.jpg (http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dpdtswitchpoints8dy.jpg)

also about the screws, they work so i dont care, as long as they hold the pick guard down, im ok with it


EDIT: fixed a few things.

[edgebass5]

just a bit of note, the switch you indicated is actually DPDT, which stands for doublt pole, double throw.

The series/parallel mod is very cool and very cheap. A bit more accurate description of the tonal characteristics would be this:

parallel: lower output, lower mids, lower bass
series: higher output, more mids, more bass

Also, a humbucking pickup (i.e. a pickup that has more than one coil in the same casing) can be setup with the series/parallel mod on its own. For instance, a jazz bass with DiMarzio Model J pickups could have two series/parallel switches, one for each pickup, and they would work independently of each other.

[kilian]

^^Ah I knew there was something wrong with the switch.. I was already in doubt. Do you have an explanation of the mod you're talking about? Because I have humbucking pickups.. Or an how to.

[edgebass5]

well, it'll be different for each pickup. For instance, with DiMarzio Model J's, jus email DiMarzio tech support and they'll send you a wiring diagram on how to do it (as well as a diagram for how to put each pickup out of phase of each other).

[kilian]

I've shot them an email. I will post the scheme if they have replied to me and when I've tested it out.

[kilian]

EDIT:
red wires = 'hot' wires
green wires = grounding wires
:thumb:

Tadaa:

http://members.lycos.nl/tigerarmy/humbucker%20series%20-%20parallel.gif
Placing humbuckers in series, I don't know what the black and white wire normally are.

http://members.lycos.nl/tigerarmy/single%20coil%20series%20-%20parallel.gif
Remember that the pushpull pot can also be at the neckvolume position or at the bridgevolume position :smoke: Just figure it out a bit. Or use the facts I posted earlier.

Good luck!

[spaz21387]

so what would the wiring look like if i just added a switch. and then drilled a hole in my pickguard for the switch to work cuz i dont know where to get a push pull pot.

[kilian]

^^The same. A pushpull pot is just a pot with a switch integrated. Just look at the schemes and you will find out how to connect the wires to the switch. Questions? Ask :)

[spaz21387]

If i went to my local shop and asked them would they do it for me? Im scared i would mess something up.

[Mr. Pickle]

all music shops are different, you probably need to call them. however, i'm pretty sure most of them around here would do it.

[PainKiller8191]

all that look so scary, I'm not getting anywhere near my bass with no soldering iron

[e p]

Is it possible to do this mod on a P J configuration. If not, what must be done in order to do so?

[azn_bassist]

Is it possible to do this mod on a P J configuration. If not, what must be done in order to do so?

u can probally put your P and J series or parallel to each other

[kilian]

Is it possible to do this mod on a P J configuration. If not, what must be done in order to do so?
The same as with 2 jazz pickups.
:thumb:

See the first post or the second scheme from Dimarzio.

[Troy]

Does this work with a Fender P? Also god forbid if I **** up, but how much will new pickup cost?

[doodooking]

i got 2 questions:

can i do this on a p-pick up?

and can i use a SPDT or is it necessary to use a DPDT?

ex SPDT:
http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/SWM11

[kilian]

^^That switch will work I think.

But you can't do it on a Ppickup, normally you will switch two pickups into series/parallel. I think it CAN be done with a P pickup, but you have to adjust the whole pickup for it. Because a P pickup is basically two pickups stacked together. If I'm right..

Or it has to be a humbucking P pickup like a Dimarzio model P :)

[doodooking]

^^That switch will work I think.

But you can't do it on a Ppickup, normally you will switch two pickups into series/parallel. I think it CAN be done with a P pickup, but you have to adjust the whole pickup for it. Because a P pickup is basically two pickups stacked together. If I'm right..

Or it has to be a humbucking P pickup like a Dimarzio model P :)

actually, i found someone that did it with his p bass

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63924&page=2&pp=20&highlight=series

pic
http://www.ofgb.org/reference/Music/Fender/Images/mim-p-08.jpg

I just wanted to know if the schematic would be the same for a jazz, but instead of the two individual pickups, you would use the two halves of the p pickup

[kilian]

^^Can you actually give me the number of that post? I can't find it there.

[doodooking]

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=740968&postcount=24

[doodooking]

ok, so i pm'd the guy that did this and he gave me the schematics for it, so once i actually do this, i might post pics of either the process, or atleast the finished product

[doodooking]

well, i did the mod on my p-bass. basically its what edge said, parallel gives you a lower output and series gives you a higher output. since p-basses are wired in series anyway, i just wanted to see what it sounded like. basically, i like it in series, for some reason when i switch it to parallel i lose tone. of course this is only going through my practice amp, so when i play on my regular amp (its at our drummers house) i'll be able to really tell whats up.

http://img495.imageshack.us/img495/9355/bass0xf.th.jpg (http://img495.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bass0xf.jpg)

http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/5987/bassswitchzoom9lr.th.jpg (http://img344.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bassswitchzoom9lr.jpg)

some of you may be wondering, "hey, why is your pickguard that cool matte black?" well, i painted it since it was off anyway

[kilian]

Nice! Change the screws though.. they are rusty ;)

And a schematic would be really nice! I still don't really know how you did it. :thumb:

[doodooking]

i take no credit for this, it was from bgavin from talkbass, although the following explanation is from me, the schematic isnt

basically what you want to do is the wires that are connected together on your p bass, black wire in the schematic is the corresponding one. not all wires will be the same color, and actually, none of the wires on my bass was the same. also for the "red" and "green" just connect it to the pot where the schematic says to, you dont need to connect it to the switch first

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/6087/dpdtswitchpoints8dy.th.jpg (http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dpdtswitchpoints8dy.jpg)

also about the screws, they work so i dont care, as long as they hold the pick guard down, im ok with it

[LewsTherin]

I have a question about this....would it be possible to do this using a DP3T (On/Off/On) switch? And if so, would the wiring be the same as the original schematic, or would it be different?

[kilian]

A DP3T will be:

| |
| |
| |
| |

I think? If you only use the upper 6 of the metal things (how do you call those?), it would be possible.

[LewsTherin]

A DP3T will be:

| |
| |
| |
| |

I think? If you only use the upper 6 of the metal things (how do you call those?), it would be possible.

I was wrong, its only DPDT (w/ extra off position in middle).



My next question is: how should I go about mounting the switch (im using a mini switch, not the p/p pot)?

[doodooking]

I was wrong, its only DPDT (w/ extra off position in middle).



My next question is: how should I go about mounting the switch (im using a mini switch, not the p/p pot)?

if you have a bass with a pickguard, you could drill a small hole, start with a small bit and work your way up slowly. if you dont, you could mount it on the back of your bass by the control cavity plate or you could drill a hole in the body to the front. whatever you do, start with a smaller bit than you think you need.

[LewsTherin]

if you have a bass with a pickguard, you could drill a small hole, start with a small bit and work your way up slowly. if you dont, you could mount it on the back of your bass by the control cavity plate or you could drill a hole in the body to the front. whatever you do, start with a smaller bit than you think you need.


i figured that much...but there isnt really any room in the control cavity.

its a fender jazz....so is there anyone else thats done this to their jazz, and if so, whered ya put the switch?

[kilian]

http://members.lycos.nl/tigerarmy/switches.jpg

You can notice them between the tonepot. I had to turn volumepots around, so it would actually fit.. But you can puzzle it out :smoke:

You can also wire the switch first into the schematic, then you can find out if you really like it.. and after that drill a hole for it.

Good luck!

[LewsTherin]

http://members.lycos.nl/tigerarmy/switches.jpg

You can notice them between the tonepot. I had to turn volumepots around, so it would actually fit.. But you can puzzle it out :smoke:

You can also wire the switch first into the schematic, then you can find out if you really like it.. and after that drill a hole for it.

Good luck!

ah. i had tried turning pots 90 degrees, but didnt think theyd fit back in the whole. ill have to try 180 degrees.


thanks.


EDIT: I figured out, Im going to use the lower front screwhole for the control plate. Im going to enlarge the cavity right under it, and put the switch there.

[kilian]

Wouldn't enlarge it.. Just make the holes for the pots a bit bigger, so you can move them a bit. Then you get that one mm that you need :thumb:

A controlplate is cheaper then a new body is..

[zink182]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/aroninn/bass002.jpg


I did this about two weeks ago..

[LewsTherin]

Ive done mine....it sounds great!


Ill have pics up later, maybe.

[jaseonbase]

yes

[kilian]

yes
no.


Where are you talking about?! :confused:

[jaco jr]

grounding wires are for pussies
i took mine out:thumb:

[nicatterberry]

grounding wires are for pussies
i took mine out:thumb:


..why?

And would there be a problem in adding this switch to a bass with a stock p and j pickup?

[acexxxoasis]

I tried it with my P and it wasnt my thing so I wired it back (not to mention it ate like half of my pickups output)

[nicatterberry]

Well, mines a PJ.

[LewsTherin]

Well, mines a PJ.


There shouldnt be any problem, I dont think. Just wire it up like in the diagram, it should be fine.

[nicatterberry]

K, I was just wondering because ones a single coil and ones a humbucker. Thanks Lews.

[LewsTherin]

K, I was just wondering because ones a single coil and ones a humbucker. Thanks Lews.


Nope, itll be fine. I dont know how it'll sound, but it should work. You can do it with humbucking J style pups, so yea.

[Thonk]

Question:

Edge, I think it was, had his bass with a series/parallel switch for each pup.

How much different would be this from the diagrams Kilian posted and is it worth the extra work?

[LewsTherin]

Question:

Edge, I think it was, had his bass with a series/parallel switch for each pup.

How much different would be this from the diagrams Kilian posted and is it worth the extra work?


Its the same for each pup as the diagram Kilian posted. Humbucking pickups like that (Model J, Ultra J, Edge had one of those) have 4 conductors, a hot and a ground for each coil. Just use those 4 wires instead of the 2 from each pup like in the diagram, youll be all set.