Need help understanding uncommon Jazz Bass wiring

[jlaudin]

I am trying to clean up some wiring in my Jazz style bass. Two single coil pickups; Vol Vol Tone.
As you can see from the photo. There is one large positive running from the neck pickup center lug directly to the jack! Also connected to this lug is a thin yellow wire, that I assume goes to the second volume pickup, (which lug?) Both Volume pots have the right (with lugs down looking at the back) lugs bent back and soldered to the pot bottom. One solid bare wire ground connects the three pots and jack.
My question is I have never seen one positive going from the neck volume to jack. Can someone explain why this was done and what the rest of the wiring scheme should look like?

It's passive.

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[line6man]

Personally, I would trash that entire harness and buy new pots. The soldering is very poor, and the pots are probably fried. It's better to start with new components.

In any case, there should be a few other wires, which are missing.

 

[Growlmonkee]

The soldering job on that harness is terrible, here's a diagram, nothing is right on your harness, it's possible those pots have seen all the heat they can bear, new stuff is not expensive, (something to consider) ( I was posting the same time as Line6man)

 

[jlaudin]

Thanks!
Still wondering why the big lead from volume to jack, anyone know why someone did that?

 

[line6man]

Thanks!
Still wondering why the big lead from volume to jack, anyone know why someone did that?

They were probably too lazy to cut the wire shorter. Normally that wire goes from the jack to the tone pot, but you can go from the jack to the volume pot, too.

 

[RobbieK]

Still wondering why the big lead from volume to jack

It looks like that wire to the jack comes from the centre lug of the pot. The answer to your question is simply that whoever wired this didn't know what they were doing. Nor how to solder. When I was doing a lot of tech work, this sort of thing would come in all the time I'm afraid.

I'd replace all pots, jack and cap. And I'd remove the pickups to check they haven't been "soldered" by this guy as well.

 

[jlaudin]

I took everyone's advice and started over with new pots. See attached.

 

[Growlmonkee]

That's much better than what was in there, the only thing not visible in your new pic is the bridge ground, if it's on that screwed down connector it should be good to go.