PJ Toggle switch tips

[Sapatown]

Hey!

I have seriously gone mad by deciding on this..
My new bass is arriving soon, and we just got to decide on the wiring for the pickups.

Its gonna be a P/J Yeti bass from Dunable.

I play Metal, and love tone shaping, but I really don't like the sound of the J pickup solo, so I will mostly use both pickups, or the P.

Im thinking instead of having it in V/V/T, to instead have it with a 3 way toggle switch, P only, Both Series, and Both Parallel. And have Master Volume knob plus a Tone Knob.

Is there pros and cons to this contra the regular V/V/T knobs? But I will probably never use the J solo..

I will still have the oppurtunity to use it as a regular PJ bass running it in Parallel right? Only to not have the choice of using the J solo right?

Hope this deciding will end soon..

Cheers!

 

[ctmullins]

Have a look at Bill Lawrence’s P-J Wiring Diagram. The P pickup is always on, and the “blend” knob dials in varying amounts of the J pickup, in series instead of parallel.

 

[Sapatown]

Have a look at Bill Lawrence’s P-J Wiring Diagram. The P pickup is always on, and the “blend” knob dials in varying amounts of the J pickup, in series instead of parallel.

Thanks, that is interesting!
I really get cofused when it comes to this, since I am really not experienced enough when it comes to wiring and pickups, but just want it to sound good! I really have to get the bass in my hands to hear it my self in the end.

It were supposed to be a regular PJ V/V/T, but then, I started reading that alot of people loved the sound of series vs parallel. And I was really intrigued by it.

Will Bill Lawrence's wiring diagram only have the pickups in series? It will function as a regular PJ?
It do not have a toggle switch? Just the knobs doing the job right?

Sorry stupid questions

 

[ctmullins]

Yes, the Wilde diagram has the pickups in series. Parallel isn’t an option with that circuit, although you could probably add a switch to do that. And yes, Bill’s diagram just has three knobs, no switches.

It does not “function like a regular PJ”, so if that’s what you want then this won’t work. But I didn’t think that’s what you wanted....

 

[rojo412]

So the pickup options you'd desire are "PJ Series - P only - PJ Parallel."
If you look at wiring a humbucker, an option would be to wire it with a 3-way DPDT on-on-on switch like this:

The P pickup is the "north coil."
J pickup is the "south coil."
You'll have to determine the actual wiring colors of the pickups, but the poles on the switch should coincide properly:
North Start is neck +, North finish is neck -; South finish is bridge +, south finish bridge -
(reverse bridge contacts if it ends up weird sounding due to phase issues with either pickup)

With this switch, you'd have your desired 3 positions on board.
Middle position is the solo P, the outer 2 are series or parallel, and you could rotate the switch in the body to however you wish those to be oriented.
The output from the switch goes to a standard VT circuit and you're good to go.

 

[MIMike]

I don’t know about the switching options, but it seems that with a VVT, that you would always have the option for “bridge only” if you ever did want that by simply rolling the P-PU volume all the way down.

 

[Sapatown]

Don't think I like having a Blend knob.
What about Master volume, Master Tone. And a killswitch for the J pickup?
So the Master Tone working as a volume for the J?

It could be a push-pull knob on the Master Tone to kill the J.

Yes, the Wilde diagram has the pickups in series. Parallel isn’t an option with that circuit, although you could probably add a switch to do that. And yes, Bill’s diagram just has three knobs, no switches.

It does not “function like a regular PJ”, so if that’s what you want then this won’t work. But I didn’t think that’s what you wanted....

I like the idea! Actually went to ask if the builder can do that and sent him the diagram. Plus asked for a series - parallel switch with it.

Thanks man!