Hack, slash and burn: Wiring woes

worriedman · Post by **worriedman** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:45 am

I want to get rid of the terrible toggle switch on my Jagmaster -- so I just deleted it from the equation. The idea is that I can blend either the neck or the bridge. Is this the proper way to do it?

Post by **Mike** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:13 am

I don't know off the top of my head how to do it, but that won't work, since if you turn off either pickup, the other one will be grounded out also.

worriedman · Post by **worriedman** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:44 pm

I know it has been done with telecasters since the beginning, but the toggle switch is intact so I am assuming that's how to get around the "master pot" issue.

I read somewhere that If I switch the grounds I could pull it off, but I'm not sure how.

worriedman · Post by **worriedman** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:53 pm

I just thought of this as the simplest solution: what if the connection met at the output jack? Meaning the neck went to the pot and then to the output, and the bridge went to its own pot and then the output.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:56 pm

if you have a blend pot, that should change the balance between the pickups by itself; the individual volume pots are unnecessary. as for the blend pot wiring, the signal from each pickup should go to the outer lugs of the pot and then you wire the middle lug to output. use a linear taper pot so the pickups will be blended equally in the middle of the pot rotation. if you use an audio taper they will be equal at about 7 or 8 (if not 2 or 3).

filtercap · Post by **filtercap** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:16 am

You might take a look at Fender Jazz Bass wiring for an example of a two-pickup, two-volume setup. (Ignore the tone pot and cap, of course.)

I've experimented with blendo pots with the J-bass, but haven't liked them much. Even when I found one that was designed correctly (and lots =aren't=), the taper still wasn't very good. In other words, only the middle 20% or so of the pot's sweep (centered = both pickups full on) made much difference. The rest sounded virtually the same as having one pickup full-on or the other one full-on. BUT maybe one gets better results with guitar??

Post by **Mike** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:32 am

worriedman wrote:I just thought of this as the simplest solution: what if the connection met at the output jack? Meaning the neck went to the pot and then to the output, and the bridge went to its own pot and then the output.

Electronically it's the same as what you have drawn. Setting one to ground will mute your guitar.

How about this:

Connect the bridge hot to the left lug
Connect the neck hot to the right lug
Connect the centre lug to the jack tip

Connect the neck and bridge grounds to the jack ground.

That will work as a one knob solution, but like Filtercap says you may be dissatisfied by the result.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:21 pm

Mike wrote:Connect the bridge hot to the left lug
Connect the neck hot to the right lug
Connect the centre lug to the jack tip

mage wrote:signal from each pickup should go to the outer lugs of the pot and then you wire the middle lug to output.

I've done it before. it works. but like I was saying I used an audio taper pot and it didn't sound that great. it should work decently if you use a linear taper pot.

filtercap · Post by **filtercap** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:19 pm

The blend pots I've tried were the dual-ganged jobs. When designed/wired correctly, it's like a stacked volume pot, only the two halves are tapered in opposite directions... AND each half does nothing (adds/removes no more resistance) for half of its sweep. So both halves are at zero resistance when the knob's in the center "detent," and you get both pickups at max volume there. One half tapers (adds resistance) from center towards one end of the knob's rotation, and the other half tapers from center in the =other= direction. So turning from the center towards either end keeps one of the pickups on full and gradually blends the other one out.

My objection to the stacked blender pots I tried with bass is that most of the usable semi-blended tones came from a small sweep range to either side of center, and that outside that range it pretty much sounded like I had only one pickup dialed on. That's just a matter of design, possibly exaggerated by the master-volume knob I usually had in the circuit.

Another problem with these dual-blend pots is that when combined with a master-volume knob, you effectively get three parallel paths to ground -- meaning you lose a little treble and a little volume. Without a master volume, you keep more treble detail and can blend nicely, but you can't turn down.

If curious about one of these blenders, you can try a place like Guitar Pants Resource.

Guitar PARTS Resource.

http://guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_blendpots.htm

Post by **Mike** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:07 am

mage wrote:
Mike wrote:Connect the bridge hot to the left lug
Connect the neck hot to the right lug
Connect the centre lug to the jack tip

mage wrote:signal from each pickup should go to the outer lugs of the pot and then you wire the middle lug to output.
I've done it before. it works. but like I was saying I used an audio taper pot and it didn't sound that great. it should work decently if you use a linear taper pot.

Sorry, I didn't see your post.