Help with wiring Jazz Bass

[jrc4558]

Hi everybody!
I want to rewire my bass to have master volume, pan control from neck to bridge and a master tone control. One thing I noticed is that with whichever wiring I used so far for the pan control, i dont get the maximum output from both pickups in the middle position. Been thinking of it for a week now, no ideas. Can anyone recommend a potentiometer and wiring for that? Or maybe a cirquit(i don't mind active there and do have room for a battery)? Thanks!

[lovekraft0]

What you need is a panpot, or blend pot.

[Bernardduur]

Check out this. I build it and I love it.

Ok, now it is in a pedal, but it used to be on my bass....... I just hated the 9V battery

[Joe Viau]

While you're at it, you may want to consider series / parallel switching as well...



The black rectangle on the tone pot is a capacitor.

There's a lot of info over at talkbass.com about wiring and such, as well as problems and solutions that some people have had. Here's the thread where this came from:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=141764&highlight=volume+blend+tone+series+parallel

And another...

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36642&highlight=pan+wiring+diagram

The Stew-Mac link on the second is broken, but if you go to stewmac.com and click on Free Information you should find it. ** EDIT ** "it" being a blend pot schematic.

HTH,
Joe

[jrc4558]

Whoa! thanks! However, any other place to buy this blend pot from! Or maybe I could just use a regular balance control? Maybe linear taper will do? Any experience with those?

[melvin]

I have found old stereos to be a great source of uncommon pots.  Mostly I come across broken portable tape/radio players, and they almost always have a balance control for the left & right speakers with a centre detent.

[Joe Viau]

Stewart MacDonald here in the US has them:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Potentiometers_and_push-pull_pots/4/Control_Pots.html

Item 4138, a 500K dual blend pot will set you back $5.34 USD.  I've dealt with StewMac several times and always have had good luck with them--they've been around a long time.

Regards,
Joe

[jrc4558]

Ok! Ordered 500k pan pots from Stew Mac. Thank you gentlemen!

[SonicVI]

Definitely do the series/parallel switch. It was the best mod I've ever done. Well, it's the only mod I've ever done to my Jazz Bass, but I'm glad I did.  I use the series mode more than the standard parallel now. It's like playing a Jazz Bass that sounds almost like a Precision Bass, much fatter and rounder. And then if I want the normal Jazz Bass sound it's still there.   

[Bernardduur]

I totally agree. A jazz bass in series is the best sound!

[jrc4558]

I'm using Di-marzio Ultra Jazz  pickups. They're pretty high output already. And noiseless.
Btw, which pickups for jazz bass do you guys like? sorry, offtopic...

[Bernardduur]

I am still using my Farida Jazz Bass stock pickups. The bass was the cheapest in the store but the pickups really can sing (and are noiseless)

[SonicVI]

I have a Japanese '75 reissue that came with standard USA Vintage Jazz pickups. They sound good enough for me with my SVT3Pro and 4x10.  I may try something new someday just for fun.

here's a pic of my lovely bass btw, the tone control is a push/pull for series/parallel:
http://homepage.mac.com/sonicvi/bc2.jpg

[Joe Viau]

I currently have an old set of DiMarzios on a Jazz Bass copy, but I like Seymour Duncan and Bartolinis just as well.

My Dean Jeff Berlin Signature has Barts and I do like the "transparency" of the pickups.  Many feel that it's better to let your outboard electronics color the sound rather than have the pickup itself define the sound.  Duncans have a tone that I like, and the EMGs seem a little harsh to me.  But if you like the EMG sound, enjoy, and more power to you. 

[Tubebass]

I'd like to chime in on the series/parallel thing. I liked series so well that I just wired my bass permanently in series.