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Pickups wiring MOD to parallel/single coil
Hallo everybody..
I have been playing my smith for I while and I love it.. Anyway, I noticed that I don't really like the "series" PU sound. too dark.. So I changed the wiring on the series/parallel switches to parallel/singol coil and it sounds AMAZING! Now I have the traditional Smith sound plus a beautiful rich jazz like tone,whith a lot more dinamic response and richer harmonics. everything you have been missing in the jazz bass you sold to buy your wonderful Smith is still inside there.. and it sounds great whith older strings as well being much more open on the highs.. and it sounds better in the high register. I love it. If you want to know "how I did it" just ask.. Roberto
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www.myspace.com/robertozecchinelli |
#2
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Hmm....
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Tim Bishop |
#3
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1-What about the hum 2- Many differences about volume 3- I´d like to know how you did it! THANKS.
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Joel Alves,Jr. Burner 5 custom´93 |
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Inner or outer coils ?
That's interesting. I thought for a while to give that modification a try but never started because the sound I get from my Smiths never disappointed me.
Did you use the inner or outer coils ? How was it done ? Only new soldering at the toggle poles ? If yes, you can easily ADD the single coil option while keeping the serial option, but you will have to change the 2-way toggle to a 3-way. |
#5
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So here is how I did it it's simple and anyone can use a solder can do it.
just be sure that your wirings are the same color otherwise you'll have to figure out what cable comes from what coil on your bass. the original config of mine i'm posting here can be a reference. I used the inner coils since I wanted the fuller sound of the inner bridge coil.. Ok, assuming that your wires are the same color as mine on your switches you will see: original switch config: WHITE AND YELLOW------------------BLACK AND BROWN top left pin----------------------------top right pin ORANGE---------------------------------BLUE middle left--------------------------------middle right BLUE comes here from mid right bottom left in order to get prallel/single coil instea of parallel/series you have to change the wiring in the following manner: the wirings dor the 2 pickups will be different in order to have the opposite coils of each pickup working when in S/C, for a hum cancelling jassbass like configuration. When in S/C you'll want to have the “neck coil” of the bridge PU and the “bridge coil” of the neck PU working. The remaining 2 coils will be switched off. So for the BRIDGE switch the wiring will be WHITE AND ORANGE----------------------BROWN AND BLACK top left pin---------------------------------top right pin YELLOW--------------------------------------BLUE middle left----------------------------------middle right NOTHING-----------------------------------NOTHING bottom left--------------------------------bottom right as you can see you'll just CHANGE THE YELLOW with THE ORANGE WIRE AND CUT THE WIRE CONNECTING THE MIDDLE RIGHT PIN (BLUE) WITH THE BOTTOM LEFT PIN. For the NECK PU SWITCH wire as follows: WHITE AND YELLOW------------------------BLUE AND BLACK top left PIN---------------------------------top right pin ORANGE----------------------------------------BROWN middle left------------------------------------middle right NOTHING-------------------------------------NOTHING bottom left----------------------------------bottom right so you just change the BROWN WIRE WITH THE BLUE and again CUT THE WIRE CONNECTING THE MIDDLE RIGHT PIN WITH THE BOTTOM LEFT PIN. You've done. Enjoy the new sound of your Ken Smith. you have now the original parallel config with the switch down and the SC config whith the switch up.. You'll love it! Roberto
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www.myspace.com/robertozecchinelli |
#6
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P.S:
no big volume changes in SC compared to parallel. Series config sounds louder instead. no hum with both PU on, as the work together as an humbucker. hum will come out if you solo one pickup, as in a jazzbass. Rob
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www.myspace.com/robertozecchinelli |
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Interesting....
Interesting. Thx for taking the time to provide this Roberto.
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Tim Bishop |
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I like to share new ideas..
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www.myspace.com/robertozecchinelli |
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Like....
I like that you like to share new ideas.
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Tim Bishop |
#10
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3-way switch connections
Here are the connections necessary for installing the 3-way switch with serial/parallel/single coil mode.
Assuming you have the same colours on your connectors you will have to solder them to the switches as follows (single coil mode with the outer coils, i.e. neck pickup - neck side coil, bridge pickup - bridge side coil) So for the NECK switch the wiring will be (sorry Roberto for copying your layout ...;-) EMPTY---------------------------Connector to bottom left top left pin---------------------------------top right pin BLACK and BLUE---------------------------YELLOW middle left----------------------------------middle right Connector to top right BROWN----------------------------ORANGE and WHITE bottom left--------------------------------bottom right For the BRIDGE PU SWITCH wire as follows: EMPTY---------------------------Connector to bottom left top left pin---------------------------------top right pin BLACK and BROWN---------------------------ORANGE middle left----------------------------------middle right Connector to top right BLUE--------------------------------YELLOW and WHITE bottom left--------------------------------bottom right This layout will work if the colours are used with the following scheme: Circuit connectors: WHITE - Hot BLACK - Ground Pickup connectors: YELLOW - Neck Side Coil + BLUE - Neck Side Coil - ORANGE - Bridge Side Coil + BROWN - Bridge Side Coil - For use of the inner coils in single mode please exchange the layouts for both switches. It is NOT recommended to use both Bridge side or both Neck side coils together because they would hum also when mixed together. I installed this wiring on another bass and it works as expected. The single coil mode opens up the upper mids and higher registers. As posted before I planned to give it a try at one of my Smith basses but I couldn't find a matching 3-way switch (black and with a short paddle) up to now. Ken, I would be highly interested in the results if you would ever evaluate the 3-way coil switch. |
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3-way switches
I forgot to mention: I used 3-way switches, where in the middle position the (middle left pin and bottom left pin) and the (middle right pin and top right pin) are connected. I know that the switch suppliers also offer reverse connections. For those one you would have to reverse the connection scheme shown in my previous post (left => right and vice versa).
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For those who have added the single coil mod, what are your thought? I'm thinking about trying it. I never us the series setting so I will use the existing two way switches.
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#13
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switches
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Sound wise, I think it sounds thin. Not like I intended the bass to sound. These pickups were made to be in series or parallel over 30 years ago. When I tested the SC setting back then, I didn't like it. About 31 years later, I still don't like it. We have these switches available pre-wired for Smith basses for use in production, modifications or for outright sale and you do as you wish with them. They are custom made switches like the 2-ways are with all the same features to thread thru the wood, gold contacts, etc. Not a part you can buy anywhere. We have tried. We have to get them made in large batches and it takes 'months' to get them. |
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