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  #1  
Old 06-22-2009, 11:22 PM
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Talking 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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  #2  
Old 06-22-2009, 11:34 PM
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Cool Hmm....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roberto Zecchinelli View Post
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
Interesting. That's on your 5GN, right? Would love to see how you did that.
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  #3  
Old 06-23-2009, 09:49 PM
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roberto Zecchinelli View Post
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
Hi, Roberto.

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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  #4  
Old 06-24-2009, 01:43 AM
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Default 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.
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  #5  
Old 06-26-2009, 10:47 AM
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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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  #6  
Old 06-26-2009, 10:56 AM
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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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  #7  
Old 06-26-2009, 01:19 PM
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Cool Interesting....

Interesting. Thx for taking the time to provide this Roberto.
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  #8  
Old 06-28-2009, 12:58 PM
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I like to share new ideas..
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  #9  
Old 06-28-2009, 01:38 PM
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Cool Like....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roberto Zecchinelli View Post
I like to share new ideas..
I like that you like to share new ideas.
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  #10  
Old 06-28-2009, 09:13 PM
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Default Can we get a sound clip of the Smith bass...

This is very interesting. Can you post a sound clip? Both Pickups, back pickup soloed and then the front pickup soloed - all in single coil mode?
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  #11  
Old 06-28-2009, 09:22 PM
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Default Sound clip?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Christopher Rhodes View Post
This is very interesting. Can you post a sound clip? Both Pickups, back pickup soloed and then the front pickup soloed - all in single coil mode?
No intent here to dampen the request, however, a sound clip for bass audio would most likely be inconclusive and subjective at best. Certainly no comparison to a live run-through.
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Old 06-28-2009, 09:31 PM
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Cool Switches....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Christopher Rhodes View Post
This is very interesting. Can you post a sound clip? Both Pickups, back pickup soloed and then the front pickup soloed - all in single coil mode?
At some point in the near future, I think I'll order a set of the switches from Ken, re-wire them for the S/C mod and insert them into the Smith bass of my choice. Then run a test using my cabs and amp of choice. That will tell me what I need to know. Given the placement of P/U's on Ken's basses relative to the maximum-string-vibration-point, I am very curious how this mod will sound.
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  #13  
Old 07-01-2009, 02:50 AM
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watching thread...
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  #14  
Old 07-01-2009, 04:11 AM
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Lightbulb but..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Bishop View Post
At some point in the near future, I think I'll order a set of the switches from Ken, re-wire them for the S/C mod and insert them into the Smith bass of my choice. Then run a test using my cabs and amp of choice. That will tell me what I need to know. Given the placement of P/U's on Ken's basses relative to the maximum-string-vibration-point, I am very curious how this mod will sound.
We have some 3-way switches that just came in from my Distributor in Japan to install on one of his Basses. He asked us to wire it up from the start for him so he doesn't have to modify it there. He offers this option locally in Japan now from what I have heard. I will test the single coil mode option within the next month or so and report back.

I tested this by the way back in 1982 or so right after the pick-up design was completed, the same ones we use now. I didn't see much difference between the single coil/dummy coil and the Parallel option. Actually, the Parallel wiring sounded cleaner so we went that way. The first few basses I wired up back then were in Series but after hearing the Parallel sound, I switched to that as my pre-set.
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Old 07-01-2009, 07:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith View Post
We have some 3-way switches that just came in from my Distributor in Japan to install on one of his Basses.
I was about to PM you and ask if you had these. So, the 3-way switch would be: Series, Parallel, and Single Coil?
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Last edited by Tim Bishop; 07-01-2009 at 08:14 AM.
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  #16  
Old 07-01-2009, 08:00 AM
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Cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith View Post
I will test the single coil mode option within the next month or so and report back.
Thx, Ken! That would be great.
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  #17  
Old 07-01-2009, 08:12 AM
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Cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith View Post
We have some 3-way switches that just came in from my Distributor in Japan to install on one of his Basses.
Are these available to purchase and will these 3-way switches fit a Smith as the original S/P switches fit?
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  #18  
Old 07-01-2009, 08:59 AM
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Cool yes..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Bishop View Post
I was about to PM you and ask if you had these. So, the 3-way switch would be: Series, Parallel, and Single Coil?
Yes, as far as I know. I haven't tried it yet though.
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  #19  
Old 07-01-2009, 09:07 AM
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Cool no..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Bishop View Post
Are these available to purchase and will these 3-way switches fit a Smith as the original S/P switches fit?
No, not at this time. These switches I just received (only a few of them) are totally un-wired. The S/P switches we have, use and sell come to us wired already with 4 colored wires coming off the switch to solder to the pickup tabs. These 3-ways have to be totally wired from scratch.

Perhaps sometime in the future we might have these to sell but I would ship them off in some quantity to the Lab we use and have them nicely wired up in advance so only the 4 colored wires are there for the pickups like on our current S/P switch assembly.

First we have to try it and see if it's something we want to get involved with. Then maybe we will consider adding it as an option both on newly made basses as well as retro fits for existing basses out there. Currently we offer a S/P upgrade on old basses, S/P option on basses that do not come with switches and we also sell them after market for the do-it-yourself types out there. This 3-way if it passes our approval would then be available all ways as well.
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  #20  
Old 07-01-2009, 05:22 PM
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Default Wow - that would be a nice option...

Mr. Smith,

That sounds like a nice option to have. I would drive my basses up to you - to visit you and the shop - and have my basses retro-fitted with the new-switches; if all the details work out during your testing of this option.

I will be watching this thread, and waiting for your report.

All the best to you, and everyone watching/viewing.
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