NBD 1967 Sunburst Starfire II

fretwear

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Have you checked the ohm value of each pickup to see if they have equal readings? That's where I'd start.
Great looking bass....good luck with the project!!
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
Fretwear, How would I go about checking the ohm value for the pickups?
I try to answer this quickly by copy and pasting something Zelja had written before: With a multimeter which can measure Ohms you can easily measure it while still in the guitar by plugging a chord in, selecting one pickup, all vol & tone controls on max & then measuring across the tip & sleeve of the other end of the chord plug. It'll read a few % less than if it was out of the circuit but close enough for a basic indication. Although a far from perfect indicator, the DC resistance can give you an idea of the character of the pickup.
Ralf
 

fretwear

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Fretwear, How would I go about checking the ohm value for the pickups?

SFIV1967 is right on, I would add just a few things. The multimeter should be set on K ohms, if the meter doesn't say ohms the symbol for ohms looks like an upside down U.
The best reading will be directly from the pickup leads, with the suck switch in play and suspect, I would take the pups out read from the contacts on the back of the pup, as SFIV1967 said open all vol/tone pots to max. Radio Shack or Home Depot, decent meters are fairly cheap and handy to have.
I have '68 SF II one pup was great one had a zero reading. The output was there but very low. Also one of the chrome rings had come off.... I just boxed them up and sent them to Curtis Novak for rehab....
Looks like a great bass, good luck with the project!!
 
Last edited:

wisconsindead

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
165
Reaction score
0
Thanks guys. I have an INNOVA 3320 multimeter at my disposal which I'll use.

Do I move both the red and black electrodes (?) across the plug or only one?

Have the meter set to ohms? Do you mean kiloohms? This meter just has the ohm symbol.

Can you define the pickup leads and the contacts on the back?

Finally, are there some reference values I should expect to see?
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
Have the meter set to ohms? Do you mean kiloohms? This meter just has the ohm symbol.
That's o.k., your's is "auto ranging" to kiloohms, so Ohm is fine. Here's what you do:
1. Plug the red test lead into the "Ω" jack of the multimeter; plug the black test lead into the "COM" jack of the multimeter.
2. Set the multimeter's Function/Range selector switch to the "Ω" range function.
3. Place the red test lead onto one side of the item being tested and the black test lead onto the other side of the item. (in that case the "item" are the two contacts of the guitar cable or the pickup contacts (if you unscrewed them and took them out). Note, that polarity does not matter when checking resistances.
4. Read the results on the display.

Where the red and blue cable is where you measure (and all volume and tone pots need to be on maximum).

DarkStarback.jpg


Ralf
 
Last edited:

wisconsindead

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
165
Reaction score
0
Thanks Ralf. Now I just need to figure out how to get this F****** multimeter to turn on.
 

fretwear

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
That's o.k., your's is "auto ranging" to kiloohms, so Ohm is fine. Here's what you do:
1. Plug the red test lead into the "Ω" jack of the multimeter; plug the black test lead into the "COM" jack of the multimeter.
2. Set the multimeter's Function/Range selector switch to the "Ω" range function.
3. Place the red test lead onto one side of the item being tested and the black test lead onto the other side of the item. (in that case the "item" are the two contacts of the guitar cable or the pickup contacts (if you unscrewed them and took them out). Note, that polarity does not matter when checking resistances.
4. Read the results on the display.

Where the red and blue cable is where you measure (and all volume and tone pots need to be on maximum).

DarkStarback.jpg


Ralf

Thanks Ralf, a much better explanation!!
 

wisconsindead

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
165
Reaction score
0
Yea I swapped out the batteries for both of the meters. They're brand new batteries which work in my computer mouse so idk wtf Im doing. I mean all you need to do is turn the knob!
 

wisconsindead

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
165
Reaction score
0
Still cant get the damn thing to work. We just got it a year ago and only used it a few times. I acquired a much older (but working) meter. It should suffice.
 

wisconsindead

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
165
Reaction score
0
Thanks Ralf! My guess is it has a blown fuse (but what do i know about this stuff). I tried (the method with the guitar cable) using the old meter but got the same reading for each pick up and also on my squire. I think I can get a good meter tomorrow. To be quite honest though, theres got to be an issue unless it is common for the neck pup to be quiet. So I may go about trying to determine whether its wiring or the pup is just a lil dead and needs a fresh wind.
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
Thanks Ralf! My guess is it has a blown fuse (but what do i know about this stuff).
Just take it to a Radio Shack and they can check and fix it.

So I may go about trying to determine whether its wiring or the pup is just a lil dead and needs a fresh wind.
Well a "lil dead" is not really possible I would think. What values did both pickups show using the cable?
I guess you have to take them out and measure directly at the pickup contacts where the wires attach to.
Ralf
 

mavuser

Enlightened Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
8,129
Reaction score
2,637
Location
New York
Sounds like you have been bamboozled by the suck switch, might need to go for the jugular.
 

fretwear

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Im working on my grandson's jazz bass, the neck and bridge pup have a healthy ohm reading on the leads, when reading thru a guitar cable on the output jack, neck pup reads correctly, bridge OL..no signal.....the bridge vol pot is roached....so you need to test at both locations to sort the probs out.
 

wisconsindead

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
165
Reaction score
0
OK. I got a good meter. Having trouble getting a steady reading though. Is there a value I should expect to see? And where exactly do I place the probes? I've been putting them on the pole nearest the entwined wire.
 

wisconsindead

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
165
Reaction score
0
Got 14.47 kohms and 137.7 kohms for the bridge and neck pup, respectively. Just measured the cable as that provided a steady reading. I figure this is what I should've expected to see correct?
 
Top