Guilty as charged, Your Honor...

GAD

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I dunno. Just one more complication if you are playing live?

I recall there was a poll some years ago on TB asking how often bass players actually changed their bass and amp settings when they played out. The tweakers were a small minority. I was surprised how few players touched either.

As I write I'm in Renaissance immersion. I'm tentatively about to help launch a tribute sorta show of their songs. Some nice bass parts.

That was me for decades (though on guitar). All knobs on the guitar dimed unless I was muting between songs.

One of the reasons I love the Axe-FX is because I dial in the tone I want, push a button and have it. The end. I am not a fan of knob-twiddling while playing.
 

GAD

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When you guys use the terms "serial" and "parallel", are you referring to two pickups wired together, or the coils *within* a pickup being wired together?

I don't have any experience with bass pickups, but I know some of them are split where one coil is on two strings while another is on the other two. I never really thought about that before, though...
 

mavuser

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I don't have any experience with bass pickups, but I know some of them are split where one coil is on two strings while another is on the other two. I never really thought about that before, though...

if u are talking about a P-bass (or mustang) those are "split single coils in humbucking position" but a Hagstrom Bisonic is a straight single coil. i think 2 of the poles are wired for bass and the other 2 wired for treble, err something to that effect...hence the "Bi" sonic...
 

fronobulax

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I recall there was a poll some years ago on TB asking how often bass players actually changed their bass and amp settings when they played out. The tweakers were a small minority. I was surprised how few players touched either.

To veer, I have been known to RTFM (Read the Fine Manual) and there are a lot of manufacturers who suggest you adjust the amp for the room and leave it alone. If you follow those instructions you make all your adjustments while playing at your bass. Since I am not someone who chases tone from moment to moment and I have discovered just how much tonal variation you can get from your plucking hand I am content to follow the advice.
 

fronobulax

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This is pretty much typical guitar wiring. Nothing special about it, really.

And that diagram looks like what gets passed around when folks ask for a 60's SF II bass wiring diagram so it has been typical for quite a while. So does it lead to a series/parallel or coupled/decoupled discussion?
 

fronobulax

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All knobs on the guitar dimed

That used to be me but when playing with the Bisonic family I discovered a useful difference between dimed and rolling back to about 7. But I still set it and forget it.
 

mellowgerman

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Okay y'all, after doing some additional research, I am quite positive that I was correct. Parallel is standard for most two pickup basses, guilds included. The wiring diagram linked earlier shows typical parallel wiring for two pickups as both pickups have independent signals that, just like train tracks, run parallel (+'s going to the same terminal and -'s going to the same terminal).The best way i can describe series wiring, would be to say that the signal from the first pickup essentially runs through the second pickup (- from first running into + of the second, leaving the + from the first essentially the master +, and - from the second the master -), this then kind of results in one combined mega pickup that may be perceived as "louder" since it will typically have more mids and highs, though slightly cut lows. Parallel wiring will result in more of a scooped mid tone.
I believe typical "split coil" fender p bass operation would be two separate reverse-polarity wound coils wired in series, but the actual tonal effects discussed above don't really apply since each string is only picked up by one coil (E and A coil; D and G coil). The purpose of the two separate coils here is simply reversed polarity for hum-cancelling. Bisonic pickups only have a single coil, so they do have the typical 60-cycle, single-coil hum (unless the bass is fitted with two matched reverse-polarity wound pickups that cancel hum when both are engaged on full signal.
Ooookay, so that was a buzzed-mellow attempt at explaining what I do believe to be factual. If anybody has corrections to make though, I'm all ears and would be genuinely grateful for them.
 

GAD

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I'm no bass guy (I'll keep repeating that), but I've never seen a guitar with serially wired pickups except for the American Deluxe Strat that I had with the absolutely horrid S1 wiring scheme that included it as an option. An option that I removed because it (the switching) was terrible.

When looking at pickups, this is the difference:

wiringparallel.gif



wiringseries.gif




Interestingly enough, Brian May wired his pickups in series which is something I never knew:

wiringmay.gif



All pics from here: http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/pickups-demystified-part-one-series-parallel-wiring1
 

mellowgerman

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I'm no bass guy (I'll keep repeating that), but I've never seen a guitar with serially wired pickups except for the American Deluxe Strat that I had with the absolutely horrid S1 wiring scheme that included it as an option. An option that I removed because it (the switching) was terrible.

When looking at pickups, this is the difference:

wiringparallel.gif



wiringseries.gif




Interestingly enough, Brian May wired his pickups in series which is something I never knew:

wiringmay.gif



All pics from here: http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/pickups-demystified-part-one-series-parallel-wiring1

Yup! Mr. May sure did. I'm pretty sure Robbie Robertson's last waltz custom strat also had two single coils in the bridge position with different switchable options, including series/parallel. In that case though, series would simply serve to make the two coils function like a regular humbucker
 

Happy Face

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Here's something interesting - I was down at the practice studio checking out how the Polish wonderbass sounds through the ridiculous Hiwatt I bought a while ago. Through a sealed 4x12" cab.

Was with a fellow bass player who runs the place. He kept tinkering with the amp controls while I played. Finally I handed the bass over to him. He then set to tinkering with the bass controls.

What's relevant to this discussion is that he noted that the bass goes silent if you turn down the volume on either pickup. So it must be wired in series, eh?

Is that the magic test?
 

mellowgerman

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Here's something interesting - I was down at the practice studio checking out how the Polish wonderbass sounds through the ridiculous Hiwatt I bought a while ago. Through a sealed 4x12" cab.

Was with a fellow bass player who runs the place. He kept tinkering with the amp controls while I played. Finally I handed the bass over to him. He then set to tinkering with the bass controls.

What's relevant to this discussion is that he noted that the bass goes silent if you turn down the volume on either pickup. So it must be wired in series, eh?

Is that the magic test?

Unfortunately there is more to complicate the equation. If the pickups are in series, the volumes will affect each other, yes. With parallel wiring though, it is simply a question of which lugs of the volume pot the "in" and "out" are soldered to. Here's a StewMac article that explains independent volume controls for dual parallel pickups.

www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Guitar_Pickups_and_Electronics_and_Wiring/Understanding_Guitar_Wiring_I-4000_4.html

I would be willing to venture and say that at least 90% of dual pickup guitars and basses are wired in parallel. The only multiple pickup series examples that I can think of off the top of my head are the Brian May red special and any of those MIA fenders that had the "S1" switching feature.
 
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Quantum Strummer

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My Teisco ET-300 has its three pickups wired in series. Each p'up has its own on/off toggle switch so you can run 'em in any configuration. Sounds great with any two pickups—loud & fat—but gets overbearing with all three going unless you put the volume knobs to work.

-Dave-
 
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