Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Dear forumites,
I am building a P-J bass from an old P bass neck I salvaged, and I have bridge, pickups, tuners, everything in place, except I don't have the wiring harness for it.
I've read page after page of opinions on Talk Bass and other places about kill switches, pros and cons of Vol-Tone-Blend vs Vol Vol Tone Tone etc, and just about everything else associated with this setup. There was a wiring diagram on the S-D site, but its either been removed or I can't find it anymore. I just need either a wiring diagram or a link to someone who can sell me a wiring harness for Seymour Duncan SJB-3 Quarter Pounder pickups(one Jazz bass, one Precision bass Humbucker) with a three knob configuration of Voume-Tone-Blend. From what I've read about the subject this is where I want to start. Can anyone help with this?

I build a lot of Fender-like basses and I think I have this wiring scheme in PDF on my harddrive, so I can email it to you. I'll check tomorrow. V/T/blend works very well on a PJ bass, I use it a lot.

Without an active buffered blend, there will be a definite volume drop in the middle. For a passive instrument, the standard J-style V-V-T gives the versatility, even though full on may also have an impedance drop, it can be worked around with the volume knobs where a passive balance cannot.

Definitely check out the blend thing. I had a jazz wired like that for a little while and it was a fun experiment. I changed it back because, as iiipopes said, with that set up you will never get full volume as long as you are blending, unlike the stock set up where you can have one pickup full tilt while dialing in a little of the other one. Plus you lose highs when you use the volume as a master without an active preamp to take up the slack. But you should try it with the s-ds, I was just using the stock Fender pickups, the s-ds might be better in that arrangement. Plus it may be just what you're looking for.

Thanks everyone, for your input, and I will probably be bending your ears with questions about this after I have completed the bass. But after reading all of the info about it, opinions and debates RE master volume/tone, active electronics, etc. I've decided that the V B T will be the place I start. At this point I'm just very excited about getting the bass finished after all this time!

squirebass wrote:Thanks everyone, for your input, and I will probably be bending your ears with questions about this after I have completed the bass. But after reading all of the info about it, opinions and debates RE master volume/tone, active electronics, etc. I've decided that the V B T will be the place I start. At this point I'm just very excited about getting the bass finished after all this time!

If you must go with V-B-T instead of V-V-T, I suggest you go active and use the EMG ABC or ABCX "Active Balance Control." That is the only item I know of that properly buffers the output impedance of each pickup so there is no volume drop in the middle. I use this setup on my party gig bass that has EMG active soapbars.

I have a PJ Ibanez, and the pots started going bad, so I just hot wired it (pickups in series, straight to the output). Sounds fantastic!

Maybe I'll put a volume pot on it...

For my custom, which is set up like a J bass pickup-wise, I went active with an Audere 2 band classic. Most of the time I keep the EQ flat, which according to Audere is essentially leaving the PUP's in passive mode (but I'm sure the electronics are doing some work). The blend is particularly effective, and I find no drop off in volume.

And really, once you add drums, do all these details matter much? That's why I love the hot wired Ibby - it is just on fire and doesn't have any volume issues. But for all the subtlety the active bass has regarding tone, I usually just find a good tone playing live and leave it there. I don't there are any wrong answers.

Does anyone have a link to a place where I can buy a wiring harness for a P-J with V-B-T or V-T-B? I had a link to one about a month ago, but now I cannot find it or any other P J bass harness links. I have the pickups just need the harness, and I'd prefer not to make my own, although it is looking like I might have to...

try Dane Wilder ("aceonbass") on here. He makes all kinds of rick bass harness, I'm sure this would be right up his alley.

RickyBubba wrote:try Dane Wilder ("aceonbass") on here. He makes all kinds of rick bass harness, I'm sure this would be right up his alley.

+1 on Dane

RickyBubba wrote:try Dane Wilder ("aceonbass") on here. He makes all kinds of rick bass harness, I'm sure this would be right up his alley.

Yep, I'm on that.

I just finished installing one of his harnesses over Christmas in my new 4003S -- HUGE difference!

I believe he can help me out with just what I need...