New to coil splitting HB1s---need some advice please

[Zipper]

Hello,

I'm new to Rick Resource but not new to the official Rickenbacker forum. I've owned my 4003 for about 3 1/2 years now and used to own a 360/6.

Anyway, I've been holding off to post about this for a while now and trying to do as much research as possible here and the Ric forum to find specifics on how to rewire a 4003 with HB1s in the bridge and neck using push/pull pots for coil splitting. From the research I've done, I've gathered what I need to get the job done (500k pots, .022uf caps, etc), but I haven't been successful on finding the exact wire-to-location steps and/or diagrams. I've read little posts/comments here and there about some steps but it's very confusing to me.

This will be the first time I've coil split any pickups but not the first time soldering; I've done simple jobs like putting a Toaster in my neck pickup. I understand I need to connect the black and clear wires from the Hb1s to somewhere and then put the capacitors between somewhere else This is about the extent of my knowledge. I guess it's more of just knowing where things are wired that confuses me.

I've founds diagrams on basic coil splitting which is what I plan to follow as a fail-safe, though I'd prefer to have directions specific to Rics:

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/produc ... pper=plain

Will this work or are there areas not correct for a 4003?

If anyone has past threads or links with thorough steps to doing this I'd really, really appreciate it!

Thanks!

[jps]

Not Rick specific but you will finds lots of good info here; use the Humbucker Diagrams dropdown and check out some of the wiring schemes. The RIC site shows the wiring color code for the HB-1 here.

Hope this helps.

[cassius987]

Instead of telling you what colors will do what, you need to just look at the back of the pickup and decode it as it changed at least once over time. 1 is "north start", 2 is "north end", 3 is "south start" and 4 is "south end". Write a list of what number corresponds to what color.

The normal configuration is "series out of phase", in which 2+4 are soldered together, 1 is the hot and 3+shield is the ground. "Parallel out of phase" and coil tap are the other two useful configurations (the "in phase" series and parallel are not very useful for the wide majority of people). Parallel (out of phase) is 1+4 as the hot and 2+3+shield are ground.

Coil tapping is where you use all 4 leads, with the typical configuration being 1 hot, 2+4 is switchable between being actively linked or sent to ground (as in the top part of your diagram), and 3 is always grounded. So if you follow that pattern you should be solid, as the end result when you ground the link is a standard single coil from the "north" coil.

[Zipper]

Thanks jps and cassius for the help. I truly appreciate it as I'm sure this gets asked often. Though please forgive my ignorance as all of this electronic talk is above my head.

The Seymour Duncan diagrams look very useful, so thanks again for those. That might be what I'm looking for.

Now, I noticed (and this is from memory as I'm not looking at my bass) there aren't any ground wires going to the bridge or somewhere else in the standard wiring that comes on the 4003, correct? Do I need to add the ground wirings when I rewiring everything using the push/pull pots?

Concerning cassius' explanation, I think I understood everything you said , however, leaving the HB1s wired how they come stock and not messing with the leads, will the two HBs be phasing if they're both on (middle switch)? Meaning, if they're both wired the same, will the waveforms they're producing be the same as we'll causing phasing? Will I need to reverse the leads on one of the HBs?

Thanks again for the help!

[jps]

Coming as stock the two HB-1s will be in phase with one another, so wire them identically, ground wire to the backs of the pots and the selector switch tabs just as the original pickups are connected.

There should be a thin black ground wire going to the mute bar on the tailpiece. If not, add one to that central point on the mute assembly and the other end of the wire goes to the case of the Treble tone control.

Here is a photo showing the wiring on a 4001 I used to own:

[cassius987]

Concerning cassius' explanation, I think I understood everything you said , however, leaving the HB1s wired how they come stock and not messing with the leads, will the two HBs be phasing if they're both on (middle switch)? Meaning, if they're both wired the same, will the waveforms they're producing be the same as we'll causing phasing? Will I need to reverse the leads on one of the HBs?

Like JPS said, if you wire two HB-1s the same way they are sure to be in phase with one another (even if *internally* the two coils making each humbucker up are out of phase). You would run into problems if you chose to wire one as an out of phase humbucker and the other as two in phase single coils. You can mix and match humbucker types no problem, like one series and one parallel, and you can also mix and match a split coil with an out of phase humbucker.

Remember: It's the resulting audio signal that matters in terms of phase, and in the case of a humbucker to get everything in the usual phase you would have with a standard single coil you simply wire the humbucking coils out of phase with respect to each other because they are also reverse polarity. The magnetic reverse polarity "corrects" the out of phase signal of the south coil with respect to the north as far as the sound waves generated, but the hum being picked up is not affected by the magnets and gets phased out. This is also how RWRP pickups work on Fender instruments; usually the bridge pickup is opposite phase but also reverse polarity relative to the neck/mid pickup(s).

A few years ago I had Lindy Fralin's shop re-polarize and re-wind one of my Toasters to be RWRP to a couple others, so I have an RWRP setup in my 4001FL. It provides very good hum canceling. Similarly the RWRP mod is easy to DIY on a 4003 bridge pickup.

[Zipper]

Alright, I think I'm understanding more and more now. I'll just need to wire this altogether and see what the outcome is then report back. My HB1s are suppose to arrive tomorrow.

Another question I had concerning the HB1s is which way is the pickup placed in the bass? Meaning, does the side with the wires coming out of the bottom of the pickup face towards or away the pickguard? I think I'll figure it out with the bridge pickup as I've never taken the hi gain out of there, but the neck pickup I've swapped around a few times and I can't remember which way the wires are suppose to face.

Thanks again for the help!

[vjf1968]

Lets all be clear here so there is no confusion.

You can only "coil tap" a single coil pick up. When a single coil pick up is wound there is a stopping point were a lead is attached ( a "tap" if you will) and the other to a switch, and then the winding continues. This gives the single coil and extra boost in volume when activated by a switch.

You "coil split" a hum-bucker via the leads of an already wound pickup.

[Zipper]

Lets all be clear here so there is no confusion.

You can only "coil tap" a single coil pick up. When a single coil pick up is wound there is a stopping point were a lead is attached ( a "tap" if you will) and the other to a switch, and then the winding continues. This gives the single coil and extra boost in volume when activated by a switch.

You "coil split" a hum-bucker via the leads of an already wound pickup.

I don't think there has been any confusion considering the title of the thread and the original post have all contained "coil splitting" and not "coil tapping."

Thanks though.

[johnhall]

You can only "coil tap" a single coil pick up.

While that's generally true, it's not a fact. You'll find that some Japanese guitars, mainly from the 70's came with pickups where the individual humbucking coils have been tapped. The selector switches can then choose from various permutations of coil splitting and coil tapping. It's pretty crazy, of course.

[cassius987]

Lets all be clear here so there is no confusion.

You can only "coil tap" a single coil pick up. When a single coil pick up is wound there is a stopping point were a lead is attached ( a "tap" if you will) and the other to a switch, and then the winding continues. This gives the single coil and extra boost in volume when activated by a switch.

You "coil split" a hum-bucker via the leads of an already wound pickup.

I don't think there has been any confusion considering the title of the thread and the original post have all contained "coil splitting" and not "coil tapping."

Thanks though.

Actually I did say tapping so the comments were probably directed at me.