Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK, so finally I got around to pulling the pots from my LK to install the concentrics that I've had laying around for about a year. I did a quick temporary wiring job and that's when the trouble began.

I used this diagram from Joey's site as a guide.....


My install is a little different since I'm wiring mine v/v/v/t. So after thinking things through (my first mistake) I proceeded by wiring three of the pot sections as shown for volume pots then ran one capacitor from each pot and attached the other ends to the single tone pot (I have a feeling this may be part of my problem). I should probably just use one capacitor and run jumpers to connect all three volume pots to one end and connect it to the tone pot as normal. Should I change the way I wire the volume pots due to my layout as well?

I finished up with the grounds and toggle and get nothing but a hissing mess. Before I proceed further (I'm done for today and heading for bed) anyone with knowledge in these sort of issues have any ideas of what I may have done wrong or if my adaption of Joey's diagram is the issue?

My soldering skills are fine and I have no problem making a few mistakes to figure something out but I don't want to be messing around too mush with the LK and it's not like Ric left me much wire to work with so I'd like to limit my tinkering somewhat. Obviously I'm no wiring guru but I tend to be able to figure these things out easily but I must admit that my head was spinning a bit trying to get it worked out in my head.

(BTW.....I PM'd Joey about posting his diagram and hope he is OK with my use here but I'll edit accordingly if need be)

Where's John A when you need him?

The three pickups' hot leads should go to the wiper (middle lug) of each of the three volume controls, one of the other lugs on each pot goes to ground and the third lug of each pot gets tied together and run to the output jack's hot connection. The fourth pot (tone control) has one of the end lugs tied to the hot lead of the output jack, the other end lug goes to ground, then the cap goes from the middle lug to ground. You will be able to figure out which of the end lugs go to each part of the circuit depending on the physical orientation of the lugs.

Got that?

jps wrote:Got that?

Yeah, I'll drop it off at your shop tomorrow morning.

After 10!

Well, I'm not sure how Brian wired the switch, and I'm also not sure how he wants to control the 3 pickups. We should know that before proceeding.

Jeff's is basic Jazz bass wiring, but the lead from the output hot terminal would go to the center lug of the tone pot, as also the capacitor, grounding one lug so the control works as expected. And no provision for pup switching this way.

Dane's allows for switching two pups. You could choose to always run the neck, middle, or bridge, depending on the overall tone you want to achieve, then adjust his explanation of his wiring to suit the choice.

Ahhhh....forget it. Back to stock. I got it to work (almost) and now I find that I just don't care so I'll swap it back to stock before I smash it. Thanks anyway.

Don't give up too easy ... I am sure that the way tou want to rewire the bass so you can control the volume of each pickup individually is a good idea and you will be rewarded with better tone in the end ...

Brian, I agree with Jeff that you shouldn't give up if you prefer the controls of your bass to work like that, though I have no real opinion if there will be an improvement in the sound of your bass or not, since that's completely subjective.

I agree with you guys in theory but, alas, my father was a quitter and I am a quitter. I have a set of 1 meg CTS pots and a nicer gold mini toggle that I'll throw in....that should angry up the tone a bit.

I spoke with Jeff Scott on the phone yesterday and traded some ideas about the concentrics project. I'm not sure what I want can be achieved. I don't want to just use the toggle for a kill switch and there really isn't a way to wire it in and maintain individual independent control of the p/u's. Also having it as a "dummy" really isn't an option for me either.

Guitar electronics are a little foreign to me aside from just direct swaps and minor mods. After talking to Jeff (far brighter than me on the topic BTW) I realized that perhaps I didn't think things through completely prior to starting (I thought I did but my idea of how things actually work was a little "off").

incubus2432 wrote:I am a quitter.

No way!! Say it isn't true!!

incubus2432 wrote:I agree with you guys in theory but, alas, my father was a quitter and I am a quitter. I have a set of 1 meg CTS pots and a nicer gold mini toggle that I'll throw in....that should angry up the tone a bit.

I spoke with Jeff Scott on the phone yesterday and traded some ideas about the concentrics project. I'm not sure what I want can be achieved. I don't want to just use the toggle for a kill switch and there really isn't a way to wire it in and maintain individual independent control of the p/u's. Also having it as a "dummy" really isn't an option for me either.

Guitar electronics are a little foreign to me aside from just direct swaps and minor mods. After talking to Jeff (far brighter than me on the topic BTW) I realized that perhaps I didn't think things through completely prior to starting (I thought I did but my idea of how things actually work was a little "off").

Brian, one scenario I see is 3 controls for volume, one control for tone (pick one, two, or all three pups to control, your choice), wire one pup (bridge?) to the output and run the other two pups to the switch then to the output. That would always give the one pickup (bridge?) and with the switch a choice or one, two, or both of the other two pups. Easy to do and wire.

Rereading that, you could also wire one pickup to one side of the switch and the other two pups to the other. Switching would then be just one pup, or the other two pups, or in the middle all three. See what can be achieved?!

johnallg wrote:Rereading that, you could also wire one pickup to one side of the switch and the other two pups to the other. Switching would then be just one pup, or the other two pups, or in the middle all three. See what can be achieved?!

That was my goal. Basically I wired it based on the VVT setup but just added another V. Pretty straightforward I would think but once it was wired did not work properly and I triple checked everything against several diagrams. Like I said previously.....my soldering skills are fine and I was neat/tidy with my wiring. I have no idea what the problem is/was and I don't have tons of time to keep reworking it. Add to that that there is NO space in the control cavity and p/u leads that are barely long enough and it's more trouble than it's worth (IMO).

Thanks for your time and responses (everyone) and if you come up with some schematic please post it up and next time I feel like putting my head in a vice maybe I'll give it a shot.

Hey John, are you bringing a vice to RIO?