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Wiring help

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spev11spev11 Frets: 323
in Bass
Ive got a passive Toby Bass, the blend knob isn't working so I'm gonna replace it with a gibson style 3 way selector switch. Before I whip it out has anybody done similar? Any pitfalls I should be aware of?(other than the all in nature of not having the blend, i tend to only use one pickup or the other anyway as I'm a shite bassist).
If anyone has done it or can point me towards a diagram I'd be most grateful (all the diagrams I can find are of p basses but i've got extra knobs and I dont want to bugger it up)
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Comments

  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14409
    edited October 2020
    Photographs of the stock wiring of your bass would make a good staring point for answering this question.

    Pitfalls?
    1. The hole for the Balance pot shaft may need enlarging to accept a selector switch. 
    2. A straight Switchcraft sprung leaf selector switch may be too tall to fit into the control cavity.
    3. Getting all of the ground connections securely soldered to the switch chassis could be a PITA.
    4. If your pickups have more than two output conductor cables each, you could be missing out on some interesting coil permutations via a fancier selector switch.
    You say, atom bomb. I say, tin of corned beef.
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  • spev11spev11 Frets: 323
    I'll get a pic later but from memory the pickups are both 2 wire only so no tapping options etc, good call on the switch height.Im off to collect the bass now from work so will remove the cover and take some measurements. If all else fails I'll just order another blend pot and keep it as is.
    ta though
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  • spev11spev11 Frets: 323
    Right, the switch will be a bit tight so I'll just order up a new 250k blend pot, if of course I can find one in stock somewhere. 
    Simplest option is always best.
    Ta
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72228
    It's traditional for basses to have a blend pot and guitars to have a switch, but I'm not quite sure why. I've always found a blend pot equally useless on both...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    ICBM said:
    It's traditional for basses to have a blend pot and guitars to have a switch, but I'm not quite sure why. I've always found a blend pot equally useless on both...
    I feel the same about separate volume knobs.

    Some people talk about a Jazz, for example, having dozens of variations from using the two volume knobs but I find that as soon as either volume is down from full it might as well be off. There may be an extra sound at some point between both pickups on full and one being all the way off but I don't think I could tell the difference between any combination other than both on or either off.

    And the big downside is that to control the actual volume of the bass overall it requires turning two knobs - that's an upside for @spev11 's plan; it will have a single knob that controls the volume of the bass overall.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72228
    thegummy said:

    I feel the same about separate volume knobs.

    Some people talk about a Jazz, for example, having dozens of variations from using the two volume knobs but I find that as soon as either volume is down from full it might as well be off. There may be an extra sound at some point between both pickups on full and one being all the way off but I don't think I could tell the difference between any combination other than both on or either off.

    And the big downside is that to control the actual volume of the bass overall it requires turning two knobs - that's an upside for @spev11 's plan; it will have a single knob that controls the volume of the bass overall.
    Yes, same here, both on guitar and bass - I much prefer a single volume, tone and switch arrangement. One of the few things I don't like about my Rickenbacker 4001 is the four knobs, but it has to have because of the stereo wiring. I never use the volume controls on it though - just full up or off, and I mostly just use the bridge pickup anyway.

    Interestingly a series blend does seem to produce more useful in-between tone shades. I had a self-built PJ bass like that a while ago.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14409
    thegummy said:
    Some people talk about a Jazz, for example, having dozens of variations from using the two volume knobs but I find that as soon as either volume is down from full it might as well be off. There may be an extra sound at some point between both pickups on full and one being all the way off but I don't think I could tell the difference between any combination other than both on or either off.
    The blended sound I aim for is Bridge PU up full, Neck PU between 7 and 8. This is greatly aided by having an ash body, an all maple neck, the bridge PU in the “Seventies/wrong” position and professional quality pots.
    You say, atom bomb. I say, tin of corned beef.
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