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series/parallel switch

Pelagaard

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I'm planning to build a bass vi, and I saw that these were reccommended in another thread.  I'd like to use the traditional on/off slide switches to control which pup is in use.  A proper Fender Bass VI has 4 (one for each pup, and a bass cut-off/strangle), but I plan on using 3.  My question is this:  is is practical (ie. not hazardous to my blood pressure) to wire the 3rd switch to control whether the pups are in series or parallel?  I'm guessing it is, but I'd like your opinions.
 
I wouldn't bother, personally. I prefer practicality to having a bunch of options that aren't useful.
 
And I consider the series/parallel switch to be entirely useful. The "normal" series wiring gives you the loudest and bassiest signal, while the  parallel wiring gives you less volume but greater clarity. I do think some of the active-wired basses have gone really overboard - bassists are supposed to play bass parts, and I say that as someone who's spent a greater period of time in bands playing bass. But the series/parallel switch is simple, harmless and USEFUL... what's not to like? :icon_scratch:
 
That's what I'm trying to figure out.  I know it certainly isn't necessary to to have a switch that'll let me switch from series to parallel, but can I use an on/on slide switch to do it?  If it is, I'd just as soon do it to have the option, regardless of how often I end up using it
 
StubHead said:
And I consider the series/parallel switch to be entirely useful. The "normal" series wiring gives you the loudest and bassiest signal, while the  parallel wiring gives you less volume but greater clarity. I do think some of the active-wired basses have gone really overboard - bassists are supposed to play bass parts, and I say that as someone who's spent a greater period of time in bands playing bass. But the series/parallel switch is simple, harmless and USEFUL... what's not to like? :icon_scratch:

That's subjective. Depending on the voicing of the pickups, and the nature of the signal impedance, it can sound great, or awful. And then you have to account for personal taste.
 
Pelagaard said:
That's what I'm trying to figure out.  I know it certainly isn't necessary to to have a switch that'll let me switch from series to parallel, but can I use an on/on slide switch to do it?  If it is, I'd just as soon do it to have the option, regardless of how often I end up using it

To answer your question directly and leave the philosophical details to one side, yes, you can use a slide switch to do it. It's just a matter of finding the proper slide switch.

That said, I have to agree with arguments against it. The fewer switches and pots you have on a guitar/bass, the better off you are. From an objective point of view, every bit of additional wiring reduces your signal-to-noise ratio. Subjectively, every additional device increases the difficulty in playing. But, whatever works for you is what you should do. You'll learn something either way.
 
But rewiring an individual humbucker pickup from series to parallel is done often enough that to have it as an option is qn easy way to learn something, and the sale of 4-way switches (neck/bridge/series/parallel) for Telecasters is brisk. It's a configuration that's used constantly in studio work, because a clean & noiseless sound is a good thing to have. It's far more useful than an out-of-phase switch unless you really go for artsy, strangled  "low-fi tone." If more than one switch on an instrument is confusing to you, that's not necessarily the case for everyone.

The fewer switches and pots you have on a guitar/bass, the better off you are. From an objective point of view, every bit of additional wiring reduces your signal-to-noise ratio. Subjectively, every additional device increases the difficulty in playing.

I would have to venture from the number of excellent musicians playing instruments with multiple control options that the opposite view holds more weight. Of course the controls change the way it sounds - that's what they're supposed to do. And since the vast majority of instruments sold are equipped with more than a single pickup-wired-straight-to-jack, the amplifiers aren't built to serve that configuration, they aim for the complicated, be-knobbed middle of the market. And so are the pickups, the speakers, and cords, and the strings, and the stompboxes; they're mostly built to sound best with the greatest number of instruments - the ones with controls. If for some reason the pickup-to-jack model becomes wildly popular, you would see amps that wiped out high frequencies become more popular too. Or perhaps throwing a blanket ON the amp would become the de facto new trend. :icon_thumright:
 
Well I think you guys are more or less saying similar things.  If I may paraphrase, I don't think Cagey and Line6man are against switches.  They're just against them for the sake of having them.  32 options does no good if most of them are bad are similar.  And Stubby, you're saying what the good ones are.
 
After thinking about it more, I might err on the side of simplicity for what'll be my first full build.  I'd still really like to use the 3-switch plate, so I'm thinking the best solution would be adding a middle pickup.  The classic Fender Bass VI had 3 strat-style single coils, although the bridge pickup wasn't angled.

The question now becomes: What would be an appropriate middle pickup?  I like the look of H-S-H setups, so that's what I have in mind.  I like the concept of the Duncan single coil sized humbuckers, but I'm open to alternatives.
 
I came across a way to do the humbucker/single wiring fairly simply.  These will work nicely.  Now its just a matter of deciding if I want a middle pup.
 
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