Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Pickups, magnets, microphones, amps, speakers, cabs, whatever...
Post Reply
User avatar
Peter Wilcox
Posts: 1317
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
Location: Northeastern California

Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by Peter Wilcox »

I have no experience with these. I'm putting a Chinese MM type PU in a 5 string bass (just because I have it). It will be passive - the coils are 6.5k apiece. I can wire it as a single pickup, or split the coils and wire it with 2 volumes like jazz pickups (or with a switch like a tele). I have 2 questions.

First, is there any point in splitting the coils - is there enough distance between them to make a significant difference in their timbre to want to control each separately?

Second, I see that at least for active installations, the pickup is placed way up near the bridge. I assume this is because the preamp needs increased treble input. I'm going to place mine essentially in the P-bass position. Any reason not to do this?

Thanks for any opinions.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
User avatar
Beate Ritzert
Posts: 599
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:20 am
Location: Germany

Re: Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by Beate Ritzert »

On my bass with 80 cm (32") scale, there is a noticeable difference between the two coils as single coils. In the original position of centerline at 90% of the scale length. The difference should become the less important the further away from the bridge the pickup is mounted.

And yes, the MM style pickup will work nicely closer to the neck. Musicman themselves do this in their two PU models.

A IMHO very interesting and easy setup of such a pickup is switching between SC, parallel and serial humbucking. In the bass i mentioned above i use a really simple passive setup consisting only of this switch and an additional kill switch. Nothing else, no vol pot, no tone control. Sounds great.

BTW. if You mount an MM style PU closer to the neck so that the bridge coil row is in the position of the neck coil row in MMs original position, the coild facing toward the neck will be in a typical position of the bridge/treble part of the split coil.
User avatar
Peter Wilcox
Posts: 1317
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
Location: Northeastern California

Re: Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by Peter Wilcox »

Thanks for your input Beate - some interesting relationships. I think I'm going to place the PU at the P-bass position - I'm just a "thump thump" bass player, and this will give me lots of thump. :)

I know that far from the bridge there might not be much difference in tone, but I've got lots of pots, so I might as well split the coils and see what it sounds like. I can always turn both pots to max, though they will still bleed off some signal to ground.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
Rob Kidd
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu May 23, 2019 12:20 am

Re: Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by Rob Kidd »

The OLP stingrays had two volumes and a tone for the one humbucker. TBH, I think it was more for looks than practicality. The difference between coils is very subtle.

I agree with Beate, a series-parallel-single switch would be a useful feature.

As for pickup placement. Well, ask about stingray pickup location in talkbass and you'll be swamped! It's known as the "sweet spot". If you see a PJ bass, it's right about halfway between. In fact, it's centre line is right where the back edge of a P pickguard lies. But honestly, an inch or so forward will still sound nice.

You can (sort of) test pickup placement before you route, by setting it upside down above the strings with blutac. This can give an idea of how the mids and bass will sound, but the treble will be more a function of the pots and the capacitance of your guitar lead, plus whether it's in series or parallel mode.
David King
Posts: 2690
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:01 pm
Location: Portland, OR
Contact:

Re: Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by David King »

If you decide against 2 volumes you can try another, even easier switch layout. [Neck coil-series-bridge coil].
User avatar
Peter Wilcox
Posts: 1317
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
Location: Northeastern California

Re: Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by Peter Wilcox »

Here's how I wired it:
music-man-5-string-pickup-w.jpg
I put the pickup in the P-bass position. It sounded pretty good in the series configuration.
bass1a.jpg
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
David King
Posts: 2690
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:01 pm
Location: Portland, OR
Contact:

Re: Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by David King »

You might try series/single i.e.coil splitter just to see what the rear coil or front coil alone gives. A single coil will often get you to a deeper low and certainly a snappier high end.
Never mind, you have the 2 volumes for that...
A purist would tell you you already have 3 times too many knobs on that bass. <g>
Mark Wybierala
Posts: 469
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:14 am
Location: Central New Jersey

Re: Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by Mark Wybierala »

I also find that a series/parallel switch works to provide two usable settings. Using just one single coil of a humbucker is often disappointing and ends up being a selection that is never used. There have been one or two exceptions and I believe they were both PRS guitars. With guitars and basses, simple is always the best way to wire one.
User avatar
Beate Ritzert
Posts: 599
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:20 am
Location: Germany

Re: Wiring a Music Man type bass pickup

Post by Beate Ritzert »

David King wrote:Y
A purist would tell you you already have 3 times too many knobs on that bass. <g>
Indeed, well actually infenitesimally times too many...
The right numer pot pots on such a bass is that - just a kill switch and a selector for parallel, single coil, and parallel ("alarm mode"):

Image
Attachments
DSC_3656.JPG
Post Reply

Return to “Electronics”