Hohner B2 bass wiring

[Jerry_B]

Does anyone have one of these and could perhaps take some pics of the internals for me please? The one I have has one loose wire from what I think is the hot pole of the jack - one end is connected to the pole but the other end has come loose, and I'm not sure where it connects up to. Any help much appreciated!

[Stub Mandrel]

I will see mine tomorrow.

 

It's very simple from memory, just like a jazz bass even though it's humbuckers:

 

 

 

 

[Jerry_B]

Thanks! I thought it was going to be a version of Jazz wiring too but I'm not sure it is.

[Stub Mandrel]

27 minutes ago, Jerry_B said:

Thanks! I thought it was going to be a version of Jazz wiring too but I'm not sure it is.

 

The connections to the tone pot could be slightly different, but the output jack tip will always be connected to the same tab as the connection from the volume pots.

[Jerry_B]

That's what I'm trying to figure out, I think. The stray wire isn't from a volume pot, as there's a second wire seems to be still connected and eventually runs to the jack, but not the hot pole. I think the tone pot is wired up a bit differently to a Jazz, but without seeing another B2 I'm not 100% sure what goes where. There are a lot of connections to the tone pot which all seem to join to one of the lugs via a big bit of solder on the top of the tone pot where various wires meet. So I'm wondering if the stray wire got broken off from there.

[Bigguy2017]

Here's inside one I had open a few years back...

[Stub Mandrel]

I'll open mine up in a bit.

[Stub Mandrel]

 

Hot from each pickup goes to wiper of each volume pot.

 

Grounds of all pots and ground from bridge are wired together and to ground of jack, as well as cases of the pots.

 

Top of both volume pots goes to bottom of tone pot and tip of jack.

 

Tobe cap between ground and wiper of tone pot.

 

So only difference to Jazz is that connections of tone pot are reversed, electrically identical.

 

So glad I looked as I discovered the ground wire for the bridge is loose... explains recent noiseyness!

[Jerry_B]

Thanks very much for the pics guys! That said, I'm still a bit confused as to where this loose wire from the hot pole of the jack needs to go. Mine has a barrel jack like Bigguy's.

[Hellzero]

Take a photo, it will be easier to help you... 😉

[Jerry_B]

Here's a photo. I soldered the stray wire (the thin white one the right of the picture) from the jack to the middle lug of the tone pot, but that doesn't seem to be doing anything much apart from making things sound muddy and there's also no signal from the bridge pup. So that doesn't seem to be the correct connection.

[Hellzero]

This can't work at all, as your tone control is wired like a volume... 🤦🏻

 

If you don't understand the diagram above, take this bass to a friend of yours who knows what he's doing electronically speaking or to a repair shop.

 

It's not that complicated, but will take a lot of time to explain remotely.

[Jerry_B]

The reason I asked here is because I don't know anyone who could help me out 😉 All I need to know really is where the aforementioned wire needs to go. Hopefully someone can explain that.

[Stub Mandrel]

8 hours ago, Jerry_B said:

Here's a photo. I soldered the stray wire (the thin white one the right of the picture) from the jack to the middle lug of the tone pot, but that doesn't seem to be doing anything much apart from making things sound muddy and there's also no signal from the bridge pup. So that doesn't seem to be the correct connection.

 

No it goes to the right hand tab of the tone pot.

[Hellzero]

As well as the output of two volumes too and the opposite lug must not be grounded.

[Jerry_B]

12 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

No it goes to the right hand tab of the tone pot.

 

Great, thanks!

[Hellzero]

12 hours ago, Hellzero said:

As well as the output of two volumes too and the opposite lug must not be grounded.

If you don't do that, it won't work, as the white wire coming out of the red one is the hot output from the two volumes.

 

Just follow the wires, the bare one being the ground.

 

With that in mind, you will be able to follow the wiring diagram above.

 

That said, it seems that the wiring is a tad messy with some mistakes...

[Hellzero]

Also align your pots and rescrew them firmly.

[Jerry_B]

Yep, all done and working fine now. Thanks for everyones' help!

[Hellzero]

 

Great, I've just finished this helping guide...

 

That said check that the green arrowed ground is not touching a lug.

 

The red circled and arrowed white wire must be soldered to that lug, which must not touch the metal cover of the pot.

 

If that's what you've done, you'll be fine for years.

[Jerry_B]

Thanks! Yep, everything is now back to normal. What a fun bass to play