Prime_BASS Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 I just finished my jazz bass project and more than pleased with the result, easily better than my fender jag. Anyway I'm in the process of drawing up ideas for a p bass project. (one of those 50s style telebass p styles) Not too interested in any active systems out there, so I want to keep it passive with a twist. Once I have everything to build it I want to set it up with the same elective as the bass in the title. It's a very nice passive system for a 1 pickup loaded bass. Anyway I was wondering if anyone could share infor on a diagram of some kind. I'll be wanting to use the usual CTS 250k pots, switchcraft jack and orang drop tone capacitor. I'm just stuck on the pickup I'll want to use and the impendance switch. 50k, 250k and 500k. I could rip out the JCs electronics but whatever I trade or sell it for the money or bass will be used for this project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 Is it a VariTone control or something? Sounds like a good idea. If you already have a JC sig why not just copy it's internals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 The JC sig bass is derived from the Les Paul Signature Bass, so [url="http://www.gibson.com/Files/schematics/LPSig.Bass.PDF"]this is the diagram[/url] that you'll be wanting. Good luck with the multi-tap choke. You'll probably need to get a genuine Gibson part for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted June 9, 2010 Author Share Posted June 9, 2010 I thought it was a varitone, and I've heard it been called it to but epiphone call it a impendance switch, and it's almost like it's selecting that value of the tone pot, the 500k selection let's through a lot more highs than the 50k and 250k, andit sounds just as my old P bass did with it's 500k tone pot. The 50k pot is great for pick playing cause it chokes of all the high clunky noises, and the 500k is great for finger style since the highs seep through, giving greater prescence. I thought about just copying it, but the only access is through the f holes and I don't want to start taking it to pieces to find I can't get back in, god knows how they do it in the factories. Cheers for that Bigredx I'll get to looking at the diagram and where I can get the parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 [quote name='Prime_BASS' post='862795' date='Jun 10 2010, 12:18 AM']...I thought about just copying it, but the only access is through the f holes and I don't want to start taking it to pieces to find I can't get back in, god knows how they do it in the factories...[/quote] Yeah I can see that it would be tight especially the jack socket but you only need to get the VariTone out (through the pup hole) and it's possibly the easiest bit to reach and put back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 iirc the way the wiring in the JC works is that the pickup feeds into a variable impedance (switched by the 'varitone' switch - the load is an audio transformer) and through the transformer to the output. that way the o/p impedance is constant but the pickup 'sees' a different impedance, and so sounds different on each setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted June 10, 2010 Author Share Posted June 10, 2010 Trying to get in there is tight, even through the pickup slot. I'm a bit wary of breaking anything. Anyway to contact epiphone/gibson for them to send out the electronics, or anyone out there that alredy does a kit of some kind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Looking at the diagram I linked to it's not the the same as the varitone on something like the EB3. This is more a multi-tapped matching transformer. IIRC the original LP Sig bass had a low impedance pickup (which is why the pot values are so low) so unless you are planning to use one in your project bass then that diagram won't really be appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted June 10, 2010 Author Share Posted June 10, 2010 Yeah that was also the plan, I pretty much want to copy the electronics but for 51' style bass, so I would need to find a low impendance single coil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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