Help me put my bass guitar back together

Pickups, magnets, microphones, amps, speakers, cabs, whatever...
David King
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by David King »

It's becoming clear to me that your pickups have a break somewhere in one of the coils. The meter will tell you which coil is bad if you test it for resistance across it's two eyelets and the needle doesn't budge at all. The pickup can be rewound if it's bad and you want to use it.
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Peter Wilcox
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by Peter Wilcox »

Basically, all the blue stuff needs to be connected together electrically, one way or another, whether through wires, shield or pot cases.
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Peter Wilcox
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by Peter Wilcox »

David King wrote:It's becoming clear to me that your pickups have a break somewhere in one of the coils. The meter will tell you which coil is bad if you test it for resistance across it's two eyelets and the needle doesn't budge at all. The pickup can be rewound if it's bad and you want to use it.
As I posted above " Before you do anything else, just solder the 2 pickup leads directly to the tip and sleeve of the output jack and plug it into your amp. You should get minimal hum, and a good solid thunk when you hit a pickup with a screwdriver." She supposedly already checked it with the meter several pages back - "Readings on both sets of pickups was in the middle" - I assume 4 to 5K.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

My meter readings now go all the way over. I have posted a picture of my meter so you can see what that reading would be.

I noticed when I looked up "wiring to pots" that there is an input and an output post??? Picture attached. I don't think we talked about that. What would that mean for me?

And I'll still need to know whether to leave the jack wired directly tot he pickups.
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Peter Wilcox
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by Peter Wilcox »

Ignore the pot's "input" and "output" - not pertinent here.

Did you wire the pickup directly to the jack? If so, did it make a noise hooked up to the amp when you touched a screwdriver to the pickup? You won't leave the pickup wired to the jack - that's just for testing the pickup.

Regarding the meter, do you mean the needle stays to the left (at infinity) when you test the pickup? If you touch the two meter probes together (not hooked to anything else), does the needle swing all the way to the right - to zero on the top scale?
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David King
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by David King »

The meter will be heavily influenced by the volume pot if you measure the pickup in the guitar circuit. You need to detach the pickup at one end or the other first to isolate it. Unsoldering (or cutting) any one of the 4 pickup leads will accomplish this.
linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

I did wire the pickups directly to the jack. You must have missed my report. It was amazing. No hum and a loud thunk from one pickup...not the other. I'm checking for loose wires.

The meter was going all the way to the right.

I have to put this aside and run errands. Not sure if I'll get back to it tonight. I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel and it is not New Jersey.
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Peter Wilcox
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by Peter Wilcox »

linda barth wrote:No hum and a loud thunk from one pickup...not the other.
Maybe one pickup has an internal short circuit. To check this, disconnect the pickup leads (wires) from anything they are connected to, (but you can leave them attached to the pickups), and let them hang loose (but not touching). Touch your meter probes to solder points 1 and 2 (where the wires are connected to the pickup) and note the meter reading on the top (green) scale. Then do the same for points 3 and 4. Report the readings to us.
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linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

All of the solder points are reading all the way top the right hovering around the one. I think I had a bad solder somewhere I'm soldering them all again.
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Peter Wilcox
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by Peter Wilcox »

If you touch the two meter probes together (not hooked to anything else), does the needle swing to zero on the top scale? That is, not beyond zero but stops ON the zero? If not, the meter needs to be zeroed with a little dial that's probably on the side.

If the meter is working correctly, then this is not making any sense to me. Each half of the pickup should probably measure at least 2K, and likely more.
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linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

They get a tiny bit to the left of the zero...a hair.

I'm going out for a while. I've been at this for days. It's making me grouchy. It was supposed to be fun.
David King
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by David King »

I think Linda was just checking continuity in the pickup leads which checked out OK.
Linda everything is fun until it suddenly isn't. Giving it a little time off is usually the quickest way to arrive at the solution.
linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

Well, this project has definitely lost it's glow.. Yes, several of he leads were soldered to the "no solder" post. I moved everything. Now I have no buzz, no thunk, nothing. I'm putting it away for a while. I'm sure I've missed something this time because we were so much further along yesterday when I had the good thunk.

I did find out one thing. While checking for the sound I plugged into a different amp thinking maybe the amp was acting up. Light came on but no sound. It was fine before. Crate B20 XL if anyone has a clue. I don't want to work on it right now, but I may later. Besides my new stylus arrived today and I'm going to listen to vinyl for a change. Hope you all appreciate vinyl. Tom left me about a thousand classic (and some obscure) albums.
Believe it or not I alphabetized them It was good therapy.

This equipment has made me crazy. first it was all the fuses and just finding out what kind they needed and where the heck the fuse holder was. You'd think they wold make them handy to get to. Don't get me started.

thanks everyone. Taking a break. Talk later.
Eric Baack
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by Eric Baack »

You could just get some new pickups and electronics and scrap the old stuff. www.guitarfetish has good prices and good quality stuff.
linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

Yeah, I was thinking about just buying a kit with everything already soldered together.; Even if I do that, I learned so much by doing this. You guys are wonderful...and Patient. I'm going to let it sit a few days and thing about it.

I just got word that Prince has died. I didn't read up on it yet. What a shock.
linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

Hi guys,

Thought I would check in. I'm almost ready to get back to it. I've been soldering some other things and am getting much better at it. Plus the guy who has been fixing my amps will help if I want him to. I really would like to get it done without his help.

I joined Facebook in the hopes of reaching some of my Tom's old band mates and I did find one. It's been 30 years. He called me and we talked for a couple of hours. It was great. I also posted a video on You tube of Tom playing bass with another band. I'm trying to get some of the other tapes transfwerred from VHS (UGH) My machine isn't cooperating so I ordered one of those devices that connects your VCR directly to your computer.

Here is the You Tube link for Tom's video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt80oYW ... 5yjm_zJI4Q

I'm looking back on the posts for your names so I can "friend" you. I'm noticing that there is no Charlie. It would actually be easier if you guys friended me.

Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/lee.volker.1

I usually don't go in for any of the social media nonsense, but it's for a good cause. And I posted about vinyl albums the other night. I think I might keep doing that. Share the knowledge and educate the young.

I'll let you guys know when I actually start again.
linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

Peter and David,

I have the bass back out on the table. I got the meter out and suddenly no readings on anything. My friend used it last week and I guess he changed my settings. I changed the battery, but can't figure out how to get it going again. Don't want to solder something that isn't even alive.

Been having fun with Mark on Facebook, but missing you guys. there......
linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

Never mind. I got it going. Looking at page 3 of our postings we are talking about the meter. So I did set the meter at 1K just now and touched the 2 probes together and they did react. The needle went all the way to zero. It's also working on everything.

I'll write if I get it trouble....hahahaha
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Mark Swanson
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by Mark Swanson »

Good luck! Yeah, facebook is fun and I hang around there, maybe too much!
  • Mark Swanson, guitarist, MIMForum Staff
linda barth
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Re: Help me put my bass guitar back together

Post by linda barth »

I was never going to do it. I'm not the type to share everything. But I wanted to try to find some of Tom's old friends and I did. Also I wanted to make some kind of tribute to him. I haven't done an all out tribute thing, but I just like to post little messages to that maybe reveal a little about him. He was quiet about himself. That's why I was so surprised to see him up at the mic introducing the songs on that video.

I like your posts. I like to keep most of it about the music. I have only friends handful of people. Mostly musicians or involved in some way. Did you happen to read my posting about the band Yes. I have really gotten involved in these records. Tom left an extensive and varied collection. I've been selling some on EBAY so I have to read about them and research if they are originals. I find out a lot of stuff and the artwork is amazing. Some albums have so much good stuff in the art that it would be worth having just for the album cover. I have framed a couple and am keeping some that I can't part with now. I had my own collection...Rolling Stones...Joe Cocker...Janis Joplin, but they are nothing like the Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, Yes covers. Even Joe Walsh. I think they were all gategold and beautiful.

Anyway I posted that little segment of Facebook about the Yes albums and I would really like to do more posting of different artists. What do you think?

By the way, the bass is together and "thunking". There is just a really loud hum. I had to put it away and work on my computer. I got a virus...UGH.

Keep posting!!
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