JamGuy Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Not sure of the the model...EB-0? Made in Indonesia, short scale, bolt neck, dot inlays, single'bucker. Anyhow, the volume pot seems shot so I'm gonna give her a rewire with a few new Alpha pots, a new jack, and an orange drop cap. (There's a little wafer looking cap in there now.) It hasn't seemed wired up right since I've had it. The tone pot seemed to be reverse wired or something...anyhow the sweeps on both controls have been jacked for a while so a little makeover is due. This'll be my first attempt at rewiring an Epi bass but it should be fun... These are fun little basses! I'm a guitar player so it's perfect for me anyhow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Oh well... the "fix" didn't solve the problem. There's no taper to the volume pot still...it just goes from silent to on right around 9 or 10...and the output seems really weak. I gutted and swapped out everything with new so it's not the pots, jack, or cap. Could it be the pickups is dead or dying? I've never had one die so I don't know the symptoms. Any suggestions? What are my replacement options if it's the pickup??? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 @JamGuy: I'm not a techy sort... but hang in here... You will get a better answer than ^^^this^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Take it to a professional. Suely the recession hasn't hit that hard that you can't afford to. I'm sure that really helped him out a lot. Prick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Take it to a professional. Suely the recession hasn't hit that hard that you can't afford to. Who is " Sue Ly " ?????????????? ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Who is " Sue Ly " ?????????????? ....... As I understand it, 'Sue Ly' is the 'professional' that gadunz is recommending, that hasn't been hit that hard during the recession, but that JamGuy should still be able to afford... Good of gadunz to share his personal recommendations... Not sure what it has to do with modding a bass though PS: I wonder if gadunz's surname is 'Ly' also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 You said it didn't look wired properly from the beginning so the first question would be did you wire it properly when you replaced your hardware (don't take any offense as I have no idea what your skills are with wiring). Here's an example of what the wiring should look like, I know it's a diagram for a P-Bass but it's essentially the same thing except maybe the value cap you have installed. http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=std_pbass I'm not sure if that bass uses 500k pots or 250k, I would assume 500k seeing as how it uses a humbucker. Another thing is to check and see if you purchased audio taper pots and not linear taper pots, seeing as how linear taper won't have as wide of a sweep through the volume. Did you overheat the pot when you soldered the wiring together, that could have fried the wafer inside resulting in what would essentially be a rolling off/on switch. If you're looking to replace the pickup then probably the most popular replacement option for a pickup in that bass would be the DiMarzio Model One, or a DiMarzio Will Power. But I would be more inclined to pick up another pot before I replaced the pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Hi all, no worries... I didn't take the first response too personally. Heck, half the fun of the problem is seeing if I can fix it. Wiring is well within my ability level...it's just that every new instrument is a little different and finding the "right" schematic or picture to go by is the hard part. I wouldn't say that I undertsand electronics but I'm handy enought with a soldering iron and can follow a picture just fine.Once I've got something to go by, the rest if it's cake! So... as far as not thinking it was wired correctly from the start, here's why. When rolling DOWN the tone pot, it seemed like the bass was reduced but the high end actully got a little snappier which I always found a little strange. I liked the range of tones however so figured I'd leave it be and just replace the pots and capacitor. The overall output of the bass has always seemed a bit weak to me... I play it through my guitar rig and there is a noticable drop in volume from switching from one of my guitars and the bass. Who knows, maybe that's normal. Also, there has never been a very good taper on the volume know...essentially, it has always been a rolling on/off, and even after the news pots & cap, it's the same. Upon looking at a number of EB-0 wiring diagrams and pictures, I've noticed many have TWO caps, not just one. This led me to wonder if it might not be working correctly because it needs another cap in there. Then looking at the p-bass diagram, again, I only see one cap. It's possible that the pot got overheated but unlikely...I've never cooked a pot in all the guitar projects I've done so I'd be surprised. As far as pot type, they're Alpha pots I had lying around...new, but I know they aren't top notch. Perhaps another attempt, with a second cap and CTS audio taper pots would be worth trying. I honestly don't know what type of pots the Alphas are but it works correctly for the tone control...though the value of the new cap is not optimal...there is a limited range of tone as compared to before but it still works fine. I appreciate all the suggestions and input... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 I'm thinking of giving one of these a try... My link We'll see if that changes things for the better... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 GADUNZ, you'll be happy to hear I went to a local tech to pick his brain on my dilemma. I didn't hand over my bass though... and not due to the recession (I live in Southern Oregon, we're recession-proof here because we're always in one ) Anyhow, after hearing his take on the problem, it seems I just need to try a non-factory wiring scheme...like the p-bass illustration someone provided on the forum. I'm sure I'll get it figured out...he suggested that it's likely not the pickup crapping out on me or there wouldn't be any output at all, or it would be cutting in and out. He cited the fact that many of these 10 year old Epi's were being built at new factory locations and QC was limited...he said he's had to re-wire a bunch of them because they just weren't coming out of the factory wired correctly. Hence, my experience of re-wiring only to have the same problem. It's also the reason the tone sweep has been all jacked up. Fear not...I'll not be beat by this, and when I finally get it sorted out, I'll be sure to let y'all know what the fix was. I'm swamped with schoolwork for the remained of the next few weeks but I'll get around to it eventually. I've got an Epi Les Paul build in the works right now too and the bass isn't really a priority. It wasn't the quick fix I'd hoped for but it's proving to be a good learning experience. Cheers, JamGuy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 GADUNZ, you'll be happy to hear I went to a local tech to pick his brain on my dilemma. I didn't hand over my bass though... and not due to the recession (I live in Southern Oregon, we're recession-proof here because we're always in one ) Anyhow, after hearing his take on the problem, it seems I just need to try a non-factory wiring scheme...like the p-bass illustration someone provided on the forum. I'm sure I'll get it figured out...he suggested that it's likely not the pickup crapping out on me or there wouldn't be any output at all, or it would be cutting in and out. He cited the fact that many of these 10 year old Epi's were being built at new factory locations and QC was limited...he said he's had to re-wire a bunch of them because they just weren't coming out of the factory wired correctly. Hence, my experience of re-wiring only to have the same problem. It's also the reason the tone sweep has been all jacked up. Fear not...I'll not be beat by this, and when I finally get it sorted out, I'll be sure to let y'all know what the fix was. I'm swamped with schoolwork for the remained of the next few weeks but I'll get around to it eventually. I've got an Epi Les Paul build in the works right now too and the bass isn't really a priority. It wasn't the quick fix I'd hoped for but it's proving to be a good learning experience. Cheers, JamGuy One way to know for sure if the pickup is going is to wire the pickup straight to the jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 One way to know for sure if the pickup is going is to wire the pickup straight to the jack. Good tip...thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Here's another example of EB0 wiring, these are from a 62 EBO. From a quick Google search it looks like your tech is right as your problem seems to be a common one with EB0 basses. Best part about wiring is once you get the diagram you're looking for it's only easy to fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Good to see you tech heads rushing in to answer him. Too busy bemoaning the weather, strikes & dead soldiers on The Lounge? He only waited 15 hrs to repeat the question, ffs. Better a curt reply than none. @gadunz: What percentage of your posts are about ANYTHING remotely connected to guitars &/or gear? We've both been here a few years now & I think we both know the answer to that Do you actually have any guitars &/or gear? Or are you, as you yourself indicated, just another troll? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 @JamGuy: My apologies that this is playing out on your thread... The troll will probably stop when his medications kick in @gadunz: FYI, I haven't given you a single one of all those 'minuses' you are amassing above... What does that perhaps tell you??? ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 MEANWHILE... BACK ON PLANET EARTH Not sure of the the model...EB-0? Made in Indonesia, short scale, bolt neck, dot inlays, single'bucker. Anyhow, the volume pot seems shot so I'm gonna give her a rewire with a few new Alpha pots, a new jack, and an orange drop cap. (There's a little wafer looking cap in there now.) It hasn't seemed wired up right since I've had it. The tone pot seemed to be reverse wired or something...anyhow the sweeps on both controls have been jacked for a while so a little makeover is due. This'll be my first attempt at rewiring an Epi bass but it should be fun... These are fun little basses! I'm a guitar player so it's perfect for me anyhow... Oh well... the "fix" didn't solve the problem. There's no taper to the volume pot still...it just goes from silent to on right around 9 or 10...and the output seems really weak. I gutted and swapped out everything with new so it's not the pots, jack, or cap. Could it be the pickups is dead or dying? I've never had one die so I don't know the symptoms. Any suggestions? What are my replacement options if it's the pickup??? Thanks! You said it didn't look wired properly from the beginning so the first question would be did you wire it properly when you replaced your hardware (don't take any offense as I have no idea what your skills are with wiring). Here's an example of what the wiring should look like, I know it's a diagram for a P-Bass but it's essentially the same thing except maybe the value cap you have installed. http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=std_pbass I'm not sure if that bass uses 500k pots or 250k, I would assume 500k seeing as how it uses a humbucker. Another thing is to check and see if you purchased audio taper pots and not linear taper pots, seeing as how linear taper won't have as wide of a sweep through the volume. Did you overheat the pot when you soldered the wiring together, that could have fried the wafer inside resulting in what would essentially be a rolling off/on switch. If you're looking to replace the pickup then probably the most popular replacement option for a pickup in that bass would be the DiMarzio Model One, or a DiMarzio Will Power. But I would be more inclined to pick up another pot before I replaced the pickup. Heck, half the fun of the problem is seeing if I can fix it. Wiring is well within my ability level...it's just that every new instrument is a little different and finding the "right" schematic or picture to go by is the hard part. I wouldn't say that I undertsand electronics but I'm handy enought with a soldering iron and can follow a picture just fine.Once I've got something to go by, the rest if it's cake! So... as far as not thinking it was wired correctly from the start, here's why. When rolling DOWN the tone pot, it seemed like the bass was reduced but the high end actully got a little snappier which I always found a little strange. I liked the range of tones however so figured I'd leave it be and just replace the pots and capacitor. The overall output of the bass has always seemed a bit weak to me... I play it through my guitar rig and there is a noticable drop in volume from switching from one of my guitars and the bass. Who knows, maybe that's normal. Also, there has never been a very good taper on the volume know...essentially, it has always been a rolling on/off, and even after the news pots & cap, it's the same. Upon looking at a number of EB-0 wiring diagrams and pictures, I've noticed many have TWO caps, not just one. This led me to wonder if it might not be working correctly because it needs another cap in there. Then looking at the p-bass diagram, again, I only see one cap. It's possible that the pot got overheated but unlikely...I've never cooked a pot in all the guitar projects I've done so I'd be surprised. As far as pot type, they're Alpha pots I had lying around...new, but I know they aren't top notch. Perhaps another attempt, with a second cap and CTS audio taper pots would be worth trying. I honestly don't know what type of pots the Alphas are but it works correctly for the tone control...though the value of the new cap is not optimal...there is a limited range of tone as compared to before but it still works fine. I appreciate all the suggestions and input... I'm thinking of giving one of these a try... My link We'll see if that changes things for the better... you'll be happy to hear I went to a local tech to pick his brain on my dilemma. I didn't hand over my bass though... and not due to the recession (I live in Southern Oregon, we're recession-proof here because we're always in one ) Anyhow, after hearing his take on the problem, it seems I just need to try a non-factory wiring scheme...like the p-bass illustration someone provided on the forum. I'm sure I'll get it figured out...he suggested that it's likely not the pickup crapping out on me or there wouldn't be any output at all, or it would be cutting in and out. He cited the fact that many of these 10 year old Epi's were being built at new factory locations and QC was limited...he said he's had to re-wire a bunch of them because they just weren't coming out of the factory wired correctly. Hence, my experience of re-wiring only to have the same problem. It's also the reason the tone sweep has been all jacked up. Fear not...I'll not be beat by this, and when I finally get it sorted out, I'll be sure to let y'all know what the fix was. I'm swamped with schoolwork for the remained of the next few weeks but I'll get around to it eventually. I've got an Epi Les Paul build in the works right now too and the bass isn't really a priority. It wasn't the quick fix I'd hoped for but it's proving to be a good learning experience. Cheers, JamGuy One way to know for sure if the pickup is going is to wire the pickup straight to the jack. Good tip...thanks! Here's another example of EB0 wiring, these are from a 62 EBO. From a quick Google search it looks like your tech is right as your problem seems to be a common one with EB0 basses. Best part about wiring is once you get the diagram you're looking for it's only easy to fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Fear not...I'll not be beat by this, and when I finally get it sorted out, I'll be sure to let y'all know what the fix was. I'm swamped with schoolwork for the remained of the next few weeks but I'll get around to it eventually. I've got an Epi Les Paul build in the works right now too and the bass isn't really a priority. It wasn't the quick fix I'd hoped for but it's proving to be a good learning experience. Jamguy, one thing I've learned about DIY wiring is to always test the parts before you put them in. I had a new Switchcraft 3-way that just about drove me over the edge on my Genesis bass rewire, until I realized it was defective. That's right, new, supposedly high-quality parts are not necessarily 100% QC'd these days. I've also had a bad pot or two (Alpha, not CTS), and I managed to burn out a few pots before I got a temperature controllable soldering station. The trick is to make sure the pots are set to zero (fully counter clockwise) when soldering, and to heat the tabs and case as few times and as minimally as possible while making your joints. If it gets messy, just chuck the parts and start fresh, it's not worth the aggravation to try to reuse old or over-heated parts. PS, post some pics of the wiring, I'm sure someone here can figure out the problem(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Jamguy, one thing I've learned about DIY wiring is to always test the parts before you put them in. I had a new Switchcraft 3-way that just about drove me over the edge on my Genesis bass rewire, until I realized it was defective. That's right, new, supposedly high-quality parts are not necessarily 100% QC'd these days. I've also had a bad pot or two (Alpha, not CTS), and I managed to burn out a few pots before I got a temperature controllable soldering station. The trick is to make sure the pots are set to zero (fully counter clockwise) when soldering, and to heat the tabs and case as few times and as minimally as possible while making your joints. If it gets messy, just chuck the parts and start fresh, it's not worth the aggravation to try to reuse old or over-heated parts. PS, post some pics of the wiring, I'm sure someone here can figure out the problem(s). @JamGuy: Morkolo plus ^^^ this ^^^ stuff are what the Epi-brethren are truly great at Sending this lil tune out to Dunedin NZ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wxHEBT7aaU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Good to see you tech heads rushing in to answer him. Too busy bemoaning the weather, strikes & dead soldiers on The Lounge? He only waited 15 hrs to repeat the question, ffs. Better a curt reply than none. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sONfxPCTU0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYKjGvVSTGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Ok, I get it; the ethos of this forum, exemplified by Eggs, Duane etc, is to castrate controversy & worship the status quo. AOR fans. Too serious for pop & too self important to accept dissent. [-( :-k "Take it to a professional." I think you should use your own advice and apply it to your attitude problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 [-( :-k "Take it to a professional." I think you should use your own advice and apply it to your attitude problem. Exactly ... & the 'ethos of this forum' is NOT to be a serial d!@%head! or I'll get banned again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hungrycat Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Ok, I get it; the ethos of this forum, exemplified by Eggs, Duane etc, is to castrate controversy & worship the status quo. AOR fans. Too serious for pop & too self important to accept dissent. That's very Punk Rock of you. How quaint... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 That's very Punk Rock of you. How quaint... @HC: I am absolutely sure that you could provide some valuable input to JamGuy's real issue, which has been 'de-gadunzed' in this post... http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/75916-sprucing-up-the-ol-sg-bass/page__view__findpost__p__1037968 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hungrycat Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 @HC: I am absolutely sure that you could provide some valuable input to JamGuy's real issue. Not much more than has already been said. You guys put him on the right track with the P-bass diagram, which is very similar to an EB-0 circuit. Only the component values are different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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