SCSD Question...(my controls seem backwards).

[glocke]

I've had this bass for about a decade now.  It was played regularly up until about a year ago until I switched back to jazz basses (mainly because I just wanted a change).


Something always seemed odd to me about the controls, they seemed backwards to me.





Going by the photo above:


Pan knob:  Rotated so the white indicator is pointed towards the neck, I only have the bridge pickup on.  Rotate so the white indicator is pointing towards the bridge and the neck pickup is on.


Neck Filter knob pointed to in the photo, actually controls the bridge filter on my bass.  Bridge filter knob pointed to in the photo actually controls the neck filter on my bass. 


Neck Q switch in the photo controls the bridge pup on my bass, same for the bridge Q switch on my bass...


I thought I was either crazy or just smoking too much dope, but I spent the past ten minutes playing around with this and it's clear to me this how my control layout works. 


Is the photo backwards or are my controls backwards?


Oh, and the LED switch turns on my coffee maker!


On a side note, love the sound of this bass, and I loved playing it when I had it in rotation but after playing jazz basses exclusively  for the past year I have a hard time going back to this bass.  Scale seems to small now, and the neck dive is more apparent to me than it was before.


I might be on the lookout for a medium scale balance K in the future.

[jacko]

I think you're going to have to elaborate a little Greg. What exactly do you mean by 'backward'?  On my sig they all increase in 'whatever' when turned clockwise apart from the pup balance which increases towards the neck pup when turned clockwise from the detent and increases towards the bridge pickup when turned anti-clockwise. The bridge filter is nearest the bridge pup and the neck filter is nearest the neck. Likewise the 'Q' switches.  Exactly what I'd expect from any guitar control.

Graeme

[glocke]

I think you're going to have to elaborate a little Greg. What exactly do you mean by 'backward'?  On my sig they all increase in 'whatever' when turned clockwise apart from the pup balance which increases towards the neck pup when turned clockwise from the detent and increases towards the bridge pickup when turned anti-clockwise. The bridge filter is nearest the bridge pup and the neck filter is nearest the neck. Likewise the 'Q' switches.  Exactly what I'd expect from any guitar control.

Graeme

just updated my post...sorry..hit submit before i was done.

[jacko]

Ok. That makes more sense.  Your filters and 'Q's certainly seem to be in the wrong place.  Mine are as per the labels in the photo.  I'm not sure about your pan. If you turn it clockwise from the detent, does the bridge pup increase in volume?  To me, this would suggest that the pickup plugs may be in the wrong sockets.  try swapping the pup plugs and see if it sorts out the problem.

graeme

[glocke]

Ok. That makes more sense.  Your filters and 'Q's certainly seem to be in the wrong place.  Mine are as per the labels in the photo.  I'm not sure about your pan. If you turn it clockwise from the detent, does the bridge pup increase in volume?  To me, this would suggest that the pickup plugs may be in the wrong sockets.  try swapping the pup plugs and see if it sorts out the problem.

graeme

When turned clockwise fully, the pan knob leaves only the bridge pickup on...CCW leaves only the neck pickup on.

Where are the pickup plugs located?  Is it literally unplugging and plugging back in thats required ?

[jacko]

really easy to swap. there's a picture if sorts in this thread...  http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=24048.0

just switch the two thick Grey leads with brown plugs.

Graeme

[glocke]

really easy to swap. there's a picture if sorts in this thread...  http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=24048.0

just switch the two thick Grey leads with brown plugs.

Graeme

hmmm...looks like spaghetti to me...


the ones i have circled here, are they the ones that get swapped?

[jacko]

can't see the photo Greg?


Edit. Shouldn't need to see the photo..


There should be a 'ferrite bead' - round lump of metal with the two grey pickup wires looped through it.  Follow these to the brown plugs on the circuit board then swap the plugs.


Graeme

[glocke]

can't see the photo Greg?

replying with it here...visible now?

[jacko]

Afraid not.  See my earlier edit though. might help.

[glocke]

Afraid not.  See my earlier edit though. might help.

weird...hosting it through facebook..here is the public link, pretty sure what i have circled is what i need to swap.

https://scontent.fabe1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/42208833_10211263208890412_4303423790253080576_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=8ceae6c2b6680cd2f7b794fa681025ae&oe=5C2D5358

[jacko]

It's probably a security thing - browsing at work and they lock most social stuff down (apart from the club luckily).
managed to browse on someone elses phone ...  Yes, it's the two plugs circled.  just swap them around.

[FC Bass]

Yep, those are the ones. Most likely yours looks more like this:



The pickups connect behind the blue trimpots on the Filter boards on these.

[glocke]

Yep, those are the ones. Most likely yours looks more like this:



The pickups connect behind the blue trimpots on the Filter boards on these.

This is mine...




It's the white and brown plastic connectors that need to be switched with the trimpots? 


Honestly I don't do electronics and its not readily apparent to me that those are easy to remove and switch without breaking everything.  Do they just pull out and push back in or is there some kind of restraining device holding them in place. The circuit boards in there seem so delicate Im afraid that if I go in and start messing around I'll break something.  I've been meaning to drop it off for a setup so I'll probably have the setup guy switch them around.

[jacko]

Did you buy it new Greg. It's possible a previous owner could have switched them.