Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

[Cosmy88]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

the other pots are normal ones but the volume looks like this (the wiring should be vol/blend/tone)
everything was wired outside the bass and some solder were broken when it came

The pickups are the usual "rocker switch" active eq's

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Looks like an active circuit that operates independently of the pickup type.

 

[Cosmy88]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Ok, i'll try to just wire them vol/vol/tone with a set of 25k

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Any chance of a pic of the third pot?

I suspect that the simple controls with the SD pickups are MVol and Balance. The third one, with the PCB, could be an active tone control or volume booster.

 

[Cosmy88]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

the other 2 pots were te standard charvel 2b 250/500k pots for passive pickups

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

The pot/PCB item illustrated in post #21 strongly resembles an EMG booster accessory EXCEPT it has several wires missing.

If I had to guess, I would nominate the EMG-EXB Expander for bass guitar. This device simultaneously adds variable boost to the high and low frequency ranges whilst reducing the midrange. In other words, it gradually introduces a Slap Contour.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Prompted by JeremyC's thread about the APB-1 pickup, I have decided to transplant the following text into this thread (with minor amendments).

I own the actual piece of yellow paper scanned in the opening post. Punched along one side, cut along the other, hand annotated next to the legend AJB-1 Active E.Q. Jazz bridge. NOTE: SD address - Chapala Street, CA 93101

I also have another version of the yellow wiring instructions leaflet (P/N 390008-618), SD address - 601, Pine Avenue CA 93117.

Comparing these two leaflets, the graphic representations of the function of the three mode switches differ as do the pot values in the wiring schematic diagrams.

Further, I have the equivalent yellow leaflet for Pro-Active and Lightnin' Rods pickups, (P/N 93111-2345), SD address - 5247, Hollister Avenue.

The earliest leaflet illustrates 10k volume pots (PT-020) and 250k tone pots (PT-030). The second and third leaflets illustrate 100k pots throughout.

*

The only possible conclusions to be drawn are;
1) one of the diagrams is inaccurate
2) SD changed the specifications somewhere along the way.

Of necessity, the number of switches had to be reduced from three to two. It is equally possible that the action of the switches changed from one generation to another.

It is also true that the appearance of the pickup tops changed from raised plastic embossed logo on a textured surface to printed white on smooth.

This invites the obvious question, did the functions of the switches change at the same time as the logo?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

EQ switch functions à la OP.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

EQ switch functions à la wiring instructions leaflet P/N 390008-618.

 

[cb3000]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

I, as well as others, have hunted far and wide for definitive info on these older pickups. I have a couple sets of them but have long since lost the paperwork that came with them that specifically described the effect of the dip switches on them. There is info on the two switch models here on the SD website, but the three switch models has remained something of a mystery. While cruising around on EvilBay, I saw someone selling a three switch set with scans of the original paperwork so I grabbed them and am posting them here for posterity. Hope this helps!

View attachment 53748

View attachment 53749

View attachment 53750

I finally found a set of these pickups for my P bass! Does anyone have a wiring diagram? The one here isn't quite clear enough. Thanks!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

This one will give you the general layout. http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=active_pbass It illustrates 100k pots for both functions. 25 and 50k will work equally well.

IMO, an .047uF capacitor should be fine for a passive treble roll off control. I did once try an APB-1 with an onboard active treble 'n' bass EQ device. It struck me as self-defeating overkill.

 

[cb3000]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Thanks! I missed that in my search. The weird thing is the scanned instructions say 10k volume and 250k tone but this diagram has 100k for both like you say. I'll figure it out-I appreciate the help!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Thanks! ... I appreciate the help!

You must be Canadian.

 

[cb3000]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Ha! Close, Wisconsin...

 

[ShotOutHood]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Greetings PipeRain, Is there any way I could get a better, more clearer picture of these wiring diagram? Im rebuilding an old Kramer Bass with these pick ups and having a really difficult time finding a proper wiring diagram, Thanks, Chris aka ShotOutHood

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Welcome to the forum.

PipeRain does not appear to have logged on to this forum since mid March.

 

[cb3000]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Greetings PipeRain, Is there any way I could get a better, more clearer picture of these wiring diagram? Im rebuilding an old Kramer Bass with these pick ups and having a really difficult time finding a proper wiring diagram, Thanks, Chris aka ShotOutHood

Hi--I just put in a set and the wiring is the same as EMG pickups-the pot values are different of course, EMG uses 25k. That blurry diagram above has 10k volume pot and 250k tone. I also saw a later diagram that has 100k for both pots. I installed mine with 10k and 250k and they sounded good but very bright. I don't have a reference though to know what they should sound like.

What set do you have? Jazz? p bass? PJ? I can probably help you.

 

[dg27]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

'Course Active EQ's make ANY bass look great! :headbang:

I hope this isn't actually off topic, but what are the pros/cons of actives?

None of my basses are active--have never even played one. Have had my eye on a Fender Jaguar that's active. Have been leery because I tend to like simple. I'm familiar with series-parallel switches (have that on two of my basses). But the description of the controls sounds like a whole lotta bells and whistles.

I love how this bass looks though...so I could be convinced.

Could someone kindly give me a brief lowdown?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

As you know, the term "active" simply indicates powered electronics.

Some systems combine passive, high impedance pickups with onboard active equalisation for increased tonal variety.

Other systems employ low impedance pickups. These require a pre-amp stage in order to feed a decent strength signal to amplification intended for instruments fitted with high impedance pickups.

Some active instruments have low impedance pickups, a pre-amp stage and powered equalisation.

 

[dg27]

Re: Seymour Duncan Active EQ Pickups Info

Thanks for this ^^^.

I knew powered electronics were the simple explanation, but did not know that some were lo-z and others hi-z.

Here's the description of what this has:

Pickups: 2 Vintage Jazz Bass® Single-Coil Pickups

Pickup Switching: 2-On/Off Slide Switches, One for Each Pickup

1-Series/Parallel Slide Switch (Operates only when both pickups are on)
Controls: Master Volume
Master Tone
Preamp Treble Control Wheel
Preamp Bass Control Wheel
Preamp On/Off Slide Switch​

Would this likely fall into this category?

>>Some systems combine passive, high impedance pickups with onboard active equalisation for increased tonal variety.

I would want the option to use it as a passive.