Hello, I need some help.

[Maurie]

I have completed my build of a PBH-4 Bass guitar and during the final fit-out I have experienced some electrical problems. Firstly, the wiring diagram for the PBH-4 doesn't seem to match the actual wiring on the pickups or the pots supplied.

The bridge pickup came with the red and white wires twisted and soldered together which I initially left that way and soldered these to the Rear coil Vol pot and the green and bare wires (which were also twisted together and soldered) to the ground on the Front coil Vol pot as shown. This didn't work and on the wiring diagram it shows the red wire going to the Rear coil Vol pot, so I separated the red and white wires an fitted them as per the wiring diagram. This got things working but still not properly.

Secondly, the Front coil Vol pot was supplied with a green capacitor (same as the Master Tone pot) and wired differently to the wiring diagram, so I'm confused as to which is correct and how to fix it.

None of the pots seem to do what they're suppose too.

Obviously I need some expert help and advice.

Thanks a heap.
Maurie

[wokkaboy]

Hi Maurie, can you please post some photo's of the wiring and might be able to see where you've gone wrong. THe PBH has some pre-wiring done or do you add it to the pickguard and wire up ? I built one about 4 years ago so can't remember and the wiring configuration may have changed since then.
Welcome to the forum by the way !

[Maurie]

Thanks wokkaboy.

Most of the wiring was already done with the pots already mounted in the pick guard. The only wiring I had to do was the pickups, the bridge ground and the jack socket.

I will take some photos when I can and submit them.

Thanks a heap.

[wazkelly]

Hi Maurie, sounds like the rear pickup is a humbucker and the 'paired' red & white wires should remain how they were as the black wire is 'hot' whilst green and bare go to ground.

Check out this link I did on coil splitting Bass Humbuckers as it may contain some answers to your questions ....

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=6476

[Maurie]

I have taken some photos of the wiring and hope someone can help.

[wazkelly]

Not built one of these and suggested wiring diagram can be found via this link... https://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-co.../PBG-PBH-4.pdf

Unusual wiring setup where they are suggesting 3 volume & 1 tone with the coils split from the humbucker to a separate volume for each. Your wiring above looks more like 1 volume & 1 tone for each pickup but you have unpaired the humbucker 'red & white' wires and that may be part of the problem. If you want to retain what you have done and stick with 2 x vol & 2 x tone suggest swapping red or white from where they have been soldered with the black from the humbucker and re-solder the red & white together and cover joint with heat shrink or electrical tape as a minimum to prevent shorting out.

[Maurie]

Thanks wazkelly.

I do already have the wiring diagram for the PBH4 and as you can see it doesn't match the pots that were supplied and pre-wired. I think they have supplied 2 tone pots and 2 volume pots, but the wiring diagram seems to be for 3 volume and 1 tone. I have now disconnected the humbucker wires and re-soldered the red & white back together but still not sure how to wire it given the pots supplied.

[wazkelly]

Thanks wazkelly.

I do already have the wiring diagram for the PBH4 and as you can see it doesn't match the pots that were supplied and pre-wired. I think they have supplied 2 tone pots and 2 volume pots, but the wiring diagram seems to be for 3 volume and 1 tone. I have now disconnected the humbucker wires and re-soldered the red & white back together but still not sure how to wire it given the pots supplied.

Hi mate, on the pots how many have an 'a' and how many have a 'b' as the a's should be volume and b's tone. If you have 2 of each and want to do the 3 volumes as per suggested wiring diagram make sure the a's are on each of the humbucker coils and use a b as a volume on the split p front pickup. Wouldn't be overly concerned with a log pot as a volume control particularly if don't use them much.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[Maurie]

Hi wazkelly,

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately due to the solder on the pots for the ground wires I can't see if they are a's or b's. All I can see clearly is they are CF pots, and all 4 do look the same except for the green capacitor fitted on 2 of the pots. Sorry to be nuisance but I thought it would be a simple matter of following the appropriate wiring diagram for this guitar, but unfortunately not.

Any help is gratefully appreciated.

[wokkaboy]

Maurie have you removed the pots from the pickguard ? the A or B maybe printed on the underside of the pot.
Have you followed the PBG PBH-4 wiring diagram ? link below
https://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-co.../PBG-PBH-4.pdf

don't take wire colours as on the wiring diagram as some wire colours have changed.

there should only be a green capacitor on the master tone so the pot closest the jack.

Might be worth starting over with the wiring and follow the PBG wiring diagram.