IB-5 issues

[Gloucestre]

Hi all, I am new here and hove only posted in the "welcome' thread so far.

I am in the process of completing an IB-5 build (5 string bass) and have a few issues.
Chief at present is getting sound out of it.
I have wired up according to the diagram and triple checked it-I am not a good solderer so it isn't neat but the connections seemed to be in the right spots and not shorting. I tried to take pics but they are not helpful and the copper tape just confuses everything
What I was getting initially was a solid ground hum with popping, Trevor suggested that I had the jack wired incorrectly so I changed the hot wire connection (the Earth was on the long pin and I didn't change that).
I then get a quieter more normal ground noise.
The trouble is that I get nothing from the pickups when I tap with a screwdriver suggesting nothing is getting through from them. There should be the usual loud pop.
I tried wiring the front pup directly to the output as a test and still nothing.
I am a bit concerned the problem may not be just my wiring skills here.
I have already ordered a Belcat harness as suggested in other threads but I am open to any thoughts/suggestions.

[Trevor Davies]

Hi Gloucestre,

Getting no output seems to me to imply a grounded hot wire.

It is possibly worth taking the pots out from the recess (away from the copper tape), and take out the jack, to see if that makes a difference (and hopefully some clear photos can be taken). Do not desolder them - just get the components out of the cavity.

Also - Do you have access to a multimeter? That can be used to check resistances (and shorts) in a circuit.

[Gloucestre]

Hi Trevor, I tried it again out of the cavity with the same result- no output.
I have today off so I will pull everything apart and test the components in small groups ie pup->pot->output
Unfortunately I don't have a multi-meter so this is the only way I can think of to test.

[Trevor Davies]

Keep persisting. Soldering can be a PITA, and circuits can be very difficult to find fault in. Dry joints (where the solder looks good but does not actually join to both components) are normally my nemesis. Stray strands of wire are a close second.

If you intend to do more builds it may be worth investing in a cheap multimeter.

[Johnbamb]

Try wiring the pick up directly to the output jack. If that works then it is in the pots. If not then the pickups may be the issue

[Gloucestre]

Hey all,
I pulled it all apart this arvo.
Wired the neck pup to it's pots and got ground noise but a signal from tapping it with a screwdriver and thought all good (perhaps foolishly I didn't do this with the bridge pups and pots)
When I pulled it all apart I found some shorts from my dodgy soldering, so cleaned off as much as I could and tried to use less.
Eventually after a few cock ups I got it all back together and I pulled out all the copper tape shielding just to be sure- the body I got is really rough in the cavity .
Anyhoo, I got it all back together and am at the same place as before- loud ground noise and no signal when the hot wire is wired to one short jack pin and little his when wired to the other and no pickup signal.
I tend to be a problem solver and this is wandering around in my head a bit, I do have a Belcat harness in the post and I am hoping that will work-I will need to solder the battery connections and pickups and may need to make a cutout for the battery cover though.

[Mr.Drifter]

A picture will probably be the best.

I'd say fair chance it's still dodgy soldering. If it's not done right, it won't be a good connection.

Also not sure what you mean by the jack pins. Both the short ones are the ones to use. One will be for the big one that touches the tip (should see it'll connect to the plate that the big bit is attached to), and the other will connect to the sleeve. If you have them bckwards, that could make sense. Make sure the hot is going to the tip/ the big one, and ground goes to the other that's the sleeve. If you aren't already doing that.

But pics should help a bit.

I tend to find seymour duncan wiring guides help a lot though. They're well drawn out, and explained, if that's part of the trouble too. I haven't used the pitbull diagrams myself personally. Last build I did I used an sd liberator, so was all sd wiring guide for that mess hah

[Johnbamb]

Just out of interest, as I know i have done it before. Is the out put jack wiring the right way around?

[Gloucestre]

Hi Mr Drifter and John, the diagram I have has the jack connections labelled opposite of what you say, I will reverse them as you suggest and try that-thanks.
I will get a multi-meter in the next coupla days also and check everything too

[Trevor Davies]

A picture will probably be the best.

I'd say fair chance it's still dodgy soldering. If it's not done right, it won't be a good connection.

Also not sure what you mean by the jack pins. Both the short ones are the ones to use. One will be for the big one that touches the tip (should see it'll connect to the plate that the big bit is attached to), and the other will connect to the sleeve. If you have them bckwards, that could make sense. Make sure the hot is going to the tip/ the big one, and ground goes to the other that's the sleeve. If you aren't already doing that.

But pics should help a bit.

I tend to find seymour duncan wiring guides help a lot though. They're well drawn out, and explained, if that's part of the trouble too. I haven't used the pitbull diagrams myself personally. Last build I did I used an sd liberator, so was all sd wiring guide for that mess hah

Hi Mr Drifter. I think the IB-5 has a stereo barrel jack socket. Are you describing the "normal" style jack socket?