How to wire the AGB-30 bass? Need help!

[Rockchimp]

I am building the short scale bass, model AGB-30, but am not finding how to wire the pickups etc. I am new to the process and would appreciate any help about how to wire the thing up!

It has two volume pots and two tone pots, and two humbucker bass pickups - one humbucker has one red wire running off it and the other humbucker has one yellow wire running off it. Just one wire comes off each of the pickups. No switch. Spare wire is included, perhaps for connecting pots, or for use with the input jack.

Thank you for any information that you can share!

[McCreed]

Should be the same configuration as the ES basses:

https://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-co...t3_bass_V3.pdf

There should have been a switch included in the hardware. If not, contact PBG and they should send you one. They're also easy to find better quality ones online that won't cost you much.

re: the pickup wires, there is a braided bare wire which is your ground, and the insulated centre wire (generally white pvc insulation) which is the positive signal wire. Connect as shown in the diagram.

[fender3x]

I think the AGB-30 may not have a switch. If it has a hole for the switch then McCreed's right and they should send you one. If there is no hole for the switch, then it's probably wired like a Les Paul Delux:



The reference I have is, unfortunately, in German, but it's pretty easy to follow. "Masse" means "ground" and "Saitenerdung" is the ground wire to the bridge.

The blurbs in German are mostly about how this wiring differs from that of LP guitars. The short version is that it works like a Jazz Bass. Each pickup is wired "independently" of the other, and each has it's own volume and tone control. You turn a pickup on or off using the volume control for that pickup.

This is a bit different than the wiring diagram for ES basses, which is more like the LP guitars.

[McCreed]

I think the AGB-30 may not have a switch. If it has a hole for the switch then McCreed's right and they should send you one. If there is no hole for the switch, then it's probably wired like a Les Paul Delux:

I was just going by the kit photos:
https://www.pitbullguitars.com/shop/...-kit-34-scale/

There have been issues with discrepancies of the photos and actual kits before though, so, dunno...

[fender3x]

That's what I thought too looking at the pic on the PB site, but when I googled it, it looked like the kits might come without the switch hole.

https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...ad.php?t=10597

I don't know either...just speculating. In any case if there's no hole for the switch the wiring diagram above should at least work ;-)

[Rockchimp]

CONFUSION UPDATE: Hey guys thanks for the input. No switch for this model. I found a pit bull wiring diagram for two humbuckers and two tone and two volume pots, like my model. I just glued and clamped the neck in place, thinking that is critical path work to fully shielding the neck pickup cavity. Soldering will be a challenge to me, but I have learned there are different types of solder, and what type of solder to use. I'll report back later!

[Simon Barden]

Just note that the Pit Bull wiring diagram you found, https://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-co...s/pdf/IB-5.pdf shows the bridge pickup's output wire ground running off to the back of the neck volume pot. Absolutely no need to do that and I'd wire it to the back of the bridge volume pot. The backs of the pots are all linked to ground and running the pickup ground to the back of its associated volume pot is a standard way to wire the pots up.

Also note that the Pit Bull diagram omits the red blobs indicating that the folded-back tab on the volume pots should be soldered to the pot casings. You can also use a wire link if you like as some types of pot tabs aren't long enough to fold back and touch the casing (which is grounded). But those folded volume pot tabs must be connected to ground for the volume controls to work.

It should really look like this: