Weird StingRay 4 HS wiring

[Mauro]

Hi everyone! Just bought a new StingRay 4 HS, and while I was playing at the store I was really enjoying the switch in the position #2 (#1 being closest to the bridge and #5 closest to the neck).

According to the info that I found on the web, the position #2 should be the humbucker splitted, 1st coil (closer to the bridge) + a phantom coil right? But I'm pretty sure that on MY SR this position is this 1st coil plus the Single pickup.

And then in the position #4 where (according to the info in the web) should be coils #2 and #3, in my Ray it is the coil #2 by itself.

Have somebody else notice that in other HS's or it could be just a fault on my bass?

Thanks!
Mauro

 

[MrMusashi]

here you can find the schematics for your bass..
http://www.music-man.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&task=download&id=40

or you could look at this picture if you dont want to download that pdf

hth

MrM

 

[Mauro]

Thanks for the reply MrM. I understand the picture, but what I'm saying is that I believe that somehow in my bass the 3rd coil was placed in a diferent way.

Because as the picture says, position #2: coils 1&phantom, but instead I have coils 1&3, AND position #4 that should be coils 2&3 I have coils 2&phantom.

Not complaining at all! This kinda make my bass unique, and the combination of coils 1&3 is killing! =D

 

[five7]

Take a screw driver and tap on the magnets

 

[Mauro]

Take a screw driver and tap on the magnets

That's exactly what I did

 

[MrMusashi]

give cs a call.. they can answer if there has been different configurations in earlier models, or if the bass itself has been modified in some way

details in my signature below...

MrM

 

[Golem]

`

From which end are you counting your position numbers ?

Position 1 is the rear ... furthest from the neck.

 

[sanderhermans]

.....the position #2 (#1 being closest to the bridge and #5 closest to the neck).

 

[Golem]

`

Maybe the only thing thaz happened to your ax is someone
for some reason hadda dig into the control cavity including
the removal of the blade switch ... and somehow rotated it
180, so now all the positions are available as normal but in
reverse order.

In that case, if you have other MMs and wanna make all the
controls consistent between them, just open it up and turn
the switch end for end and screw it back in place.

 

[sanderhermans]

`

Maybe the only thing thaz happened to your ax is someone
for some reason hadda dig into the control cavity including
the removal of the blade switch ... and somehow rotated it
180, so now all the positions are available as normal but in
reverse order.

In that case, if you have other MMs and wanna make all the
controls consistent between them, just open it up and turn
the switch end for end and screw it back in place.

This would be my best guess too. But still this is not consistant with the op's info. Since normal coil split is only coil 1 and in this case he is getting only coil 2. Or someone also reversed the pickup

 

[Golem]

This would be my best guess too. But still this is not consistant
with the op's info. Since normal coil split is only coil 1 and in this
case he is getting only coil 2. Or someone also reversed the pickup

Oh yeah. I got cornfuzed.

Nuther thang .... If the #2 coil is the single coil mode, and if
the PU has not been physically rotated, then the SC mode is
not hum canceling with the phantom. Even if the phantom is
in play with that #2 coil, both coils would be wound in the
same direction ... no hummbucking then.

And reading more carefully this time, Isee he has he option
to play coils #1 & #3 together. Nice option, but not in the
normal menu, no matter which way round the blade switch
is screwed in. Since the coil 3 + coil 2 pair is humbucking,
I'd guess that coil 3 + coil 1 is NOT. If this true, the best
thing is to rewire everything back to spec.

 

[Mauro]

I just sent an email to CS to see what they have to say to me. But for easing it up, what I SHOULD have is:

1. Coils 1&2
2. Coil 1&phantom
3. Coils 1&2&3
4. Coils 2&3
5. Coil 3&phantom

But what I got is:

1. Coils 1&2
2. Coils 1&3
3. Coils 1&2&3
4. Coil 2
5. Coil 3&phantom

I don't think that the pickup or the lever swith have beem rotated. What I do think is that someone soldered the 3rd coil in the wrong place of the blade. Actually this give the option to use coils 1 + 3 together, wich is really great, but I hear a minor buzz.

Now the question is, the combination 2+3 would be too different from 1+3?

 

[sanderhermans]

The buzz ocurs because the phantom coil is set up to work with coil 2 and not with coil 1. If i where you id get the original wiring diagram (ask customer service) open your bass up and check all the wires. Bring it back to standard and your bass will work fine. If you cant do this yourself you might want to ship it to ebmm or to a good tech.

 

[sanderhermans]

I actually recently had a similar issue with a sr2 guitar i bought. It had buzzing on some positions of the 4 way switch and the out of phase position didnt work. Also the high boost switch didnt work anny more.. I opened it up and searched the web for a good picture of an original one. Seems that someone had tampered with it and hooked it up as a standard 2 humbucking guitar. So i checked all wires and compared to this photo i found and there was 1 wire to be switched. Works great now! Just shows how 1 wrong wire can mess up different components and positions.....

 

[Mauro]

Hey sanderhermans! I'm trying to find a good picture of the wiring of this bass, but I just can't. So I opened it up and tryed to figure it out, and I think I got it.

The white wire is the positive from the Neck Pup, and it's wired at that first shaft, (where the red X is ponting), but it should be where the green arrow is pointing, and the purple wire that is like a jumper, should go from the 3rd to the 4th shaft, but instead, it's going to 2nd and 4th, leaving the 3th with nothing



AND

the almost same thing happens with the blue wire (wich is from the phantom coil) in the other side of the lever. It should go in the green arrow and link with the 3rd and 5th shafts and leave 4th alone but instead it's going in 3rd, 4th and 5th shafts.



Am I missing anything? Should be great to see a diagram before try to fix it.

 

[sanderhermans]

Why dont people do a bit more research before starting to mess with their instruments..... i buy most gear 2nd hand and there are always some idiots setting it up terribly, or messing with the electronics. Read up first before trying to fix it. I think 50% of what i see for sale or buy needs work on electronics or setup.
That said. I cant seems to find anny diagrams for this bass. But im sure customer service would be happy to help you!

 

[sanderhermans]

this might help. its from a sterling but it should have the same 5 pos. switch functions. so try comparing this to yours.

 

[Mauro]

Hey sanderhermans! Thanks for the help, I found this Sterling schematic, but in fact it's a little different, because the sterling has some coils in series too.

But I got a response from customer service, and now I can fix the "problem", I just need to switch the blue and the whire wire.

Thanks again!

 

[Paco Maraca]

After fixing it, how does the new position 4 (coils 2&3) sound compared to the old position 2 (coils 1&3)?

Gesendet von meinem D5503 mit Tapatalk

 

[tbonesullivan]

I would check with CS before doing anything. The HS models can be a little strange, and there have been several different versions.

What you may want to do is see if you actually have a phantom coil, as some HS models had a stacked single coil, instead of a phantom coil.