Gibson Sg Bass/eb3 Wiring Mod

[Norowl]

I just bought a Gibson EB-3 (sg bass) copy/clone made by greco in `78.

after what I`ve read from people with the original eb-3, I found that the wiring is similar. as to the original.

a mudbucker(neck) and minihumbucker(bridge) and tone+volum for each pickup. however, this has a varitone like the original eb3.

it is wired like the original, and works like this:

pos1: neck

pos2: bridge

pos3: bridge+neck

pos4: neck with midchoke (aka "the mud")

problem is like the original, bridge pickup has a very low output compared to the neck, wich make pos2 and pos3 somewhat unsatisfying

especially pos 3, where the volum is as low as pos2: and almost sounds the same. it seems like the higher output neck pickup is drowned by the lower output bridge..?!? and when I lower the volum on the bridge pickup, the overall volum increases as the mudbucker gradually kicks in. it also has the "gibsonproblem" when i turn the volum completely down on the neck pup, bridge is also cut.

I would really like to have the option of a more blended sound by the pickups. because the neck pup sounds great, but could use some of the clarity the minihumbucker produces.. I can get a somewhat blended sound if i turn down the bridgevolum in pos3(both pups), but the sound is somewhat choked.. I.E. the neck pup alone sounds better and louder than the blended version.

just having ordinary independent volum controls would help alot;) (then I could just lower the volum of the neck)

does anybody know of a solution to this problem? what about getting a minihumbucker with higher output(if that is even possible)?

i`m actually thinking of just clearing the guts, and start over.. maybe with another bridge pickup If I can find something that fits the hole..

If i start over; I`m also playing with the idea of wiring the pups in both series and paralell.. does any other basses have series wired pups? is it a good idea?

sorry for all the questions and long post.. answer what you know/want and leave the rest for somebody else..

[Tim37]

have your bridge rewound hoter maybe?

[KeithHowell]

To allow the pickups to have independent volume controls swap the output hot and the wiper around on each of the potentiometers. ie the Pickup hot goes to the wiper of the pot and the output hot goes from the end of the pot. Gibson wire the pickup across the pot and take the output from the wiper.

I posted an full diagram a while back, if you do a search you should find it.

Keith