Series / Parallel wiring on Nordstrand DC's! HELP!!

[Funkyman]

Hey all. My bass is loaded with Nordstrand Dual Coils wired in Series, but i've heard that you can install a 3-way switch to get the Parallel option too.. how easy is this?

Anyone can tell me how? what kind of switch? there is a diagram or something? cause is a Custom Bass, and my luthier is charging me a lot for this option, and i believe that this is something easy to get done by my self!

Thanks,

Dany.

[David King]

Dany,
This is easy only in that after a few hours of messing around with a hot soldering iron you can usually get it to work correctly ...eventually. There are several common switching options to choose from. First off Nordstrand winds different numbers of turns for series and parallel wired DCs. He does this so that they will sound good in the designated wiring. You might find that your pickups in parallel sound too thin. A simple DPDT switch will get you series and parallel connections. An on-on-on dptt switch will get you series, single coil, parallel. An on-off-on dptt switch will get you outer single coils, all coils in series, inner single coils, for both pickups. That last one is my favorite option. You can find the switch schematics on line at DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan et al websites however their diagrams will only show you their 4 color wiring which will be different from the Nordstrand wiring colors. You'll have to sit there and test out the possible combinations until you get everything working correctly which can take a while and make a mess of the switch from having to resolder everything multiple times. You can try contacting Nordstrand pickups for the proper diagram with color codes for what you want to do. The switches can be purchased from Radio Shack or Mouser on-line.