Single 4-Conductor Pickup - Passive Wiring

Bartolini pickups are precision magnetic transducers designed and built to bring out the
fullest response from electric guitars and basses. They are hand assembled in California
from quality materials and carry a 1 year warranty against defects in materials and
workmanship.
Most Bartolini pickups can be used with standard passive tone and volume controls. The
diagram below is a very simple setup for passive tone and volume with a pickup using 4-
conductor cable. This will connect the pickup coils in series for fullest output.
A capacitor of lower value will provide brighter tone. For basses, common values are
between 0.047uf (darkest tone) and 0.022uf (brightest tone).

Pickup Cable Connect Red & White

and cover with heat-
shrink
Connect Green & Ground
shield drain
to ground
250K 250K

T
Audio 473
Audio
Out

Volume 0.047uF capacitor Tone bartolini.net

 Dual 4-Conductor Pickups
The diagram below is a very simple setup for passive tone and volumes for two pickups
using 4-conductor cable.
Neck Pickup Cable Connect Red & White and
Bridge Pickup Cable cover with heat-shrink

Connect
green and
Ground
bare wire to
ground
250K 250K 250K

T
473
Audio Audio Audio
Out
0.047uF capacitor
Neck Volume Bridge Volume Tone

The diagram at right shows

how to connect 2 pickups
To

5A5C250K
to a blend pot as part of a Bridge Pickup Cable Preamp
Bartolini pre-wired harness.

Neck Pickup Cable

bartolini.net Blend
 PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS

Switch Wiring for Dual Coil Pickups with 4-conductor cable

series treble coil
red (humbucking) (bridge single coil)
hot (black)
white
ground
green
SPDT (on-on) switch
shield (or 1/2 of DPDT (on-on) switch)

series bass coil

green (humbucking) (neck single coil)
hot (red)
black
ground
white
SPDT (on-on) switch
shield (or 1/2 of DPDT (on-on) switch)

neck pu. green red

hot (neck) both pu's in series outer single coils
black (humbucking) (humbucking)
shield white
ground
bridge pu. shield green
red DPDT (on-on) switch
white black hot (bridge) ( or Push - Pull switch )

Switching to the outer single coils gives a "Tele" like sound for guitars and a "J" like sound
for basses (if BOTH pickups have magnet North (or both magnet South) toward the neck)

red neck SC
black parallel HB series HB
hot (red)
green
ground
white
shield DPTT (on-on-on) switch

black bridge SC
red parallel HB series HB
hot (black)
white
ground
green
shield DPTT (on-on-on) switch

black
red parallel HB series HB
hot (black)
white
ground
shield green
DPDT (on-on) switch
 PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS

Switch Wiring for Dual Coil Pickups with 4-conductor cable

black series HB
white neck SC bridge SC
hot (black)
red

green ground

shield SPDT (on-off-on) switch

neck pu. green red

hot (neck) dual coils
black
outer SC's inner SC's
white
shield ground
bridge pu. shield green
red DPDT (on-off-on) switch
white hot (bridge)
black (all positions humbucking)
Switching to the outer single coils gives a "Tele" like sound for guitars and a "J" like sound
for basses (if BOTH pickups have magnet North (or both magnet South) toward the neck)
Switching to the inner single coils gives a fuller tone with more mids.

HB = humbucking (dual coils with both coils on) SC = single coil

SERIES WIRING PARALLEL WIRING
red black + red
ground + + green _ neck coil
_ neck coil _ bridge coil hot
hot
green white ground +
bridge coil
white _ black
highest output level - best midrange
1/2 the output of series wiring
with 50% more treble but less mids
black (hot) black+red (hot)
series wiring parallel wiring
red
)
(use tape or
white shrink tubing
green to prevent
grounding) white
shield +green
ground ground
+shield
+ red (neck)

- green (neck)

+ black (bridge)

- white (bridge)

shield (ground)