Repair And Restoration
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Fender P Bass-Plus — Switch short?
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Fender P Bass-Plus — Switch short?
Friends – I have an unexpected problem with my 1989 P Bass-Plus. I suspect that the Series-Parallel switch is grounding out (ie, short circuiting) when the 3-position pickup selector is in the P pickup position (disengaging the J pickup and all 3 pickups). I am waiting for feedback from Fender as to whether there is both a wiring diagram for this bass and the possibility of getting a direct replacement switch.
Has anyone worked on these basses in the past? This is my personal bass and it has been bullet-proof since I bought it new. Any suggestions on other possibilities to check?
If I get a diagram from Fender I will pass it along here.
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6 Replies
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Link to Wiring diagram I found online: https://www.talkbass.com/attachments/11214672758745563287-jpg.917462/
Fender did not have a diagram for this era bass.
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I would be tempted to just replace the pushbutton with a toggle that would fit the hole in the guard. If that doesn’t fix the issue, then it’s time for a deeper dive into the pickups. May be a shorted coil in the P.
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Thanks for the link and advice, Jon. I have been going over this circuit and it is very possible that one of the P pickups is shorted out. I need to remove it from the circuit and test it. As for the switch, if the pickup tests OK, I will order one. Appreciate your help here.
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All – Here is how this repair turned out: I removed the suspect pickup and push-pull switch from the circuit and each tested “good. I had no reason to suspect either pot b/c both worked unless the push switch was in one of its two positions. I wired in the new toggle switch and this did not correct the matter.
I then decided to clean the contacts on the pickup selector switch by gently drawing some 400-grit paper through the close contacts…and…voila! This did the trick. No shorts and all components worked correctly, including the pickup and original push switch (which I put back in place with the pickup).
It was quite interesting that build-up on the selector contacts seemed to cause this problem. Anyway, I then went back to complete the fret level-crown-polish and remaining setup steps. This wonderful Bass is now back to 100% original working order! Thanks for weighing in on this matter and for the link to the replacement switch.
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Thank you for the update. I had completely overlooked the selector switch. Sorry to run you down the wrong rabbit hole, but at least you got practice troubleshooting and a nice switch for a future project.
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No worries at all! I know that switch will get put to good use at some point. And I have sent myself down many a rabbit hole without anyone’s help. 😉 Thanks for writing and for sharing your knowledge.
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