1-Conductor Pickup

PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS Passive Wiring

Single 1-Conductor Pickup Passive Setup with Volume and Tone

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 for a single pickup using
1-conductor cable.

*Most audio-taper pots use a 15% taper. We think that a 30%

Pickup Cable taper is better for the volume control (30A250K), and 10%
taper is better for the tone control (10A250K). 500KΩ pots will
give basses a brighter tone but are more commonly used with
Connect Braided guitar humbucker pickups.
shield to ground

Ground
250K* 250K*
Audio 473 Audio
0.047uF capacitor**
Volume Tone
Out

A capacitor of lower value will provide brighter tone. For bass common values are between **0.068uF (darkest tone)
and 0.022uF (brightest tone), and for guitars between 0.033uF(dark) and 0.010uF(bright).

This diagram shows 2 pickups connected to a blend pot as part

of a Bartolini pre-wired harness.
Bridge Pickup Cable
Blend pots may be 5A5C taper or MN To
taper. 5A5C reduces volume for each Preamp,
pickup slightly at center detent for more
even volume overall. MN will be louder at
or
5A5C250K Volume
center. Preferences vary. We usually use Neck Pickup Cable
5A5C.

Blend
© all rights reserved Bartolini,
Inc. 2021
 Dual 1-Conductor Pickups
PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS Passive Wiring

Dual 1-Conductor Pickups Passive Setup with 2 Volumes and 1 Tone

Neck Pickup Cable Bridge Pickup Cable

Connect Ground
braided shield
to ground 250K 250K 473 250K
Audio Audio Audio
0.047uF
capacitor
Neck Volume Bridge Volume Tone

This diagram shows one example of a very simple passive setup of

one tone and two volume controls for two pickups using a 1-
conductor cable.
Out

Dual 1-Conductor Pickups Passive Setup with Blend, Volume, and Tone
Neck Pickup Cable
Volume 0.047uF Tone
capacitor
Connect
green and 5A5C250K 250K
Blend 473 250K
bare wire to Audio Audio
ground
Blend
Ground
Bridge Pickup Cable

This diagram shows one example of a very simple passive setup of Blend,
volume and one tone controls for two pickups using a 1-conductor cable.
Out
These sample wiring diagrams do not represent what is included with any Bartolini prewired harness or pickup but are only
examples of how Bartolini 4-conductor cabled pickups can be switched for tonal variations .

© all rights reserved Bartolini, Inc. 2021

 Dual 1-Conductor Pickups
PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS Passive Wiring

Dual 1-Conductor Pickups in a Passive Setup with 2 Volumes and 2 Tones

This diagram shows one example of a very simple passive setup using 2 volume
controls and 2 tone controls with two 2 pickups using 1-conductor cables.

*Most audio-taper pots use a 15% taper. We think that a

30% taper is better for the volume control (30A250K),
and 10% taper is better for the tone control (10A250K).
500KΩ pots will give basses a brighter tone but are
more commonly used with guitar humbucker pickups.

Neck Pickup Cable Bridge Pickup Cable

Neck Volume Bridge Volume Connect

braided shields
to ground
250K 250K
Audio Audio
Ground
473 0.047uF 473
capacitor

250K 250K
Audio Audio
Out
Neck Tone Bridge Tone

A capacitor of lower value will provide brighter tone.

For bass common values are between 0.068uF (darkest
tone) and 0.022uF (brightest tone), and for guitars
between 0.033uF(dark) and 0.010uF(bright).

These sample wiring diagrams do not represent what is included with any Bartolini prewired harness or pickup but
are only examples of how Bartolini 4-conductor cabled pickups can be switched for tonal variations.
© all rights reserved Bartolini, Inc. 2021
 1-Conductor
PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS P-Bass Passive Wiring

Typical P Bass set up using a Passive Volume and Tone

Bass Side (-B)

P-Bass -B
NECK

Pickups
Internal
Shielding
P-Bass -T
BRIDGE

Pickup’s
Internal
Shielding
Treble Side (-T)

*Most audio-taper pots use a 15% taper. We

think that a 30% taper is better for the
volume control (30A250K), and 10% taper is
better for the tone control (10A250K). 500KΩ
pots will give basses a brighter tone but are
more commonly used with guitar humbucker
Connect Braided shield pickups.
to ground
Pickup Output
Ground

250K* 250K*
Audio 473 Audio
0.047uF capacitor**
Volume Tone Out
** A capacitor of lower value will provide brighter tone. For bass common
values are between 0.068uF (darkest tone) and 0.022uF (brightest tone).

These sample wiring diagrams do not represent what is included with any Bartolini prewired harness or pickup but are only
examples of how Bartolini 1-conductor cabled pickups can be wired for passive operation.

© all rights reserved Bartolini, Inc. 2021

 1-Conductor Pickups
PICKUPS AND ELECTRONICS Passive Wiring

This diagram shows how to reverse the phase of a single conductor

Bartolini Jazz pickup

Standard Wiring Reverse Phase Wiring

Coil(+)
Coil(+)
Added Insulated Cable
Coil(-) Cable Conductor Braid
Braid Coil(-)

Pickup’s Pickup’s
Internal Internal
Jazz Bass

Jazz Bass
Neck

Neck

Shielding Shielding

© all rights reserved Bartolini, Inc. 2021