Wiring for Jazz Bass

Typical Jazz Bass wiring. The two volume controls blend the signals of the two pickups independently. Unlike most other guitar wiring, the output wires from the pickups connect to the middle lugs of the volume pots, letting you turn the volume of one pickup down without affecting the other.

Reduce unwanted electrical noise by using shielded coaxial cable for your longer wiring runs (for example, the connection between the controls and the output jack). Coaxial cable contains a center "hot" conductor which is shielded by an outer braid used for the ground wire.

For short connections between components, use standard non-shielded wire. Typically, white wire is used for hot and black for ground.

Stewart-MacDonald wiring kits contain black and white non-shielded wire, plus shielded coaxial cable. Extra black wire is included for running a string ground.