Fishman VS-50P User Manual

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Stereo Output Jack

(Tip/Ring/Sleeve)

Stereo "Y" Cable

Powerbridge™

Signal
(Ring)

Pure

Magnetic

Signal

(Tip)

Powerbridge™

Stereo

Instrument Cable

to Stereo Input

Magnetic

Powerchip™

Mono Instrument Cable

Powerbridge™

Magnetic

Stereo Output Jack

(Tip/Ring/Sleeve)

Mono Instrument Cable

Powerbridge™

Magnetic

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also just touching the last fret.You have now duplicated the neck's radius.
fingerboard. Adjust the "A", "D", "G" AND "B" string saddles so that these strings are

F

the pivot screws so that both "E" strings are just touching the last fret on the
top plate. Be careful not to pinch the signal wires under the saddles. Raise or lower

•

3 mm hex wrench

•

1.5mm hex wrench

•

Routing Template

• 5

Megohm resistor

•

Shielding Foil

•

Stereo Output Jack

•

Vibrato Claw

•

(2) Vibrato Claw Mounting Screws

•

(3) Vibrato Springs

•

(2) Brass pivot screw bushings

•

(2) Pivot Screws

•

Vibrato Arm

•

pickup

™

VS-50P Wilkinson™ style knife-edge Powerbridge

Parts List

the saddles.
Always remember to loosen the hold-down screws before making any adjustment to
adjustments can be made to each string with the saddle height adjusting screws.
screws. Re-check the action, and if necessary, re-adjust the pivot screws. Fine
After the intonation is set, lock the saddles to the top plate by tightening hold-down

spacing and set the intonation.
at the vibrato claw. With the saddle hold-down screws still loose, re-check the string
float the bridge level with the top of the guitar by adjusting the tension of the springs
Raise the two pivot screws to obtain the desired action. Tune the strings to pitch and

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Set the height of the two "E" strings so that the bottom of each saddle is flush to the
moving the saddles sideways.

to pitch. Loosen the saddle hold down screws and adjust the string spacing by
Once the VS-50P is installed, string up the guitar and tune the strings taut, but not up

Tips on setting up the VS-50P

that accompanies these instructions.
to integrate it with your Strat style guitar, please read the Powerbridge™ User's guide
You will find that there are several wiring options available. To help you decide how
wrench.
height/intonation and vibrato arm can now be easily accessed with the same hex
sound and reduces string breakage. All critical adjustments to the saddle
predecessor, the VS-100P. A new design for the piezo assembly improves the pickup
reintroduced Wilkinson™ format bridge, with several updated improvements over its
generation Powerbridge™ offers the convenience and flexibility of our newly
Thank you for choosing the Fishman VS-50P Powerbridge™ Pickup. This 2nd

[e-mail] or 978-988-9665.
assistance, contact Fishman Customer Service at
Please read these instructions carefully. For technical

that may result from improper installation.
Fishman Transducers will not be responsible for any damages
Installation by a qualified professional repair-person only.

result from handling these wires.
saddles. They are extremely delicate. Pickup failure may
Do not disturb the black signal wires located under the

Important!

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ISHMAN

System Components

• Stereo Jack

• Instrument Cable

Depending on how you want to set up your Powerbridge™ system, you can use
one of the following three instrument cables (available from your Fishman dealer).

1 - Stereo "Y" Cable

This will split the Powerbridge™
and magnetic pickup signals and
send them to separate amplifiers
or other destinations (PA,
recording devices, etc.).

P

OWERBRIDGE

(included)

(not included)

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A 1/4" stereo output jack is
provided with your
Powerbridge™ Pickup. It is an
essential component to the
Powerbridge™ System. With it
you can send piezo and magnetic
pickup signals to separate
amplifiers. The magnetic pickups
are wired to Tip, and the
Powerbridge™ Pickup is wired to
Ring.

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NOTE: For best results, use a "2-pair" premium stereo cable (available through your
Fishman dealer) with separate shielding for both the Powerbridge™ and magnetic
signals.

3 - Mono Instrument Cable with a Fishman Powerchip™

If you want to blend the magnetics and the Powerbridge™ together on the guitar,
you'll need a Fishman Powerchip™. Plug a standard mono instrument cable into a
Powerchip™ equipped guitar and you can mix piezo and magnetic signals, right on
the instrument. (See the Fishman Powerbridge™ System User Guide for more on the
Powerchip™).

L

IMITED

INSTALLATION BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL REPAIRMAN IS STRONGLY

RECOMMENDED. FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

ANY DAMAGES THAT MAY RESULT FROM IMPROPER INSTALLATION.

The Fishman Powerbridge™ Pickup is warranted to function for a period of One (1) Year
from the date of purchase. If the unit fails to function properly within the warranty period,
free repair and the option of replacement or refund in the event that Fishman is unable
to make repair are Fishman’s only obligations. This warranty does not cover any conse­quential damages or damage to the unit due to misuse, accident, or neglect. Fishman
retains the right to make such determination on the basis of factory inspection. Products
returned to Fishman for repair or replacement must be shipped in accordance with the
Return Policy, as follows. This warranty remains valid only if repairs are performed by
Fishman. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other
rights which may vary from state to state.

RETURN POLICY

To return products to FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS, you must follow these steps...

1. Call FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS at 978-988-9199 for a Return Authorization Number
(“RAN”).

2. Enclose a copy of the original Bill of Sale as evidence of the date of purchase, with
the product in its original packaging and a protective carton or mailer.

3. FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS’ technicians will determine whether the item is covered
by warranty or if it instead has been damaged by improper customer installation or
other causes not related to defects in material or workmanship.

4. Warranty repairs or replacements will be sent automatically free of charge.

5. If FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS determines the item is not covered by warranty, we

will notify you of the repair or replacement cost and wait for your authorization to
proceed.

340-D Fordham Road Wilmington MA 01887 USA

FENDER, STRAT, AMERICAN STANDARD STRAT, AMERICAN STANDARD TELE, TELE are registered
trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. with which Fishman Transducers Inc. is not affiliated.

FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS, INC.

Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]

www.fishman.com

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009-086-001 • Rev 2 • 4-9-02

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POWERBRIDGE

PICKUP

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ODEL

Wilkinson™ style vibrato
bridge/pickup system

Direct Replacement for “knife-edge” Stratocaster Bridge

VS-50P

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Without a Fishman Powerchip™:

Powerbridge™ Pickup , b ut y our magnetics will function exactly as they did before you
installed the Powerbridge™.

2 - Stereo Instrument Cable

Both magnetic and piezo signals can be sent through a single stereo instrument cable
to our PowerBlend pedal. With the pedal, these signals can be either combined to a
mono output or split to separate outputs.

• Basic Passive Setup

Stereo Outputs

The simplest way to get the Po werbridge™ Pickup up and running is to wire it and the
magnetic pickups to Tip/Ring outputs of the supplied stereo jack. A stereo "Y" cable
or a standard stereo cable can then carry the two signals. From there, all mixing and
blending functions will be performed offboard the instrument. A Fishman Powerblend
pedal is especially suited for offboard blending/mixing with this passive setup.

For a passive setup don't tie the Powerbridge™ and magnetic pickup wires together
to a guitar's mono output jack. This may seem like a good idea, but it won't work. If
you connect the piezo and magnetic outputs, you will experience a loss of tone and
a very bizarre and un-musical interaction between the Powerbridge™ and magnetic
pickups.

Magnetic and piezo pickups operate on different electrical platforms. Magnetics are
"inductors" and piezos are "capacitive" devices. To mix signals on your instrument
you’ll need to electronically isolate or "buffer" the two signals with the Fishman
Powerchip™.

A mono instrument cable will short out the

F

TM

Use Existing Inserts

and Pivot Screws

Drill 3/32" (2.4 mm) Hole

from Vibrato Cavity

to Control Cavity

Powerchip™

Mono Instrument Cable

Stereo Output Jack

(Tip/Ring/Sleeve)

Electric Guitar Amp

Active

D.I.

PA / Recording Console

Pure Magnetic Signal

(Tip)

Powerbridge™ Signal

(Ring)

Magnetic

Volume

Sleeve

Ring

Tip

Magnetic

Signal

Stereo Jack

Optional 3-Way
Selector Switch

Mag

Both

Piezo

ON ONOFF

Powerbridge™

250K - 300K

Audio Taper Pot

Sleeve

Ring

Tip

1500 pF1500 pF

330 K820 pF

Magnetic Signal

Optional 3-Way
Selector Switch

Mag

Both

Piezo

O
N

O
F
F

O
N

Stereo
Output

Jack

ISHMAN

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Wiring Instructions

Passive Setup

Active Setup

• Active Setup - Powerchip™

With our onboard Powerchip™, you can mix and combine both the Powerbridge™
and magnetic pickups (on the guitar) and plug right into a single channel guitar
amplifier. You can also instantly split signals by simply changing to a stereo cable or
stereo "Y" cable.

See the Powerbridge™ System Users Guide

for Powertronics™ descriptions.

Bridge Installation

If you have a Fender®American Standard® or StratPlus® (knife-edge vibrato), the VS­50P is a direct replacement, using the existing pivot screws.(Fig. 1)

For some guitars you may need to slightly widen the bridge cavity to accommodate
vibrato arm receiver.

FIG 1 - Existing Pivot Screws

• Instrument Builders

Refer to the enclosed routing template to locate the two brass inserts.

• Routing the Powerbridge Pickup Wire

Drill a 3/32” (2.4 mm) hole from the vibrato cavity to the control cavity.
Route the Powerbridge™ wire through this hole (Fig 2).

If you prefer, you may route the Powerbridge™ wire through the
guitar's ground wire channel. If you do so, use care where you place
the wire, as it can be easily pinched by the springs or the bridge block
when raising the vibrato arm.

FIG 2 - Hole for Powerbridge™ Signal Wire

• Preliminary Notes

To prevent 60 Hz hum, the entire signal path for the Powerbridge™ should be fully shielded. Shield the control cavity and any non-conductive surface to
which the controls are mounted (such as plastic pickguards) with adhesive-backed f oil or conductiv e paint.The shielded cavity should also be tied to ground.

For complete hum prevention, the included stereo jack should also be shielded. A piece of shielding foil has been included. Note that one side is insulated.
After you have soldered the wires to the jack, roll the foil into a tube so that the insulation is on the inside. Surround the stereo jack with the foil tube and
fasten with adhesive tape. Connect the foil side of the tube to ground by soldering it to the shielding of the Powerbridge™ wire or to a jumper that is
connected to any ground.If your instrument has active magnetic pickups requiring an onboard battery) you will need a special 9-pin switching jack (Fishman
P/N ACC-PBR-9PJ) available through your Fishman dealer.

• Install the Stereo Jack

The jack can fit into the jack cavity without removing wood ...

1 Bend the terminals of the included stereo jack toward its center.
See Fig 3

2 Rotate the jack to locate the Tip terminal exactly at the upper left side of

FIG 3 - Bend Jack Terminals FIG 4 - Align Tip Terminal

the jack plate recess. See Fig 4

• Wiring Options

There are several different ways to wire the Powerbridge™.
Choose the option that best suits your needs.

Powerbridge™ & Magnetic Pickups
wired directly to a Stereo Jack

1. Connect the Powerbridge™ signal wire directly to the Ring

terminal on the supplied stereo jack.

2. Connect the Powerbridge™ and magnetic grounds to the Sleeve
terminal.

3. Connect the magnetic signal wire to the Tip terminal.

4. Connect the included 5 MΩresistor between the ring and sleeve

terminals.

Passive Volume for the Powerbridge™

This circuit that is easily assembled from "stock" guitar pots and
components available at any electronics parts retailer.

You will need:

• 250 k audio taper pot

• 330k resistor

• 820 pF capacitor

• 1500 pF capacitor
This network will attenuate the Powerbridge™ so that it better

matches levels between magnetic and piezo pickups. You can
expect a 14 dB (nominal) decrease in Powerbridge™ output with
this circuit.

NOTE: Optional 3-Way Selector Switch -

If desired, a
single pole, double throw (spdt) 3-way switch can also be added for
piezo/magnetic pickup selection. Use a switch with an ON-OFF-ON
orientation (no, this is not a misprint)

NOTE: Active Onboard Blending

A Fishman Powerchip™ (not included) must be installed if you wish
to blend/mix piezo and magnetic signals onboard the instrument.

FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS

340-D Fordham Road Wilmington MA 01887 USA

Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]

www.fishman.com

®

Passive Volume

Direct Wiring