Corvette $$ Pickup Phasing Switches

[lowendfriend]

OK Wickers,

Can anyone point me to "the definitive treatise on sound vs phase switch settings" for the Corvette $$ bass?

I am under the impression that these phasing switches function identically (with perhaps different sound profiles) when passive vs. active.

There are so many different ways to dial up the $$, I would love to get a community view of how the switches are used for which sound. For just one example, if I am trying to "jazz bass it" I tend to set the switches to their center position for single coil operation. For P-bass kind of sound I flip the switches to the up position (as you are holding the bass to play). I'm curious about what others (or of course what Warwick) has to say about this feature of $$'s of any model persuasion.

Also interested in combinations and permutations of active/passive, neck vs bridge pup settings, pickup blend and EQ in the case of active operation.

Inquiring minds want to know!

[socialleper]

I usually play it with the neck pickup on the middle/single position and the bridge in the up/series positions; always in active. This gives me a nice crisp tone with smoother lows. Sometimes I might pan a little towards the bridge or roll off the highs a little. If I put the bridge into down/parallel and the neck into up/series I can get a really thick tone, but maybe a little muddy. I don't really like the sound from running both pick ups full with both in series or parallel, it just doesn't do it for me.

I've tried making it imitate a standard P bass or J bass tone without much success. The pick ups just aren't in the right place for that. IMO the $$ is best when just trying to be its self.

[lowendfriend]

I agree with the being it's own bass, but sometimes versatility means matching the needs of the gig. For blues, I like to use the $$ in both pup single and 50/50 and active with treble down slightly below mid and bass fullup. Stainless flats and the GK amp/cab add to the arsenal.

[One Bad Monkey]

Originally Posted by lowendfriend

I agree with the being it's own bass, but sometimes versatility means matching the needs of the gig. For blues, I like to use the $$ in both pup single and 50/50 and active with treble down slightly below mid and bass fullup. Stainless flats and the GK amp/cab add to the arsenal.

I agree. Usually I have my fretless $$ with the neck in the middle position and the bridge in the down position, which gives me the sound I want.

When I am being run direct, I end up putting the neck in the down position and the bridge in the up, which gives me the same sound, but without the buzzing that occurs with this bass when not run into an amp (it's odd).

[Means2nEnd]

The switches give the series/parallel/coil-tap option within each pickup. Phase switching is different if you imagine 2/9 volt batteries parallel would be negative to negative and positive to positive then out. Series would be in through the positive and out of the negative of the first coil or battery to the next in the positive out of the negative. Phase switching allows you to run the negative to the positive and the positive to the negative of each battery. Sounds thin and nasally out of phase good for twangy guitar solos there is also a big volume loss as well. Can be done between two separate pickups or within one pickup with two coils but still phase switching and what is available on a standard $$ is different.

Quote from Nordstrand site:
“In general, a pickup wired in series will have a fuller and fatter midrange with a subdued high end than a pickup wired in parallel, which will typically have more highs and a deeper low end with a cleaner midrange. Series pickups also have more output than parallel pickups. Parallel pickups generally are a better choice for a split-able installation as there will not be the gain loss associated with series style pickups”