Active to passive conversion

[mcnach]

Another source of useful info is guitarnuts.com.
It's guitar oriented, but many things translate directly to bass with small changes. Worth having a look. Quite a few mods there too.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by mcnach

I would remove the electronics entirely, just leaving the pickups. Then wire your preferred passive configuration fresh, with the appropriate value pots etc.
That also gives you the opportunity to restore the bass to stock condition if you ever want to, or to sell the whole preamp wired, easier to sell.

This, just do it. 500k pots may work better than 250's since you've got what appear to be dual-coil humbucking pickups.
Don't bother with two tone controls. It doesn't work.

[Stealth]

Two tone controls work provided you use isolating resistors, as in the diagram above. The same approach worked on the first Jazz bass series that used stacked V/T pots.

[DanikDarko]

Sorry for this ancient reply but IT WORKED!

Now no Phat II EQ or FAALTU(useless) as I liked to call it in my signal circuit. Simple J-bass configuration(vol-vol-tone) and it sounds way better than what it used to.
As far as the excess gain problem is concerned, its still there(probably a hint louder, I think). Still overdrives the amp but without the excessive lows which were present with the Phat II EQ. So, it is easier to fiddle around with the gain and master volume of the amp to get a cleaner tone while retaining the 'sound'.

The mod was as simple as 'stimulating' myself, it came naturally(no pun intended).

The first solution would simply be to find the input and output wire on the Phat II EQ, desolder them from EQ and solder them together. That way you'll permanently bypass it, and you can remove the battery and ignore that top knob altogether.

Followed this easy suggestion by Stealth and did the same with the earth wires. Also, I removed the pot altogether and kept it safely for another experiment(this one guy I've been chatting up via email about the same thing says Phat II EQ works well with a few Washburn basses).

Sound samples are on their way, wait just a lil while longer...

[DanikDarko]

Thanks mcnach, will check it out.

and dmusic148, I'm going to have to agree with Stealth, separate tone controls for each pickup gives loads of tonal-options. Only a few days back I tried a bass which used this configuration at a store and it sounded pretty good.
I think personal taste is what matters here. It does work, though.

[Stealth]

Personal taste is what drives modders to mod.

[DanikDarko]

Originally Posted by Stealth

Personal taste is what drives modders to mod.

You said it! Now I know why!