No tone pot?
 

I never mess with the tone pot on my Jazz bass, so I'm wondering what would happen if I take it out. The pot is 500k and the cap is 0.047uf, but I always leave it dimed - isn't that like having no tone pot?

No. There is still some loading going on. If you remove it, it will probably take on a harsh edge to the tone.

The Timoth B. Schmit signature bass only has a volume control.

did that to my P/J, loved it.

With 500k, it tends not to be noticeable with the average pickup impedance. If that becomes an issue, however, you just replace the pot with a fixed resistor.

Well, yes, at 500k it's already brighter, so if the OP likes the tone, then removing it altogether will be a marginal step towards bright/harsh instead of the universe of change if the tone control was the stock 250kohm pot.

Another alternative to keep the tone control if necessary is to go to a 1 meg linear taper pot first before tossing out the tone control completely.

What I'm debating about it whether to install a push/pull pot for parallel/series wiring or to ditch the tone control (which I never use) and replace it with an on/on parallel/series switch. I just don't know whether I want to have to pull a knob to switch the mode.

No tone pots in my Jazz Basses.

I have tinkered with guitar electronics for over 35 years. I have found that a good push-pull control is easy to operate, doesn't affect the cosmetics of the instrument, and keeps the versatility. Plus, it is a positive control, and you can "grab and go" and not be distracted with a little flip switch trying to find it or make sure it's in the right position in the middle of a song or set.

I would suggest that changing out the tone control with a push-pull pot/switch with the usual DPDT 6 lugs is the best way to get what you're after: retaining the tone control while increasing the versatility of the bass with the series/parallel.

Here's a schematic, which, when engaged sends the series position to the neck volume knob for easy reach. It is drawn separately from the tone control, but the wiring is the same with a push-pull as part of the tone control pot as it is with a separate switch:

http://www.lordgoogle.com/bass/s1_mod/

And here's a kit ready to go:

http://www.guitar-mod.com/Merchant2/...gory_Code=BSK2

Thanks! I'll stick with this way of doing it.

You're welcome!

If you dont touch the TONE CONTROL at all .. you could take it out and replace it
Measure the Resistance from the TOne Pot to the the Leg with CAP/Earth on it and just put in a resistor of that value with the cap
its just a filter.. Tone is always doing some thing

Dam Line6Man got there before me

dam im too late to say any thing .. I got lots fo Push Pull im using on strats at the moment to flip the coils
editing the P-bass to change the Tone controls
also would like to add a Jazz PickUP on it as well
so will need to have a selector OMG this is getting complex with the space i got
Ill draw the plan out first then take over teh world