Taking out the tone pot

[EighthNotes]

Hi! I searched and did not find any answer to this. If I wanted to eliminate the tone pot from a standard P-bass, is it as simple as snipping the wire between it and the volume pot?? This is assuming mine is wired the same as the diagram on Seymour Duncan's website. Thanks!

[line6man]

Yes.

It will make the tone slightly brighter, however, depending on the pot value. If you want to keep the tone the same as if the pot was on "10," you can replace the pot with a resistor.

[EighthNotes]

Thanks! I think the pot is bad so I just need it gone lol

[Bassoballs]

If you think the pot is bad, why dont you just replace the pot?

[EighthNotes]

I never touch it. The volume pot may be on its way out too. That one will need replaced.

[iiipopes]

I heartily advise against chopping it out entirely. If you think something is wrong, do have it checked out. Yes, it's rare that pots or capacitors go bad (capacitors are more likely to drift slightly over the decades), but they do.

Now, assuming everything works, or bad parts have been replaced, there are a number of things you can do that are reversible to make a P-bass brighter. I suggest you try one of the alternatives, because even though you play wide open now, you may get a gig in the future, or your playing style may change, where you want the controls operational. For example, I always keep the tone control in the circuit and turn it down a number to take the edge off new roundwound strings until they settle in so I can keep consistent tone from set to set and gig to gig.

1) Yes, bypass the wiring. Clipping the wire of the tone circuit will do that.
2) Use a 500 kohm linear taper pot as the tone pot. It will not only decrease the load to ground, but will have less roll off at the front of the sweep.
3) Use a .033 tone capacitor instead of the .047 stock capacitor. This will raise the hinge frequency and give more mids.
4) Use a 500kohm audio taper pot for the volume control, again, with less loading to ground it will be slightly brighter. However, the resonant peak will also be stronger, so you may actually get more of a mid whang than a brightness boost.
5) Change out for a pickup with more top end, like a Seymour Duncan quarter-pounder with its larger magnets.
6) If you like the taper of the volume control, (even though you don't use it now) insert a 250 kohm resistor between the pot lug currently grounded and the casing ground. This will have the same effect as #4 above.
7) Use brighter strings, like Rotosound Swingbass, and change strings more frequently.
8) Use an amplifier that has a higher imput impedance.
9) Use a speaker cabinet with a horn or tweeter in addition to the main driver(s).

If you must disconnect, do so by unsoldering rather than cutting, so it can be restored at a later time.

[EighthNotes]

Good advice. My problem though was the bass was lacking low end and volume. It already has an SD Quarter Pounder and DR Hi-beams. I snipped that little wire and it seemed to have done the trick, just needs new strings (these ones are over 4 yrs old). I will be replacing the volume pot in the near future as well.

Originally Posted by iiipopes

1) Yes, bypass the wiring. Clipping the wire of the tone circuit will do that. Done
2) Use a 500 kohm linear taper pot as the tone pot. It will not only decrease the load to ground, but will have less roll off at the front of the sweep. N/A
3) Use a .033 tone capacitor instead of the .047 stock capacitor. This will raise the hinge frequency and give more mids. N/A
4) Use a 500kohm audio taper pot for the volume control, again, with less loading to ground it will be slightly brighter. However, the resonant peak will also be stronger, so you may actually get more of a mid whang than a brightness boost. Will be done
5) Change out for a pickup with more top end, like a Seymour Duncan quarter-pounder with its larger magnets. Done
6) If you like the taper of the volume control, (even though you don't use it now) insert a 250 kohm resistor between the pot lug currently grounded and the casing ground. This will have the same effect as #4 above. Might try this
7) Use brighter strings, like Rotosound Swingbass, and change strings more frequently. Done
8) Use an amplifier that has a higher imput impedance. Have a Mesa M6, though not used as the test for this
9) Use a speaker cabinet with a horn or tweeter in addition to the main driver(s). Ampeg 410HLF

If you must disconnect, do so by unsoldering rather than cutting, so it can be restored at a later time.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by EighthNotes

Good advice. My problem though was the bass was lacking low end and volume. It already has an SD Quarter Pounder and DR Hi-beams. I snipped that little wire and it seemed to have done the trick, just needs new strings (these ones are over 4 yrs old). I will be replacing the volume pot in the near future as well.

Removing the tone control will make the bass brighter. How is that helping with the lack of low end?

You also have a bright pickup and bright strings. Ne strings should do wonders for the tone.

[EighthNotes]

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

Removing the tone control will make the bass brighter. How is that helping with the lack of low end?

You also have a bright pickup and bright strings. Ne strings should do wonders for the tone.

I think the lack of lows were a result of the low output which could have been because of a bad tone pot/bad soldering job on the back of said pot. I don't know, something worked because the bass is playable now.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by EighthNotes

I think the lack of lows were a result of the low output which could have been because of a bad tone pot/bad soldering job on the back of said pot. I don't know, something worked because the bass is playable now.

Makes sense.