Tone knob does next to nothing

5string5fingers · #1 08-30-2010, 01:24 PM

The tone knob on my squier jazz pretty much does nothing at all. Is it the crappy pots or the pickups? I have MIM 5 string pickups in it.

PSPookie · #2 08-30-2010, 01:28 PM

What cap value are you using?

draftsmann · #3 08-30-2010, 01:30 PM

Little or nothing to do with the pickups.

If the control does nothing for most of its travel, then everything at the end, it's the pot. If there is little overall difference between full-on and full-off, it's the capacitor.

Rewiring cheap guitars is satisfying and can yield significant improvements at little outlay. There are plenty of online resources on the subject.

5string5fingers · #4 08-30-2010, 01:34 PM

It's just what came on it. it says 473k 100V or that could be a U hard to tell. It's very small compared to what i've seen on other basses i've had.

PSPookie · #5 08-30-2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by draftsmann

Little or nothing to do with the pickups.

If the control does nothing for most of its travel, then everything at the end, it's the pot. If there is little overall difference between full-on and full-off, it's the capacitor.

Rewiring cheap guitars is satisfying and can yield significant improvements at little outlay. There are plenty of online resources on the subject.

+1

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5string5fingers

It's just what came on it. it says 473k 100V or that could be a U hard to tell. It's very small compared to what i've seen on other basses i've had.

That's a 0.047 microFarad cap -- standard value for a Fender-style bass. Could be the pot. Have you double-checked your wiring?

5string5fingers · #6 08-30-2010, 01:45 PM

i did. I'm probably going to go and get CTS pots and switch craft jack installed soon anyways.

KillerQuebec · #7 08-30-2010, 01:59 PM

what kind of amp?

SMILEYSIXX · #8 08-30-2010, 02:06 PM

Personally, I say replace the whole wiring system. It's relatively cheap and will greatly improve your tone even more than switching out just the pot or capacitor.

HitByABlimp · #9 08-30-2010, 02:09 PM

Could be the impendance load the bass sees (cable, amp, DI, etc.). Have you tried different cables and/of input options??

darkstorm · #10 08-30-2010, 02:30 PM

473 or .047 is the most common cap value provided in most basses. However diff values can also be useful. Some designers have even used multi switches to select various caps (of diff value for each) to give the tone control a diff responce. Some values creating mellower sound useful for jazz as example, and some values for more bite etc. When I modded my first doubleneck I added seperate caps for the bridge and neck pups with on/off switches so the bridge pup cap switch gave it a treble cut and the neck pup had a switch for treble passthru. Anyway diff cap values can be a worthwhile thing depending on tweaks wanted with passive basses. Heres one useful article about cap values and their sound effects. Though mainly guitar related, does have stuff about bass too. http://www.premierguitar.com/magazin...apacitors.aspx

But yesh, replaceing tiny stock pots on ones that come with those, and useing better capacitor can improves ones sound a lot. Even if useing same value as mfg used. Giving you useful tone control and fuller sound with better detail overall. Crummy pots rob sound detail, low end and can also give shrillness prone treble.

5string5fingers · #11 08-30-2010, 09:08 PM

Actually the pots it came with are big,cts size,but probably are still low quality.

Killerquebec...not quite sure what it has to do with the price of beans,but I run a GK MB115.

Cables have no effect,and my active input just makes the bass quieter(duh).

With the original pickups the tone knob had a little more effect,but like on the B string,it still sounded the same. I'll be replacing everything this weekend.

Muaguana · #12 08-31-2010, 01:40 AM

It doesn't matter who makes potentiometers, especially when the design of said potentiometers are nearly identical from brand to brand. Their resistance rating, taper, and tolerance are what matters, and any difference in sound you might get from using different brands would be so minuscule that it would be completely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. If you want peace of mind in getting a reputable brand that you think will last a long time, then go for it. Just don't try to justify it by saying different brands somehow sound "better" or "worse."

/rant

Just as a side note, I actually prefer mini-sized pots just because they take up less space. When I switched from a CTS normal-sized pot to a mini Alpha of the same resistance rating, I didn't hear any difference whatsoever in sound quality.

Muaguana · #13 08-31-2010, 03:26 AM

Oh yeah, and just because it's 2:30 in the morning and I'm drunk with fatigue...

What's the best input jack for metal?

Edward G. · #14 08-31-2010, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5string5fingers

The tone knob on my squier jazz pretty much does nothing at all. Is it the crappy pots or the pickups? I have MIM 5 string pickups in it.

Don't buy anything new yet. This just happened to me week before last. Check the solder points connecting the leads to the pickups. If they are compromised (as in not making full contact from a lot of twisting and bending of the strands of wire), you will get a sound, but the tone control will not work. Also, check the volume control too. It may only work full-on and completely go dead after backing it off less than a half-turn. Reinforcing the solder points at the pickup/s turned the trick for me. (AFTER I had unnecessarily bought new pots and installed them.

)

Shakin-Slim · #15 08-31-2010, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muaguana

Oh yeah, and just because it's 2:30 in the morning and I'm drunk with fatigue...

What's the best input jack for metal?

That's a hard one but the pots he has seem like they'd definitely be the best for metal!

5string5fingers · #16 08-31-2010, 01:15 PM

Could very well be the soldering,as i have a cheap soldering iron and my soldering really sucks because of it.

Best input for metal would have to be active pickups in a passive input for the ultimate output of your metalness. If your amp cant handle it,well then your amp just isnt metal enough.

5string5fingers · #17 08-31-2010, 01:40 PM

reinforcing my solders helped a little,but overall the tone still just sounds slightly muffled with it rolled off. Maybe this is just a j bass thing? My p with SD spb-2 has this amazing fat,thick, rumble with the tone off.

Still probably gonna get new pots put in,just because i know the techs soldering is 100 times better than mine.

Muaguana · #18 08-31-2010, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5string5fingers

reinforcing my solders helped a little,but overall the tone still just sounds slightly muffled with it rolled off. Maybe this is just a j bass thing? My p with SD spb-2 has this amazing fat,thick, rumble with the tone off.

Wait, hold up... the problem is that the bass sounds muffled with the tone rolled off? That's the purpose of the tone knob. If you don't like it, you can just upgrade the pickups to ones with more low-end kick. My Squier VM, with a Tesla VR-B4 in the bridge and an SD Bassline in the neck, is a freakin' beast. If you want something closer to a P bass sound in terms of sheer low-end awesomeness, the Bassline is a safe bet. I've heard the SD Quarter Pounders are even more bass-heavy, so you could check those out too.

Also, a series/parallel switch gets as close as you can get to the sound of a P, while (at least with my pickup configuration) still having more articulation than a true P.

5string5fingers · #19 08-31-2010, 06:46 PM

I know but its more like someone talking with their hand in front of their mouth rather than a pillow. if that makes any sense. Maybe it is the pickups,maybe I should probably get over it as I don't see myself using it that much,if i want less treble and less definition i'll just kill the treble on my amp. If I want more thump..well thats whats a p bass is for.

Muaguana · #20 09-01-2010, 12:36 AM

Huh. I'd try different pickups, after you change out all the pots and get it wired up properly (use this as an opportunity to practice your soldering - that's what Squier's are for

). I don't have any experience with MIM jazz pups, but if all other electronic work doesn't solve the issue, it might be worth it to upgrade. I bought my Squier to screw around with the electronics; I never thought I'd be using it regularly at gigs like I do now. All those hours spent soldering and re-wiring and re-arranging paid off big time in the end. Food for thought.