Varitone Problem

[Ampig]

I rtecently picked up a used Rothstein V6B Varitone. It's down at the bottom of the page on this link Rothstein Guitars • Serious Tone for the Serious Player
This unit has has 6 settings:
1. Bypassed - this is identical to a tone knob in full open position.
2. Mild treble cut - this is identical to a tone knob set near the halfway point.
3. Full treble cut - this is identical to a standard tone knob set at maximum treble cut.
4. Mild mid scoop - great for slapping.
5. Full mid scoop - great for a "modern" hard rock tone.
6. Dark - rolls off lots of treble and mids. Roundwound strings will sound more like flatwounds at this setting.

I'm getting distortion which becomes noticable and worse as I move through the positions from 1-6. Any ideas?

[Crater]

Did you install this in an active bass? You're leaving out a lot of details.

The standard Gibson Varitone circuit doesn't contain any 'active' (amplifying) components and it doesn't appear the Rothstein Varitone does either. There's really nothing there that could cause 'distortion' as it's just a glorified passive tone control. The problem is elsewhere, either with your amp or with your installation.

[SGD Lutherie]

With Varitones that use transformers as inductors, you can sometimes have a little bit of distortion.

What kind of bass and pickups is it?

[Ampig]

Sorry about the lack of info. My bad. It's a stock MIJ Fender 62 RI Jazz (wired:balance/volume/tone). I tried it first in a 30 watt Peavey practice amp and then in a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0. The results were the same - sounds like there's an overdrive pedal in the circuit - more pronounced as the darker capacitors are engaged.