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2x volume or 1 volume and 1 blend controls?

Cosmiceddie

Cosmiceddie

Aug 18, 2014
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Switzerland
#1
Well, I'm going to have a custom bass build this year and I cannot decide on whether I should opt for 2 volume controls or 1 volume and 1 blend control.

The bass will have 2 Seymour Duncan SJB-3s Quarter-Pound Jazz pickups.

Wo what do you think are the pros and the cons?
 
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#2
Hmmm, I think I'd opt for a volume and blend, if you aren't going to have a tone control. But if I had 3 pots, I'd do volume/tone/blend.
 
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#4
Two volumes every time. With a blend, one or the other pickup is on 100% in the blend at all times. You can't blend 80/80 with a BV setup. Tone control is less flexible with BVT for the same reasons. All IMHO, IME and YMMV, of course.
 
#6
i vote V/BL/T

if you're gonna rock quarter pounders then you probably aren't looking for the perfect "vintage J bass" tone where you turn all three knobs down to isolate them from each other and just put up with the overall weaker signal.

master volume plus blend is easier to deal with and allows for a more even sweep from the volume and tone controls, especially if you use a linear volume and an ungrounded blend scheme.
 
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#8
Jazz Ad said:
Both offer exactly the same combinations, despite what you will read.
Click to expand...
not quite, as i understand it:
SteveCS said:
You can't blend 80/80 with a BV setup.
Click to expand...
not with an M/N blend anyway, it always has one or the other pickup at 100%.

i suppose you could use an A/C blend, which essentially turns down both pickups in the middle, isolating them from each other a little.

personally i don't hear where that's such a great thing, it sounds stronger and clearer to me without that isolation loss.
 
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#10
Jazz Ad said:
A/C blend has nothing to do in a bass.
To get the equivalent of 80/80 on, you leave the blend in the middle and lower master volume to 80%, which is pretty obvious.
Click to expand...
well no, because the 80%/80% thing with two volumes (or the A/C blend) puts some resistance between the two pickups, while an M/N centered with the volume down a little doesn't.

again, i don't see the point myself but some folks like that effect and don't mind the output loss that comes with it.
 
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#12
walterw said:
...

i suppose you could use an A/C blend, which essentially turns down both pickups in the middle, isolating them from each other a little.
Click to expand...

But then you can never go flat out or control the degree of isolation.

I guess all passive wiring schemes are a compromise of sorts - flexibility, convenience, tone, output level, etc...

Our job here is not to convince the OP which is ' best', but to be objective about the pros and cons of each so that he makes an informed decision. Your posts very much fit that brief...

Cosmiceddie said:
Thanks for the replies so far.

Well, I don't want a tone control, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

I suppose if no tone control is involved then the subtlety and flexibility of VVT are not on your radar at this time. So perhaps the convenience of Blend/Master might be better suited. And if volume swells are your thing then a master volume quickly becomes an overriding factor...
 
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#15
My main player was a J-Bass during my formative years so VVT is what I'm accustomed to. As a result, it's what I prefer. It's not because I think it's "better"; it's just what l'm used to.

In a fairly large stable of basses I only have one with a blend knob - I'm not sure which type - and it sounds fine to me, but I'd still be more comfortable with two volumes. I'm sure that if I spent more time with the blend knob I'd get used to it and be fine.

Whatever gets you what you need quickly and easily on the bandstand is the right answer. That, IMHO, outweighs any tonal subtleties.
 
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#17
walterw said:
i vote V/BL/T

if you're gonna rock quarter pounders then you probably aren't looking for the perfect "vintage J bass" tone where you turn all three knobs down to isolate them from each other and just put up with the overall weaker signal.

master volume plus blend is easier to deal with and allows for a more even sweep from the volume and tone controls, especially if you use a linear volume and an ungrounded blend scheme.
Click to expand...
This.
 
#20
Having one volume knob is important to me.
If there is a song I'm not playing on I'll turn my volume down. When I turn it back up I want to have precisely the same blend I had before. I can't be sure I'm doing that with two volume knobs at different levels.
If the double volume knobs was important to me I would consider making one of them a pull/kill switch so I could mute myself without messing with my blend
 

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