Recently got a jazz bass after being a single pickup player. The blending with VVT are pretty cool, but I'm to used to having a single volume knob. I rewired to a passive blend knob and found it had the often reported issue of darker overall tone (an extra pot), and also being worse at getting the intermediate tones (I followed the standard advice on proper taper). I since have rewired to a 5 way rotary. Positions 1/3/5 are the standard neck/dual/bridge. 2 and 4 are Neck on/ bridge 90% and bridge on/neck 90%, following the example of the fender Roscoe beck wiring (adding a resistor in series with the pickup to turn down, resistance about 10% of volume pot value). To me this feels pretty good, but a 3 way switch also would be fine for me. Fwiw, I also have a push pull series switch on the volume, and the tone is a TBX circuit. Ill probably change the tbx back to a normal tone pot at some point...
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3-way switch vs. blend knob
- Thread starter Greenman72
- Start date
Man, I have totally been here and the three-way switch is awesome. I found that I only really ever wanted P by itself or PJ.
The switch has the guarantee that you're not loading down the P pick up with anything from the jazz - it's electrically a normal P bass setup. I found it actually sounded better after I put the switch in than with the blend because you're not trying to compensate for the extra pot in line.
Also it really simplifies your decision-making when playing. You either want P or PJ or J - no fiddling about pretending that the blend does anything
Switch or rotary. I really don't hear the 80/20, 70/30, 60/40 blends that everyone else can hear. To me a blend goes from neck, to neck to woomp middle but a volume loss, stays there stays there and woomp, to bridge. That's on a passive blend. On an active blend I can hear the nuances.
A PJ with a 3-way switch sounds like a P with the P pickup soloed.
A lot of times we think we're blending but the actual tone difference between one pickup soloed and adding the 75% of the other pickup is zero. The knob position makes us think there is a blend but sonically, not so much.
A lot of times we think we're blending but the actual tone difference between one pickup soloed and adding the 75% of the other pickup is zero. The knob position makes us think there is a blend but sonically, not so much.
I offer you an even simpler solution: on-off switch for the bridge pickup.
I voted 5 even if I don't agree entirely; some people do blend, but what matters is that you don't. So build the tools that better suit your workflow.
And I love switches and dislike the way passive blend knobs work.
I voted 5 even if I don't agree entirely; some people do blend, but what matters is that you don't. So build the tools that better suit your workflow.
And I love switches and dislike the way passive blend knobs work.
A blend pot for me.
For me, a big part of adjusting tone is simply adjusting that blend and moving my picking hand closer to the bridge or neck.
Two volumes, I get the blend just like I want, but I can't turn up or down without changing it.
I lived with 3-way switches for years on my 80's BB's, and while I could do business with it, I always wanted a blend pot instead.
For me, a big part of adjusting tone is simply adjusting that blend and moving my picking hand closer to the bridge or neck.
Two volumes, I get the blend just like I want, but I can't turn up or down without changing it.
I lived with 3-way switches for years on my 80's BB's, and while I could do business with it, I always wanted a blend pot instead.
