3-way switch vs. blend knob

[buldog5151bass]

I like VVT. I think it is easiest to get the blend you want that way.

Whatever works for YOU. There is no one answer.

 

[iqi616]

Carrots = VVT.

Separate volumes for me even if I have to settle for stacked pots. Blend can't achieve the 95% neck + 85% bridge I seem to gravitate towards on passive basses.

My Aria has switched and there's not enough beef in the "both" setting to compete with my other basses when I switch instruments so I end up leaving it on the neck pickup all the time.

 

[iqi616]

I will never understand the appeal of two volumes, any change in volume changes tone, wanted or not.

I rely on that tone "feature" to get the best tone (especially on my J-bass). I use the amp and my fingers to control volume.

 

[Jefenator]

With many 2-pickup instruments I use them all or nothing. So a 3-way switch would probably be fine.
There is an exception: a Roscoe Century Standard Plus with Aguilar P/Js. Something about the way those interact, I do find the in-between blend settings are useful.

 

[JoeyFab]

What I CANNOT stand is two independent volume knobs, one for each pickup. Like I have time to eff around with TWO knobs trying to adjust my volume(s) while hammering away on some Steve Harris/Iron Maiden tune! Get effin' REAL!!!

 

[pwilson]

@mikeynets re: "So glad you posted this pic. I've been thinking about adding a gold foil to one of my Ps — but I'm thinking closer to the neck.
Regardless, how do you find the output between the two? What P pickups do you have? And most importantly, how do they sound together? Any pro tips on set up/wiring? Can you share pics of wiring? Sound clips? So many questions!"

I bought this bass here - https://www.talkbass.com/classifieds/modded-fender-customer-shop-p-jazz-bass.1668752/ - the previous owner had done a bunch of modifications to a Custom Shop bass (!!?!). I undid most of them right away, but initially decided to keep the H22 pickup and the high mass bridge. I backed out all the other changes, replaced the ugly pickguard, and wired the pickups properly so they were wired in parallel in the middle position. The photo I posted earlier shows this configuration.

To answer your questions:
- The output of the gold foil was approximately the same as the P-pickup - I was a little surpised it was as how loud it was
- I wasn't blown away by the sound. In that position the H22 pickup sounded "softer" than a Jazz pickup. Blending it with the P bass didn't add much. The P-pickup is whatever the FCS put in P-basses in 2021, I don't remember.
- I ended up taking off the H22 (and the hi-mass bridge) filling the holes and returning it to stock (albeit with some obvious patches, but it was relic'd already, right?). Now it sound like a P-bass

- The wiring I used was a standard "Telecaster" style with an on-on-on switch, pickups wired in parallel in the middle position, using an knockoff of a switchcraft Les Paul switch from Amazon. I can't find a diagram online which is exactly right, but take a look at Seymour Duncans site and you can take elements from a couple of diagrams.
- If I were doing it again I would 1/ not do it to a custom shop bass, 2/ try something like a surface mount Thunderbird style pickup rather than the H22

But I'm happy - I sold all the extra parts the previous owner had put on this bass and ended up with Custom Shop P-bass for very cheap

I have another bass - a Lull PJ-bass - that I put in a set of Fralins wound to Lull specs - 10% overwound Split Jazz and stock P Bass pickup - and used a 3 way rotary selector switch which is a much more usable and interesting combination. I also has a JTex Booster/Buffer that can be turned on by pulling up the tone knob.

Good luck!

 

[HolmeBass]

I voted carrots.

Generally if the electronics are passive, the switch is better because the blend knob will be lossy.

If the electronics are active, blend knob all the way.

I also am not a big fan of VVT control layouts.

 

[mikeynets]

@mikeynets re: "So glad you posted this pic. I've been thinking about adding a gold foil to one of my Ps — but I'm thinking closer to the neck.
Regardless, how do you find the output between the two? What P pickups do you have? And most importantly, how do they sound together? Any pro tips on set up/wiring? Can you share pics of wiring? Sound clips? So many questions!"

I bought this bass here - https://www.talkbass.com/classifieds/modded-fender-customer-shop-p-jazz-bass.1668752/ - the previous owner had done a bunch of modifications to a Custom Shop bass (!!?!). I undid most of them right away, but initially decided to keep the H22 pickup and the high mass bridge. I backed out all the other changes, replaced the ugly pickguard, and wired the pickups properly so they were wired in parallel in the middle position. The photo I posted earlier shows this configuration.

To answer your questions:
- The output of the gold foil was approximately the same as the P-pickup - I was a little surpised it was as how loud it was
- I wasn't blown away by the sound. In that position the H22 pickup sounded "softer" than a Jazz pickup. Blending it with the P bass didn't add much. The P-pickup is whatever the FCS put in P-basses in 2021, I don't remember.
- I ended up taking off the H22 (and the hi-mass bridge) filling the holes and returning it to stock (albeit with some obvious patches, but it was relic'd already, right?). Now it sound like a P-bass
View attachment 7569754
- The wiring I used was a standard "Telecaster" style with an on-on-on switch, pickups wired in parallel in the middle position, using an knockoff of a switchcraft Les Paul switch from Amazon. I can't find a diagram online which is exactly right, but take a look at Seymour Duncans site and you can take elements from a couple of diagrams.
- If I were doing it again I would 1/ not do it to a custom shop bass, 2/ try something like a surface mount Thunderbird style pickup rather than the H22

But I'm happy - I sold all the extra parts the previous owner had put on this bass and ended up with Custom Shop P-bass for very cheap

I have another bass - a Lull PJ-bass - that I put in a set of Fralins wound to Lull specs - 10% overwound Split Jazz and stock P Bass pickup - and used a 3 way rotary selector switch which is a much more usable and interesting combination...

View attachment 7569762

Good luck!

Yeah, re: the sound — I had a feeling that might be the case. I really get everything I need out of a P. But I'm still curious and I've got all the parts except the gold foil. I'll probably pull the trigger on that sooner or later. Definitely will be putting the gold foil in front of the P though.

Thanks for all the info!

 

[Passinwind]

I rely on that tone "feature" to get the best tone (especially on my J-bass). I use the amp and my fingers to control volume.

Exactly. Although on one of my fretlesses I've gone to active mixing with detented volume pots with unity gain at the detent. And then separate EQ sections for each pickup. So no treble rolloff from pot loading, but an even more interactive tonal change when you turn the volume knobs. Exactly what I want, but a prototype bass I sent off to a friend's NAMM booth with the same format definitely made heads explode...and I like it that way!

FWIW, my use case is typically just one setting for playing "normally" and one other one for solos, which are frequent in what passes for my world. That tends to equate to turn up the bridge pickup for solos, put it back down a little for the rest. Pretty danged simple IMO.

 

[Greenman72]

Generally if the electronics are passive, the switch is better because the blend knob will be lossy.

If the electronics are active, blend knob all the way.

Can you elaborate on this, please?

 

[logdrum]

VVT with a 3way switch Fender Jazz Bass Special did this -- great for stutter effects and you get a pure P sound to quite the P purist and all the comb filtering sound using a VV

Stingrays multi pickup basses do just find with no blend knobs

 

[vacuumchild]

I have a blend knob on my Hamer (with 2 EMG soapbars) because it came standard with the EMG electronics. It has a center detent position so it's easy enough to use like it's 3-way switch. I rarely use the in-between positions in rehearsal or live. I have made finer adjustments to blend when recording DI.

 

[Will_White]

And 95% of the time, I use both pickups on full. The only time I ever change is when I'm getting a buzz or hiss from the jazz pickup, then I switch to "full P".

I missed this the first time through, but what I'd say might be most useful for you is a 3 way switch but instead of P/Both/Jazz its Both in Parallel (normal)/ P / Both in Series. You basically trade the bridge J alone for a tone that is basically a beefier, slightly brighter P bass.

 

[HolmeBass]

Can you elaborate on this, please?

Not much more to say. I do not have an engineering analysis at hand. But loading blah blah blah.

Here: Passive Blend Knob Tone Suck

 

[Pep]

I voted carrots.

Generally if the electronics are passive, the switch is better because the blend knob will be lossy.

This is totally false if you're using a true "blend", and not a "pan". There is a difference between the two. I know because I've used both and discovered the signal loss with the pan.

 

[Will_White]

This is totally false if you're using a true "blend", and not a "pan". There is a difference between the two. I know because I've used both and discovered the signal loss with the pan.

You still lose brightness because of the reduced resistance to ground with three pots vs two or one.

 

[Malak the Mad]

What I CANNOT stand is two independent volume knobs, one for each pickup. Like I have time to eff around with TWO knobs trying to adjust my volume(s) while hammering away on some Steve Harris/Iron Maiden tune! Get effin' REAL!!!

Wouldn't one use a single-pickup Precision to get really, REALLY effin' real when playing Maiden, anyway?

 

[Pep]

You still lose brightness because of the reduced resistance to ground with three pots vs two or one.

You're merely trading a blend for a volume. No loss at all in any of my 4 basses.

 

[HueyFreeman]

I know because I've used both and discovered the signal loss with the pan.

It's not about signal loss. Passive blend circuits, whether A/C taper or M/N, carry an additional load. This can be alleviated by placing a series resistor on each pickup but the trade off there is signal attenuation.

 

[Will_White]

You're merely trading a blend for a volume. No loss at all in any of my 4 basses.

Blend is two volumes so you've got 500/4 for VBT (125) vs 500/3 VVT (167) vs 500/2 for SVT(250) the higher the resistance to ground the brighter it is with everything turned all the way up