Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Am I missing something
- Thread starter Mr Gaston
- Start date
I like V/T V/T on my passive basses .... my most recent mod was on a P/J ... bass_man al made me a new harness with 2 stacked V/T and a pickup selector switch ... so when you really want just the P -bass pup , you can get it ... with just a flick ... my jazz type basses have 4 knobs V/T/V/T .... but they are used mainly in the studio ... playing out live , I have usually used active basses with Master Vol / Blend , plus various tone knobs ...
I actually prefer VVT over VBT. I don't prefer one over the other to change it for the sake of changing it, but I did convert my 4-94 to VVT (+BMT) when I changed the pickups and preamp.
If I want to use the VVT volume controls to mute the bass, I just wrap my hand around both knobs and roll the both down (or up) at the same time. The shape of the jazz bass knobs makes this easy to do.
And, yes, I put jazz knobs on my 4-94 when I converted it to VVT.
If I want to use the VVT volume controls to mute the bass, I just wrap my hand around both knobs and roll the both down (or up) at the same time. The shape of the jazz bass knobs makes this easy to do.
And, yes, I put jazz knobs on my 4-94 when I converted it to VVT.
On two volume basses (or guitars, for that matter), I often find myself maxing them out, then tweaking one or the other back a bit until I find the sweet spot tone I'm looking for, right where the tone starts to change, often a good spot. Can't do that with blend & 1 volume. The sound of both pickups part way on is really not the same thing at all as blend even and partway on the one volume. For me, it's less about volume than playing with all the available tones.
Sounds like another "right tool for the particular job" kind of choices - that would be great if the band does lots of stuff requiring fades. When I was gigging, I actually got reasonably adept at fading both volume knobs at one (for the end of a song), just have to get the hand position right, then drag 'em both back just by rolling.
BIG agree here. I have a number of J's and have both wirings. The VBT is better live for swells and fade outs. The VVT sounds better to me - I open both up and the roll the bridge back and, to my ears, the tone just blossoms. It's the damn TONE knob that I often find useless.
Really? I gently mute the string at the bridge. That way my volume remains the same when I start playing again.
Thanks for all the good information. I'm sure it's a lack of experience problem but I often feel that my volume is not right in a song and feel the need to adjust it during the song. I know I can play louder or softer with my fingers but it's not quite the same as feeling like I have the volume where I want it.
Is that right about adding 250k or 500k ohms to the signal path? I assumed that a blend pot would be configured such that in the center position both pots would be on 0 ohms and as you moved in away from center one pot would remain 0 and the other would gain resistance.
Is that right about adding 250k or 500k ohms to the signal path? I assumed that a blend pot would be configured such that in the center position both pots would be on 0 ohms and as you moved in away from center one pot would remain 0 and the other would gain resistance.
I prefer VVT
...on a Jazz bass
That particular electronics array allows for some classic and ultra-useable tones.
If I need other tones, sometimes I'll prefer the blend knob
...on a different kind of bass.
...on a Jazz bass
That particular electronics array allows for some classic and ultra-useable tones.
If I need other tones, sometimes I'll prefer the blend knob
...on a different kind of bass.
I was very reliant on a volume pedal the first couple of years I played professionally, so I know what you mean. I don't use one anymore and I don't mess with my volume knobs either.
I have never needed to change volume on my bass. On a P bass Id almost prefer no volume knob at all. On a J it's not so much a matter of wanting to lower the volume but wanting to quickly go from both on to all neck pickup.
Volume blend all the way for me. Like the OP, I sometimes find the need to make volume adjustments on the fly and hate having to turn 2 knobs and think about getting the blend right. I bought a stock Lakland Skyline DJ4 a couple of years ago and quickly found out I would need a.) volume/blend and b.) a Hipshot Xtender to make it gig-worthy. I put a DJ-Retro and an Xtender on it and have never been happier about a bass.
I don't think about it. I like the ability to to blend the pickups with the volume like on a jazz or a PJ setup. Either way I like the volume knob spacing and placement to be like a fender Jazz. I don't mess with them much as,I know pretty much at the start of a tune how I want them set. After the song if I want to cut the bass I always use the tips of my fingers together, put the index on the knob and roll off the volume. Doing it this way I can very quickly cut the volume to zero. Developed this habit from playing high gain guitar and using the volume as a noise gate in rests.
With this method I can easily cut two volume knobs on a jazz at the same time. (A Les Paul is a different story) I move between a standard P and Jazz no problem.
With this method I can easily cut two volume knobs on a jazz at the same time. (A Les Paul is a different story) I move between a standard P and Jazz no problem.
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. I rarely touch the volume or tone knobs on any of my basses. I have two jazz basses at the moment and both are VVT. My normal settings are neck volume on full, bridge volume rolled off slightly and tone full on. I make volume adjustments at my amp.
