He is giving a lecture on magnetic theory.Reported for giving us the bird!....kidding.
That’s the “ right hand rule”.
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Basses with minimal knobs and switches.
- Thread starter ZBirdV8
- Start date
That’s the “ right hand rule”.
You are precisely right. Passive. Volume knob only. His statement was that he wanted his instrument to be simple, and to do all of the adjusting on his amp, etc and not on the bass.
I always dial back the tone a bit on a P, by maybe 10%. It always sounds better this way. Just like with the volume knob on a Les Paul w/P90s - never dimed.
You want to talk about unnecessary knobs - the two tone controls on a Strat. I always disconnect them.
Reported for giving us the bird!....kidding.
Someone needs to inform Lee Sklar!
You better hope a bass like that sounds amazing just as is and that you always need the same volume level. Anything less than volume/blend/tone seems like you're causing more problems than solving. And even the "solving" is questionable. Sure, not everyone needs or wants a 70s BC Rich with 7 knobs and 5 switches. But volume/blend/tone for a typical 2 pickup passive, or volume/blend 3 band EQ for active seems about as inobtrusive as it gets and very flexible.
And just because there's a knob or switch there, doesn't mean you have to use it. I think most people don't understand the bass wasn't made specifically for them, and while you might always keep the volume and tone fully up, or never touch your series/parallel switch, etc... someone else with the same bass will prefer other settings, and someone else is switching between all the time.
Tone knob seems to be the first thing people get rid of, but starting as a guitar player, I've always thought the tone knob is probably the most important control besides pickup selection. I always hated the idea of an EVH style guitar with no tone control, because that's how you take your distortion sound from spikey and harsh to creamy and fat. And on bass, the same knob is basically "bright and modern" to more vintagey if you roll it off a little.
I guess if you can make a bass with no controls work for you, then great. But I certainly would never specifically seek that out myself. If I found a bass with no controls or just volume I'd consider it, but it would have to really speak to me. Those newer Ibanez 5 string semi-hollows are about as close I get (I think they have volume and tone and a single piezo pickup).
And just because there's a knob or switch there, doesn't mean you have to use it. I think most people don't understand the bass wasn't made specifically for them, and while you might always keep the volume and tone fully up, or never touch your series/parallel switch, etc... someone else with the same bass will prefer other settings, and someone else is switching between all the time.
Tone knob seems to be the first thing people get rid of, but starting as a guitar player, I've always thought the tone knob is probably the most important control besides pickup selection. I always hated the idea of an EVH style guitar with no tone control, because that's how you take your distortion sound from spikey and harsh to creamy and fat. And on bass, the same knob is basically "bright and modern" to more vintagey if you roll it off a little.
I guess if you can make a bass with no controls work for you, then great. But I certainly would never specifically seek that out myself. If I found a bass with no controls or just volume I'd consider it, but it would have to really speak to me. Those newer Ibanez 5 string semi-hollows are about as close I get (I think they have volume and tone and a single piezo pickup).
Man, that's funny. Just like Flea has a signature Fender Jazz that's pretty much a copy of his Modulus, it looks like Joe is about to have a signature Stingray that's pretty much a copy of his Carlo Robelli!
That mass looks great! Ive thought about this because with a two pickup passive bass you have such a small sweep of blending the pickups. A switch with a resistor to increase the resistance to ground should work yes? I’d actually just like both, favour front, favour back in a three way switch. No off. That way no chance of accidentally muting. No volume. One tone.
Maybe also a stereo/mono switch and a stereo jack. That way I can use up the four holes in a jazz control plate.
The best bass I ever played was the "house bass" in a NYC recording studio. I was an old Fender P with the pickup wired straight to the input Jack. I played it through the "house bass rig", which was an old Sunn head & cab with minimal nobs. I have been using that sound as my True North for my bass tone ever since.
I bought it. It does ONE THING and ONLY THAT THING, but THAT THING IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED. More fun with this bass than the crazy shagin' 5-string fretless thing I had. This just plugs in and pounds. I'm a very happy man.
I have disconnected the tone control on all my P basses. But I leave the pot in place to cover the hole... it fits perfectly!
