Blend muffled in center?

[secondbestcody]

I’ve just wired up my USA Standard Jaguar like the Troy Sanders Jaguar - blend pot instead of pickup switches. No tone pot. I followed the wiring for the TS blend pot and just ran the preamp into the lug going to volume on the Troy Sanders bass.

My issue is when I have each pickup solo’d, they sounds just fine, but when I have the pot centered the sound is as if the tone is rolled off. Where do I go wrong?

Attached are the Troy Sanders blend wiring and the USA Jaguar wiring.

 

[bholder]

Likely phase cancellation, frequency-dependent. Only way around it I know of is to tweak the balance one way or the other until it goes away. The same thing should happen without the blend at all, with just a 3 way switch in the middle, both pickups on full.

 

[secondbestcody]

Likely phase cancellation, frequency-dependent. Only way around it I know of is to tweak the balance one way or the other until it goes away. The same thing should happen without the blend at all, with just a 3 way switch in the middle, both pickups on full.

I don’t think that’s the case. The pickups I’m using are a DiMarzio Relentless Middle and a DiMarzio Ultra Jazz. I’ve used both of these pickups in multiple other basses, and they were in this bass before this mod. Using the on/off pickup switches never had this issue. I just really hate those switches.

 

[bholder]

I don’t think that’s the case. The pickups I’m using are a DiMarzio Relentless Middle and a DiMarzio Ultra Jazz. I’ve used both of these pickups in multiple other basses, and they were in this bass before this mod. Using the on/off pickup switches never had this issue. I just really hate those switches.

Hmmm well hoping someone else chimes in, I'm out of ideas if it's not that...

 

[secondbestcody]

Ok, problem solved. I had two blend pots in my parts bin. One AC and one MN. I didn’t check before wiring it all up, but I used the AC pot the first time. After installing the MN pot, the issue is fixed and there is no volume or tone loss now.

Now to find a blank pickup switch plate.

 

[bholder]

That'd do it! wow!

 

[AK Bass Guy]

Ok, problem solved. I had two blend pots in my parts bin. One AC and one MN. I didn’t check before wiring it all up, but I used the AC pot the first time. After installing the MN pot, the issue is fixed and there is no volume or tone loss now.

Now to find a blank pickup switch plate.

If you haven’t the switch plates or control plates, Amazon has them. Just double check the screw pattern on them before buying.
Cheers.

 

[bholder]

AC blend pots should have warning labels on them!

 

[Geri O]

AC blend pots should have warning labels on them!

In the interest of adding to my minuscule knowledge of the actual parts, what is the difference in the A/C blend pots and the M/N blend pots?

I know to seek out M/N blend pots for that purpose (if they aren't supplied as part of the kit I'm installing), but I don't know why.

Thanx.

 

[bholder]

In the interest of adding to my minuscule knowledge of the actual parts, what is the difference in the A/C blend pots and the M/N blend pots?

I know to seek out M/N blend pots for that purpose (if they aren't supplied as part of the kit I'm installing), but I don't know why.

Thanx.

MN has both pots maxed at center (for passive circuits)
AC has both pots about half at center - for equal overall volume all the way across (for active circuits)

 

[Geri O]

MN has both pots maxed at center (for passive circuits)
AC has both pots about half at center - for equal overall volume all the way across (for active circuits)

Excellent, thank you.

So now I'm curious if the blend pots in the preamps I've installed are actually M/N or A/C. I just assumed they were M/N. I wasn't aware of the purpose of one for passive and one for active.

I'm happy with the active preamp in my Lull M5V, so maybe I just won't worry about it at this point.....

But regardless, thanx for the explanations and the charts! Most helpful!

 

[secondbestcody]

If you haven’t the switch plates or control plates, Amazon has them. Just double check the screw pattern on them before buying.
Cheers.

I’m trying to eliminate the toggle switches with this wiring. I would make it completely passive, but at that point I should just get the Player series Jaguar. Kept the active/passive circuitry, removed the switches and tone pot and added the blend.

 

[AK Bass Guy]

I’m trying to eliminate the toggle switches with this wiring. I would make it completely passive, but at that point I should just get the Player series Jaguar. Kept the active/passive circuitry, removed the switches and tone pot and added the blend.

Experimentation is what leads to finding the bass that fits you the best. I want through 6 or 7 different versions of my control plate before I found what I liked on my FrankenWarmothJaguar.
My FrankenWarmothJaguar has only the J bass control plate to worry about so messing around with it is easy.
I think I saw on reverb blank control plates/switch plates for jazz basses and jaguar basses.
Other possible option is seeing if the Warmoth Jaguar Pickguard fits your bass and have it routed how you want.
Example below from Warmoth builder.

This would cover over your switch cavities real nice if it lines up.

 

[secondbestcody]

Experimentation is what leads to finding the bass that fits you the best. I want through 6 or 7 different versions of my control plate before I found what I liked on my FrankenWarmothJaguar.
My FrankenWarmothJaguar has only the J bass control plate to worry about so messing around with it is easy.
I think I saw on reverb blank control plates/switch plates for jazz basses and jaguar basses.
Other possible option is seeing if the Warmoth Jaguar Pickguard fits your bass and have it routed how you want.
Example below from Warmoth builder.
View attachment 7008480
This would cover over your switch cavities real nice if it lines up.

Yeah, I’ve made a couple basses using the Warmoth Jazzmaster IV body and pickguard. At this point I’m just using a blank control plate instead of ordering a new pickguard without the switch plate cut out because the blank plate was $15 vs a new pickguard being $50.

The Warmoth pickguard also doesn’t allow for the upper active circuit plate.

 

[bholder]

Yeah, I’ve made a couple basses using the Warmoth Jazzmaster IV body and pickguard. At this point I’m just using a blank control plate instead of ordering a new pickguard without the switch plate cut out because the blank plate was $15 vs a new pickguard being $50.

The Warmoth pickguard also doesn’t allow for the upper active circuit plate.

I cut the upper and lower control plate holes right into my Warmoth Bass VI pickguard:

 

[bholder]

I cut the upper and lower control plate holes right into my Warmoth Bass VI pickguard:

View attachment 7010690

 

[secondbestcody]

View attachment 7010691View attachment 7010702

What a good idea!

 

[bholder]

What a good idea!

Thanks! It came out pretty good, though I dripped superglue on the pg and had to sand the spots out and resurface it - I took it up to 1500 grit, I think, left it with a nice matte finish that I actually like better than the original. Only thing is I've been stalled, have to get out my Dremel and cut some slots in the bridge plate for the piezo wires. I've got the upper switches controlling piezo vs mags - big switch is mags | both | piezo, and the rollers are mag and piezo volumes for setting the balance. The bottom side 3 switches control the Sustainer pickup (the blue LED shows when the Sustainer is on). It'll be really cool if / when it ever all comes together.

 

[sunbeast]

I cut the upper and lower control plate holes right into my Warmoth Bass VI pickguard:

View attachment 7010690

A fretless Bass VI sounds terrifying!

 

[bholder]

A fretless Bass VI sounds terrifying!

Well then, apparently, "terrifying" sounds like this!!




(My intonation sure is terrifying, yikes! Need lotsa practice hehe. Projects been stalled on getting the bridge cut for the piezo saddle wires, gotta get back to that...)