Concentric Jazz with a Master Volume

[ColBuckwalter]

I was planning on switching my MIM Jazz to the concentric control configuration of the early models. I like the look. I found a new control plate, and I'm pretty sure it will fit it. But I dunno, I'm cheap. What can I say?

I was sitting playing the other day and I thought about old Gretsch guitars, with a master volume pot, so you have extra control of the volume abd tone circuit and can confuse the living daylights out of anyone who doesn't savvy what is going on.

Any ideas on a good vaule of the pot and audio taper or logarithmic?

 

[testing1two]

One of the reasons the stack knob jazz bass configuration never really caught on was that it doesn't quite behave like you think it should. The tone knobs become interactive in a way that's not intuitive. You can add resistors to reduce this interaction but the tradeoff is a slight drop in top end and volume. Also, just having 4 pots in circuit instead of 3 changes the top end and output. Adding a 5th pot would further change things. But pots are cheap and there are lots of ways to make things louder and brighter downstream, so if you want to try a master volume you can use a couple of alligator clips to insert one and hear for yourself how it works.

As far as value and taper, the lower the value the better the taper but the greater reduction in top end and output. So I would probably go with 500kΩ. If you're more concerned with sound and don't mind a really abrupt taper, then I'd go with a 1MΩ. In either case you want an audio taper pot (also audio and logarithmic are the same thing. the alternatives are linear and reverse audio/log).

 

[Malak the Mad]

I'm not gonna say, "You NEED to buy THIS gadget!", but it might serve as a bit of inspiration.

Heresy. A Fender Jazz Bass 3 Way Switch Series / Parallel Wiring Harness and Control Plate. | Reverb

Sold as a complete set. Wiring harness and plate are one unit. Toggle Switch Color Options: Black Tip, Black Tip & Body or Chrome tipPlate Options: &n...

reverb.com

As of now, I've installed one into two, different basses and I've grown rather fond of their straightforward simplicity. I just choose a setting…neck, both, bridge with series and parallel…and go from there.