Fretless Jazz pickup settings

[the low one]

How do you guys set the knobs on your passive fretless jazz bass. I know there are other threads and we know you favor the bridge pickup for a Jaco type sound but what about just sitting in the mix. I've tried all things recently and have come to the conclusion that both pickups and tone at 100% just sounds best most of the time. I use flatwound strings.

Any other thoughts?

 

[John Wentzien]

I like all the knobs 100% also..especially for recording...much smoother sounding.

 

[tdurden]

I use round wound strings. Tone and volume turned up. I have blend knob for the pickups that is turned up slighlty in favor of the neck pick up.

 

[neptune]

I like the bridge and tone volumes maxxed. Roll off the neck just enough to add some mids, and pluck over the upper neck for increased 'mwah'.

 

[justBrian]

I like the bridge and tone volumes maxxed. Roll off the neck just enough to add some mids, and pluck over the upper neck for increased 'mwah'.

That's how I have mine, too, except I roll the tone back just a bit for a little darker sound.

 

[ClassicJazz]

The only way I set mine is:

Bridge PU full

Neck PU rolled back about 1/4 of a turn

Tone just about rolled all the way back.

The bass SINGS that way!!

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

How do you guys set the knobs on your passive fretless jazz bass. I know there are other threads and we know you favor the bridge pickup for a Jaco type sound but what about just sitting in the mix. I've tried all things recently and have come to the conclusion that both pickups and tone at 100% just sounds best most of the time. I use flatwound strings.

Any other thoughts?

I set my controls all different ways during a gig. Sometimes it's bridge pickup. Sometimes neck. Sometimes both. If you like tone with both on, then go for that. Also, I pluck different places on the neck, and that is a whole other variable which affects the sound.

 

[fish slapper]

My Warmoth fret-less Jazz has Fender MIA pups and MIM controls and my settings are full on both volumes, 75% on the tone pot in the practice room. With the band, I often go ahead and roll the tone pot to 100% as well. Also running flats. Thomastik's. But I'm not big on Jaco Mwah. More after a "acoustic but more defined" sound.

"Also, I pluck different places on the neck, and that is a whole other variable which affects the sound...."

Agree here. Right hand closer to the bridge or out over the fingerboard widely effects tone.

 

[Mark Wilson]

My fretless tone is

Roundwounds, with the neck pick up off (Infact...I even took it out!) And tone rolled back about..25%

 

[the low one]

Well this thread proves one thing, everyone's different, and long may it continue. I think we’ve just about covered all available combinations of pickup selections, tone and strings.

 

[Davo-London]

Barely use the neck pickup. I'm not a fan of that hollow tone.

Davo

 

[the low one]

Out of interest I tried using the 'color' mid scoop setting on my MXR M80 at a gig over the weekend when using mainly the bridge pickup on my MIM fretless Jazz. It actually sounded quite good. As I said earlier in this thread I usually prefer both pickups on max as I find the bridge pickup alone can be a bit 'nasal' but by using the 'color' button it added punch and bottom end. I need to experiment a bit more though.

Update-
When I tried this over the weekend I was listening to the bass through monitors on stage. Now I've had a chance to try this at home with my own amp I'm not so sure it was a good idea. Too many mids missing. Boosting the bass and mids on the MXR and leaving the 'color' off when favoring the bridge pickip sounded better.

 

[the low one]

I like the bridge and tone volumes maxxed. Roll off the neck just enough to add some mids, and pluck over the upper neck for increased 'mwah'.

Do you boost the bass and low mids/mids on you preamp to compensate for the loss of bass caused by backing of the neck pickup?

 

[the low one]

Apologies as I posted this on another thread recently but I think it’s relevant here too.

Here's Guy Pratt with David Gilmour playing High Hopes, live In Gdansk. He's using a Lakland fretless J bass, what PU balance does this sound like? It’s a good tone that just sits in the mix.