How often do you actually use your volume knob?...

[micguy]

My basses are wired to lower impedance - the details are a bit complicated, but one of the things that does is make the volume control more of a pure volume control - when you back off the volume the tone doesn’t change like it does on most basses.

That makes the volume control a more useful thing. I use my volume controls a lot; I use mil spec conductive plastic volume pots so they don’t become scratchy, and last forever.

I play in churches, our dynamic range is huge - from full on rock band to playing under someone that’s talking. You can do that better if you use the volume control. I know people will chime in and tell me they can play with dynamics just with their fingers, to which I’ll add: When the worship leader asks you to swell in,.... yeah, you really need a volume knob to do what I do.

 

[4andnomore]

On guitar: almost always
On bass: almost never

 

[funkmaster p]

Never.

 

[Claymore]

Never.

View attachment 4077398

Outstanding!

 

[DTRN]

All the time every time. I play the six string as well and that's how I role. So many tone options in the volume control.

 

[Frampton]

I'm an on-or-off kinda guy.

 

[baileyboy]

For me:
Once I subscribed to the Gary Willis 'theory' of -light touch is really all that is needed- to produce the sounds one needs.. Its akin to the golfer idiom "Let the club do the work" (for you) so I put it in practice and cranked it wide.. I did notice at the initial start, ofc, many unwanted higher notes ~harmonics~ string-scraping etc.. rang out: but some work on the floating thumb and some palm mute [truly any] bass player's friend IME/IMO and doing some drills for the left hand muting as well helps to curb that unwanted noise and let the music/tones -I WANT- to ring through with a lot more control.

And again, since I have a 3 band active EQ, I can use those to boost/cut a lot of the frequencies that I feel are needed to shape my tone beyond my fingers and muting ability.

Thank you! Exactly the kind of experience I was referring to. I will play around with this...

 

[mongo2]

I only play passive basses now and I never use bridge pickups so a volume control for those is always off or I've disconnected or removed the bridge pickup.

For a neck pickup I use the volume control as an on/off switch.

For several years I bypassed all controls.

 

[retslock]

For years it was 100% every gig with fine tone and volume adjustments made from plucking position and attack variations. Major adjustments at the amp. Lately it’s been 75%. Zero for tuning with headstock tuner.

 

[jd56hawk]

(Gratuitous shot of my P that has no volume) View attachment 4076031 I was wondering how many of you actually use their volume and if so, how often and in what context. I realized that I had never touched the volume on this particular instrument and that seemed like a waste of knob. So, what was the volume is now the tone with a push/pull killswitch and sitting in the former tone location is a Bill Lawrence Q-filter. I could have left the tone where it was but it felt better moved to the volume spot. Overall, I do not miss the volume at all and would do the same thing if I ever get another P (unless it's vintage). How often do you use your volume? Do you start off around 75%... That way you can adjust your level on the fly mid-song? Or maybe use it to tame really hot pickups? I know it depends on the bass but let me know your thoughts.

I use the volume knob all the time...it controls the volume.
The thing is, it also controls tone.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Honestly, I think I use it too often. But I have more important things to worry about, so I don't plan on addressing the volume control thing any time soon.

 

[BassPilot]

On my P's I always use the volume knob. It's as much of a "tone control" as the tone knob
On my J's I always use the volume knobs. They're as much of a "tone control" as the tone knob. And balancing the output of each pickup with the volume knobs is as much of a tone control as the tone knob.
So yeah, I guess I use the tone (doh) knob.

Edit: So yeah, I guess I use the VOLUME knob.

 

[dougjwray]

All the time, but usually as a tone control... On passive Fenders, you lose some treble when you roll off the volume.
It's also a "panic button" if I find that I'm suddenly way too loud for a song which has just started.

 

[zontar]

I use it sometimes, and sometimes I don't.

It depends on context--am I playing alone at home?
With oaths?
Recording?
etc.

Sometimes it makes sense to change it--sometimes it doesn't

 

[Jeff Scott]

How often do you actually use your volume knob?...

Almost never, depending on the situation. The last two custom Zons I had made almost did have any controls on them at all but Joe and I decide a passive volume control was a wise thing to keep available. The basses were made passive, no preamps in them.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

65 Epiphone Newport w neck 'mudbucker' so yea, its pretty necessary to use the bass volume with a powerhouse pickup...luckily the tone 'does not' change the way some basses do when rolling down the bass volume on this bass...a HUGE advantage.

The sound gets cleaner rolled back to say 6 or 7, whereas on many basses the sound gets weak at 6 or 7 and duller/darker.

 

[Martin Beer]

I turn my volume down at the bass for breaks and tuning - I have a little NS clipless tuner on the back of my headstock, so that's my handiest mute. In rehearsals I'll often take the volume down while the drummer lays out and we work through something with the guitar and brass.
Otherwise, when playing songs with the full band I just use the knobs on my VVT wired bass for blending and tone changes. I usually back one pickup some or all of the way off depending on the song, and the tone backed off for a few things, but one volume is always on 10 so I'm not varying my overall level a whole lot.

 

[Watchootognbout]

NEVER!

 

[Polfuste]

2 time per set: the first time when ready To tune before playing, the second time when i put down the bass à the end of the set.

 

[Nashrakh]

NEVER!
View attachment 4088995

What's the deal with the towel? I see it with violinists too sometimes. But I doubt his pants have sharp pointy edges... or do they? *dun dun dun