I HATE Blend Pots!

[kyral210]

My Thunderbird always sounded dull, even after new custom wound pickups. It had a CTS passive blend knob. Then fate intervened.

I bashed my blend knob so hard it broke. Damn! Ok, I’m rewiring the pot anyway, why not try a stacked knob? So I did. Jesus Christ the tone is better!

it’s like adding new strings. The definition is more pronounced and there’s more growl. I’m so happy that I have made this mod, and confirmed I HATE blend knobs for how they destroy tone and ‘feel’!

 

[Zooberwerx]

Another option that may have worked: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ultimate-no-load-ungrounded-blend-pot-pics.1096449/

Riis

 

[kyral210]

I

Another option that may have worked: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ultimate-no-load-ungrounded-blend-pot-pics.1096449/

Riis

Ive heard of this. But frankly, i prefer the VV to blend tapers

 

[Jett Litt]

This is why I prefer Active instruments. They address, and in my opinion solve the issue you mention with passive blending. I'd rather have one knob that controls the mix and accomplishes the same thing as vol/vol. This is possible with the right setup, that's why blend is so common.

 

[31HZ]

I like blend pots and I cannot lie

 

[roller]

+1 on favoring blend pots, especially to multiple volume knobs for each pickup. The reason: you can easily set your pickups set the way you want them and then have a master volume over everything.

Makes complete sense to me... and I've never felt like I was sacrificing tone with this setup.

I like blend pots and I cannot lie

 

[xJasonSmithx]

Where did you get the pickups? 5 string Thunderbird pickups seems hard to come by.

 

[smurfco]

The issue I usually have with passive blends is that there is a very narrow range of actual blending. for most of the travel you either get all neck pickup, both pickups full on, or all bridge pickup. there is a very narrow range in the middle where you are truly blending them together. Just my experience, maybe I've been using them wrong

 

[EdO.]

This is why I prefer Active instruments. They address, and in my opinion solve the issue you mention with passive blending. I'd rather have one knob that controls the mix and accomplishes the same thing as vol/vol. This is possible with the right setup, that's why blend is so common.

I agree that blend seems to work better with active instruments. Just seems to have more range, sorta like another tone adjustment knob.

 

[Alivefor5]

I'm with OP. VVT every time.

 

[kyral210]

This is why I prefer Active instruments. They address, and in my opinion solve the issue you mention with passive blending. I'd rather have one knob that controls the mix and accomplishes the same thing as vol/vol. This is possible with the right setup, that's why blend is so common.

I tried the EMG blend years ago and hated it too. That was with active EMG pickups.

 

[kyral210]

I'm with OP. VVT every time.

Thanks, although my bass is:
Volume | Volume > Preamp

 

[kyral210]

Where did you get the pickups? 5 string Thunderbird pickups seems hard to come by.

Gemini pickups here in the UK, they’re awesome! Thunderbird Bass Pickups

they have a compatible price to Seymore Duncan, but are hand wound, in my opinion better sounding, and you can chat with the builder and get custom options.

 

[groovaholic]

Yup - ungrounded blend would have addressed every tone issue you mentioned.

But preferences are preferences, and if you like separate volumes better, that’s what you should have.

Me? My #1 bass has two blend pots and NO volume.

 

[J Wilson]

I have two passive Squiers rewound for blenders. I have no problems with them, I gain a lot of tone control with them, and turn the bass up and down with one knob.

There's always a lot of sturm und drang about them here about what they do to the tone, doesn't really isolate each pickup, etc.

Personally, I don't hear any of that and the convenience is terrific, I can't stand two volumes: Get the blend just where you want it, but then I got to turn them up or down in synch to keep that blend? Not me.

But if the traditional layout works better for you, by all means, use that.

 

[kyral210]

Yup - ungrounded blend would have addressed every tone issue you complained about.

But preferences are preferences, and if you like separate volumes better, that’s what you should have.

Me? My #1 bass has two blend pots and NO volume.

Two blend pots? Tell me more…

 

[kyral210]

I have two passive Squiers rewound for blenders. I have no problems with them, I gain a lot of tone control with them, and turn the bass up and down with one knob.

There's always a lot of sturm und drang about them here about what they do to the tone, doesn't really isolate each pickup, etc.

Personally, I don't hear any of that and the convenience is terrific, I can't stand two volumes: Get the blend just where you want it, but then I got to turn them up or down in synch to keep that blend? Not me.

But if the traditional layout works better for you, by all means, use that.

Is the kind of situation where you only know if a bass sounds better/ your prefer it after you have done a mod. In my case, the bass came with a blend., so it just sounded the way it sounded. I liked it more than my other bass so that’s a plus. However, now I’ve experimented the difference is even greater and I like it even more!

 

[groovaholic]

Two blend pots? Tell me more…

It’s a 3-pickup bass (Dingwall Z3).

The first blend is for the middle and bridge pickup, the second blend is for the neck pickup and the output of the first blend.

Running it ungrounded gave me a lot more gradual blends, and prevented losing high end.

No volume knob just because I never use them, so why have it in the circuit?

It’s an odd setup, but it’s intuitive and useful to me.

 

[definenredefine]

I dropped a 3 way switch in my J bass a while ago and never looked back. I only ever used it with my pickups dimed anyway.

 

[Yahboy]

I love blend pot ! A500K volume + MN250K blend work best on my mod PJ bass.