If I designed my own bass it'd be string-thru, have a zero fret, and a kill switch! On a jazz bass I dial my bridge pickup back 25% and it would be nice to mute that without fussing with knobs.
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In Defense Of Kill Switches
- Thread starter MrUsefulAlien
- Start date
I have spent an inordinate amount of times from when I was six, on, trying not to be clumsy.
Exactly what I was trying to relate!
/still early enough in my bass build to add one!
Oh, c'mon, we're just having fun. Some people want the ability to turn off their bass just as the joint is jumpin, girls are throwing their panties, and major label dudes are looking impressed! Enjoy.
RE: the switch
the momentary switch can be used in the same way as the OP is, just hold it closed when you're moving the instrument, or hold it until you've removed the instrument cable
I'd much prefer to have the advantage of using it as an effect.
IME those are far better than their inactive preamps
Don't let a little sarcasm ruin your evening.
When I see children acting up I try to find their parents!
the momentary switch can be used in the same way as the OP is, just hold it closed when you're moving the instrument, or hold it until you've removed the instrument cable
I'd much prefer to have the advantage of using it as an effect.
IME those are far better than their inactive preamps
Don't let a little sarcasm ruin your evening.
When I see children acting up I try to find their parents!
Agreed! And why use a simple toggle when it's way cooler to add it to your pedalboard?
This could save you an additional 1.635 seconds over your lifetime.
My main bass is a Squier VM Fretless Jazz. I hate having to kill both volumes when I set it down onstage.
Someday I plan to install humcancelling pickups. I’d like to add a kill switch and a series/parallel switch at that time, too.
Someday I plan to install humcancelling pickups. I’d like to add a kill switch and a series/parallel switch at that time, too.
Mine is a mini-toggle. Even though it's a latching switch it's entirely usable as an effect. Just like the pickup switch on a Les Paul when you turn one of the pickups off. Slightly less control than a Buckethead arcade button, but if you aren't using it 100 times per set it's fine.
Those cables do go faulty.
I went up to the Fender/Ibanez/PRS/D'Addario dealer one time & plugged in a bass, no sound.
Futzed around with it a bit & the shop owner came over, took the plug & whacked it into his palm, then it worked fine.
It was one of those D'Addario switchable plugs.
That instrument cable was gone the next time I came up there.
I went up to the Fender/Ibanez/PRS/D'Addario dealer one time & plugged in a bass, no sound.
Futzed around with it a bit & the shop owner came over, took the plug & whacked it into his palm, then it worked fine.
It was one of those D'Addario switchable plugs.
That instrument cable was gone the next time I came up there.
I have a Carl Thompson obsession and really do believe that everything on a Carl Thompson instrument was thought about, experimented with and considered. Every Carl Thompson I have ever owned has had a kill switch. I use it constantly and "turn off" / "turn on" my bass when getting things going. Leaving a rig on and just flipping your kill switch when you need to put your instrument down is something I've grown so used to that I don't think I could ever live without it. It really is a wonderful feature.
I want to get rid of the pots and go switch only. Three settings:
All on
Bridge only with tone cap
All off
Little complex but I’ll figure it out.
All on
Bridge only with tone cap
All off
Little complex but I’ll figure it out.
The first bass I bought, a Hagstrom HII back in the 60's, comes with a Muteswitch on the top of the pick guard. I found it SO valuable, I put them in EVERY bass i bought since then. You can set it down without feedback or noise or mute it during rehearsals so you don't make noise while talking or whatever, and you don't lose your settings!
If it is a really nice bass I don't drill a hole. For my Lakland, I put in a volume pot with push-pull switch. for my Hofner, I changed the useless solo switch to Mute (1 jumper) and for my 5-string P, I added a mercury switch across the output jack that mutes the bass when it it turned vertical. Works GREAT and I don't even have the think about it. Put it on the stand - its OFF.
ALL basses should have Mute switches. Period.
If it is a really nice bass I don't drill a hole. For my Lakland, I put in a volume pot with push-pull switch. for my Hofner, I changed the useless solo switch to Mute (1 jumper) and for my 5-string P, I added a mercury switch across the output jack that mutes the bass when it it turned vertical. Works GREAT and I don't even have the think about it. Put it on the stand - its OFF.
ALL basses should have Mute switches. Period.
My Alembic for all intents and purposes has a kill switch. It's the pickup selector.
It goes off/bridge/bridge neck/neck.
Works well.
Bones
It goes off/bridge/bridge neck/neck.
Works well.
Bones
