Ok a mercury switch is freaking amazing!
If you shook it would it stutter? Cause that's right where my brain went.
Also I like to throw around my basses on stage so maybe encapsulate it in foam, Hmmm....
Can you still buy a mercury switch?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
In Defense Of Kill Switches
- Thread starter MrUsefulAlien
- Start date
If you shook it would it stutter? Cause that's right where my brain went.
Also I like to throw around my basses on stage so maybe encapsulate it in foam, Hmmm....
Can you still buy a mercury switch?
This was the point of my post. I did enjoy the laughs though, but a mute toggle is oddly useful.
Exactly what I've been doing, push/pull on the nicer basses, switch on pickguards or control plate I don't mind drilling.
Mercury switches aren't known for stuttering/chatter. The action is slow.
On a Jazz, or any VVT type of bass, yes please!
It's easy to roll off both volumes in one go just by sliding your hand. That's what I do. However, unless you have the volumes at max, it becomes a bit tedious to go back to the original settings. A "shut up" switch should be stock on these basses.
Not very easily if you live in the USA last I heard. The world started getting serious about banning mercury in 2008. It's really bad for the environment.
First thing I do on every instrument is install a kill switch. I play churches and there's a lot of silent moments, so it's really nice to be able to set it down and be able to know that it's off just by looking at it
I think that's a very good use of the extra hole! I use my tuner for muting and wouldn't install a kill switch just to install one (less is more for me) but if I had an extra hole that's what I'd do. A momentary kill switch is a good idea as well.
What I would find really useful is a killswitch that that turned off other people's instruments....... 
My Alembic Series bass has a standby position on the pickup selector. Standby, Bridge PU, Both PU, Neck PU. I use it.
John
I really like the effect as a rhythmic element in some great guitar parts. Usually with some saturation for sustain, maybe even some growing feedback, click the sound off and on rhythmically, totally awesome.
So if I had one on a bass I would use it with distortion/fuzz and possibly other stacked effects to get that rhythmic stutter chop going. Like I use my tremolo pedal now, but with control over the timing. It won't replace the tremolo either b/c the pedal can stutter a lot faster than I can with my fingers on the switch.
So if I had one on a bass I would use it with distortion/fuzz and possibly other stacked effects to get that rhythmic stutter chop going. Like I use my tremolo pedal now, but with control over the timing. It won't replace the tremolo either b/c the pedal can stutter a lot faster than I can with my fingers on the switch.
My chainsaw has automatic shut off if you get kickback. I'd like an auto kill switch on my bass for when I screw up.
Me too. Since the girls parents are closer to my age.When I see children acting up I try to find their parents!
I didn't realize they needed defending. The older CIJ Jaguars had individual on/off switches for each pickup, so you can switch instantly between neck only, both pickups, bridge only, or both off. Very handy.
My bass has an arcade-style killswitch button on the front, which is pretty good fun especially with a massive square-wave fuzz.
Doesn't get as much use as it really deserves, but reading over this thread has encouraged me to give it more effort and see what I can pull off.
The idea of a toggle switch is actually quite a good one too, especially to cut down on handling noise - might look into that.
Doesn't get as much use as it really deserves, but reading over this thread has encouraged me to give it more effort and see what I can pull off.
The idea of a toggle switch is actually quite a good one too, especially to cut down on handling noise - might look into that.
It would've been more interesting if you said it adds something of a crispness or "je'ne' sai quoi?" to your tone(a Producer switch) I'll quote an old friend who loved to call out any corner cutting with "thats just being LAZY!" Like almost all switches, that barely do what you think they'll do or have you have to have the ears of a german shepherdto tell the difference! and yes it matters that its a 500K audio taper switch! Great if you have an empty hole in your bass! I'mgonna add a push pull pot to see if anyone else hears something special! made by Placebo™
Yep. Any bass with dual volumes actually has a usability benefit from having a kill switch. A REAL usability benefit.
Now if it's active, you should probably have an off/on/off setting.... off up is kill sound but leave power on, middle is on, down is kill sound and kill power too. Or something like that. So you can leave your active bass plugged in. Might get confusing though.... Unless the kill switch always killed power too, but there might be a startup lag in the tone.
Hmm... now you'd all got me thinking... my Grind 6 has (count 'em!) 2 preamp circuits in it, and a passive mode, and still has the dual volumes (simply because I didn't have a useful pickup pan pot lying around). I do have a switch though... and that would be a truly useful option to add.
Just have to think about the active/passive mode thing now.... another option could be off (kill) which also kills active power (up), on (but still no active power, so only passive mode switch would work (which is a push/pull on a volume pot)... which saves battery and lets me leave it plugged in (this would be middle position), and down would be on WITH active powered up, so I could push in my volume control switch and run in active mode or passive mode.
I think that is my best option.
FUN PROJECT IDEA!
The Beastie Boys Adam Yauch (RIP) had a kill switch on his bass. He used to strike a note, let it ring out, and then flick the switch back and forth to inject rhythm.
I can't remember which tracks give examples of this bass effect, but it's similar to the effect as the beginning of "Car Thief"
I can't remember which tracks give examples of this bass effect, but it's similar to the effect as the beginning of "Car Thief"
