Jaguar Bass active tone pots ..........

[TanglefooT1959]

I've just got a Japanese Fender Jaguar Bass (the one with the 2 x "J" pickups) and I'm having an issue with the active tone controls.
It sounds to me like that the tone pots have a very limited sonic range ............ they sound either on or off with hardly any change to the tone when the tone wheel is turned fully one way or the other! YES I did check that the ACTIVE/PASSIVE switch was switched to ACTIVE!!

Any advise out there ..................?

 

[bassmanrocke]

The passive tone control is still operative while the actives are engaged. If your passive tone is rolled down too much it can really limit how much the active tone control does. If that isn't the issue also see if spraying out the roller pots with contact cleaner helps.

 

[Grooveline]

Owning one of these and reading past threads I can tell you plenty others have had this experience as well. The bass pot is especially sensitive going from nothing to booming within a very small amount of turn on the wheel. Not sure what exactly could "fix" this short of just having another preamp installed. The jaguar bass has a nice passive tone as well with the option to run in series for more thump/bass/drive. Tone and volume pots aren't the highest quality either.
NBD Fender Jaguar Bass - review
Jaguar Bass preamp mod
These are some really nice threads for information on the bass, mods, and preamp replacement.

 

[TanglefooT1959]

The passive tone control is still operative while the actives are engaged. If your passive tone is rolled down too much it can really limit how much the active tone control does. If that isn't the issue also see if spraying out the roller pots with contact cleaner helps.

Thanks for the advice. I have sprayed the pots with the magic spray but it made little or no improvement. I might look at swapping out the pots instead.

 

[Dan J Cooper]

I've just got a Japanese Fender Jaguar Bass (the one with the 2 x "J" pickups) and I'm having an issue with the active tone controls.

Any advise out there ..................?

I hope I'm not coming in too late here....

There is a very simple fix I picked here or on another forum that solved the problem for me.

The two pots are joined by a solid bare wire that goes across the third lug of the treble pot to the first and second lugs of the bass pot (looking left to right when the plate is unscrewed). The orange wire from the preamp should lead to the first lug on the bass pot. The schematics online have it on the middle lug; if that is the case, move it to the first lug, closest to the active treble pot. Here is the important part: have the solid wire only go to the middle lug of the active bass pot: take it off the first lug. I replaced the bare wire on mine with a regular wire. Presto! The pots now work as they should and I can enjoy a full palette of tones.

If need be I can take a pic of my simple mod.

And don't forget to shield your cavities and join them, if you haven't already.

 

[Dan J Cooper]

I forgot to add that on mine - bought new last June but a 2011 or 2012 model - the orange wire from the preamp to the bass lug was soldered on the first lug of the treble pot, where it should be, unlike the schematic that is floating around online (that shows it on the middle lug). I only had to remove the bare wire from the assembly and solder a new covered wire from the third lug of the treble pot to the middle lug of the bass pot, to fix the problem.

 

[rgleason87]

On a whim this morning I decided to try what Dan J Cooper suggested in his post with regard to swapping around a few wires to different lugs on the bass tone pot of my Jag’s preamp. I can confirm beyond any reasonable doubt that this is the way these basses were supposed to be wired up in the first place. It’s like a completely different pre now with full spectrum roll on of the bass control.

Finally the preamp on my Jag is useable without having to go through a whole new preamp swap (though that may still happen down the line if I can snag an OBP2 for the right price).

Thank you Dan for the valuable advice!!!!

 

[macca65]

Hey Dan - I would appreciate a photo of your wiring mod. I had that problem of an 'all or nothing' bass tone control and I tried to follow your suggestion but the controls are behaving even more weirdly . Full bass dialled in seems to actually cut the bass now I think I've done something wrong! This is a 2006 CIJ Jag

Cheers

Paul

 

[macca65]

If need be I can take a pic of my simple mod.

Yes please See above