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On/Off Switch

LAST_C

LAST_C

Apr 26, 2013
634
932
Florida
#1
I've always wondered why most basses don't come with an on/off switch. Seems so logical to me. Every electronic device has one and I know a bass guitar is not an electronic device but, seems so convenient to me....

Let's say you have different volume settings for the neck pickup and the bridge pickup, and you don't want to mess with those. With a flick of the switch you go silent. It's quicker and easier with a kill switch.

Both of my Thunderbirds have one, and I'm planning to install one on the other basses I own as well.

Your thoughts. :bassist:
 
#3
This has been said many, many times. Particular regarding VVT basses. The perception is it makes it easier. The reality is it doesn't matter. If I'm playing a Jazz, I can bring my volumes back to where they were before almost instantly. Small changes aren't very noticeable anyway.
 
#4
I don't care how many times it has been said by those who aren't bothered by it but VVT is a minor-to-major annoyance for the rest of us! There are fixes you can add but I agree that a kill switch should be standard equipment on mid to high end passive basses. If you want to put a kill switch on your bass it can be done with either a toggle switch or a push-pull pot. I recently bought an MS-60B multi-effects pedal for several reasons, one being that it has a tuner mode with a mute function that I can use to kill the bass when it needs to be silent during church services. It works great and I am sure that there are other pedals that could be used for this. If you happen to own several VVT basses that you would like to fix an external solution like this saves you a lot of work.
 
#5
I agree with you khutch, 100%. I also play in my church and, there are moments that you MUST be in total silence. I have a Boss tuner pedal that, at times, I use to mute the bass, but kill switches are a lot loser and easier to use. Plus, they look cool.
 
#8
Here's my Epi Thunderbird.

From left to right: Tone - Dummy - on/off for both pickups.

IMAG0347-1_zps6b118dc4.jpg
 
#9
Have it wired for volume+blend instead of volume+volume ?
Then you don't have to have an extra thing on the front of your bass, and you can use the single volume for swell effects.
Seems kind of obvious to me.
 
#10
My '67 Hagstrom came with one standard, and it makes so much sense that adding a Mute switch is the first thing I do to ALL my basses.

A mini-toggle between the pots where it is somewhat protected. Instant Silence! No noise or feedback when you sent it down and pot settings stay set. Black basses get a black switch to blend in. It also saves wear and tear on your volume pot.

The mute switch is installed directly across the output jack, and creates no sound when it is switched on and off. You want to short the output so it is grounded - you do not want to open it - this will create great hum!

NOTE - A simple mute switch cannot be used with an active bass - it will short the output of the preamp and possibly damage it.
 
#12
LAST_C said:
I've always wondered why most basses don't come with an on/off switch. Seems so logical to me. Every electronic device has one and I know a bass guitar is not an electronic device but, seems so convenient to me....

Let's say you have different volume settings for the neck pickup and the bridge pickup, and you don't want to mess with those. With a flick of the switch you go silent. It's quicker and easier with a kill switch.

Both of my Thunderbirds have one, and I'm planning to install one on the other basses I own as well.

Your thoughts. :bassist:
Click to expand...

The mute switch on a bass is an OK idea (Fodera does it), although most amps have a mute switch also, so kind of redundant. And, if you do a volume/blend, then you have no issues at all just turning the volume down.
 
#13
Bassamatic said:
My '67 Hagstrom came with one standard, and it makes so much sense that adding a Mute switch is the first thing I do to ALL my basses. A mini-toggle between the pots where it is somewhat protected. Instant Silence! No noise or feedback when you sent it down and pot settings stay set. Black basses get a black switch to blend in. It also saves wear and tear on your volume pot.

The mute switch is installed directly across the output jack, and creates no sound when it is switched on and off.

NOTE - A simple mute switch cannot be used with an active bass - it will short the output of the preamp and possibly damage it.
Click to expand...

Fodera basses, which have active preamps, have mute switches and they work fine. Again, most can do the same thing with the mute switch on an amp.
 
#15
I use my Pitchblack for quick silencing.

But I also agree that the VVT config is sometimes a not so desirable config.
One of the things I like about P basses is the one V knob.

but for quick on/off...it's the Pitchblack for me. Hands on the instrument and activation by the foot.
 
#17
I prefer two volumes to a volume and a blend because I always run the neck pickup in full with the bridge pickup either off, on just a hair, or just a hair less than full. For my style VVT is easier. I didn't think this would be the case until I went to a vol/blend setup and didn't care for it nearly as much.

If I needed it the process of adding a toggle or push/pull is a quick and easy wiring job.

My guess is many who need the ability to go silent already have a pedalboard where something can accomplish this or be added without fuss. It seems like a control easily accomplished post-bass and would also then work for any bass plugged into it.
 
#18
fisticuffs said:
I don't see the point. I can mute with my tuner or my amp. The less electronics in my bass the less there is to go wrong.
Click to expand...

Yes, you can do it that way. The point is that some people use headstock tuners, they can't mute, and some of us play in churches (or other venues) where the "amp" is 100 feet away and leaving the stage to mute/unmute is disruptive, to say the least. If there were only one bass player in the entire world then only one solution would be needed but different people play in different circumstances and even you might find you liked a mute switch on the bass if your bass had one. You never know. I really liked the headstock tuners I have when I first got them but now that I have a pedal with a tuner built in I find that I kinda like that better. So I agree that a tuner/mute is a great solution but one size does not fit all.

My oh my, you have so much electronics in your tuner, bass, and amp already why would you worry about one more switch? :D
 
#19
Bassamatic said:
NOTE - A simple mute switch cannot be used with an active bass - it will short the output of the preamp and possibly damage it.
Click to expand...

KJung said:
Fodera basses, which have active preamps, have mute switches and they work fine.
Click to expand...

You are right but I think he meant that the simple (and he did use that word) mute switch used with a passive bass just shorts the output to ground and that would not be a good idea with an active bass. My two active basses are both BV so I can easily kill them with the single volume knob and the blend isn't affected when I do that. But VVT is the preferred blend control layout for many folks, as we have seen here already, so if your active bass has VVT and you want to add a kill switch you have to be careful. It is not impossible but in the worst case it could get fairly complex.
 
#20
khutch said:
Yes, you can do it that way. The point is that some people use headstock tuners, they can't mute, and some of us play in churches (or other venues) where the "amp" is 100 feet away and leaving the stage to mute/unmute is disruptive, to say the least. If there were only one bass player in the entire world then only one solution would be needed but different people play in different circumstances and even you might find you liked a mute switch on the bass if your bass had one. You never know. I really liked the headstock tuners I have when I first got them but now that I have a pedal with a tuner built in I find that I kinda like that better. So I agree that a tuner/mute is a great solution but one size does not fit all.

My oh my, you have so much electronics in your tuner, bass, and amp already why would you worry about one more switch? :D
Click to expand...

Sure you can find reasons for one. I can find reasons not to have one. The pedal tuners on the market are far more accurate than the headstock variety, especially for bass. I don't want an on/off on the guitar for the same reason I don't want one on the mic. More things to go wrong.
 

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