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P-Bass Upgrade

#42
Unless there is a problem with them, leave the friggin pots and capacitor alone. Replace the pick ups instead. In my world Fender Original '62s and Seymour Duncan SPB-1 are by far superior in tone and response to my playing. Next, mount quality strings (suggestions are endless. I like Stainless Steel R/Ws .050-.105 gauge), then set up the bass to perfection. Now go make some music!
 
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#43
I don't have tons of experience to offer comparing different parts, but I just did exactly the same project as you and I am super, super satisfied with the results.

I took an Affinity P and installed a set of Fender Pure Vintage '63 pups. Good definition and very warm sounding. Lots of added growl too!
I strung it with flatwounds (D'adario Chrome) and I've been toying with a mute under the bridge cover to get that Carol Kaye tone. Really fun!

At first, I didn't plan to upgrade the pots, but it became clear that it was necessary after the pup upgrade. I finally went for a set of ObsidianWire solderless harness. It was a bit expensive, but boy did it bring the new pups to life!

Couldn't be happier with the tone this originally cheap bass is now giving me. :cool::bassist:

Green Machine 1.jpg YannJoue.jpg
 
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#44
The basics are that higher value pots will let more high end through, and higher value caps will cut more highs.

Ergo, if you want deep & dark, go with low value pots and a big capacitor.

(Conversely, for max brightness, use larger pots and a small tone cap...or just wire the pickup straight to the output jack.)
 
#45
THRobinson said:
Hey guys... got a Squier P-Bass Affinity here that I just finished refinishing the paint on, figured while at it, have a go at the electronics.

I've read some people prefer 250k pots, some 500k pots, and some 250k volume and 500k tone...

I'd like something deep/dark versus bright/clangy... what would you guys recommend? and what cap value?

If helps, I like 70/80s rock.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Seymour Duncan SPB-2 with 250k pots and the tone rolled off about halfway will get you there, that pickup has lots of lows and low mids, not a lot of treble, gets pretty aggressive if you dig in but round and fat if you play softly
 
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#49
THRobinson said:
Hey guys... got a Squier P-Bass Affinity here that I just finished refinishing the paint on, figured while at it, have a go at the electronics.

I've read some people prefer 250k pots, some 500k pots, and some 250k volume and 500k tone...

I'd like something deep/dark versus bright/clangy... what would you guys recommend? and what cap value?

If helps, I like 70/80s rock.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Changing pots will improve your Squier Bass ability to make a better 70s/80s rock? … got doubts about that
 
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#51
I have a American Standard P with GZR's and a American Standard Jazz bass with stock pickups.
I changed the caps to .047 and could tell a huge difference on the Jazz bass but not so much on the P bass.
YMMV. Strings also make a difference.
I acquired a Squier P bass that the stock pickups were awesome!
It really just depends on 20 different factors. Wood body, etc. There is no perfect answer.
 
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#52
THRobinson said:
Hey guys... got a Squier P-Bass Affinity here that I just finished refinishing the paint on, figured while at it, have a go at the electronics.

I've read some people prefer 250k pots, some 500k pots, and some 250k volume and 500k tone...

I'd like something deep/dark versus bright/clangy... what would you guys recommend? and what cap value?

If helps, I like 70/80s rock.

Thanks
Click to expand...
250k is generally considered the "classic" tone so that is probably what you'd be after. And I'd recommend Seymour Duncan spb-1 pickups

Thats what I did to my Affinity and I love it. Gotten plenty of gigs with that bass. But I must say it absolutely didn't NEED the upgrades I did it cuz that's what I wanted. I also replaced the wiring and input jack, shielded the cavity, put a tort guard on it, and added a high mass bridge
 
#56
smtp4me said:
Hmm... just curious. Does your Obsidian harness have the treble bleed mod in it? Not sure if they are necessary or effective in a single-pickup instrument. A few months ago, I bought an Obsidian hardness for Jazz bass that includes the treble bleed. I installed it, and did not like the tone when I turned down either volume knob. It didn't stay in very long - I took it out, ordered pots, an output jack, a tone cap, and built my own.

I understand how treble bleeds work, and I've used them in the past (but not Obsidian's version). This was different, in a bad way. I also understand that with a passive bass you can only cut frequencies, not boost. The Obsidian sounded, to me, like a high-pass filter with the cutoff frequency fairly high - as if all the lower frequencies were being filtered out - and again, very much unlike any other treble bleed I've used.

I DO like the solderless concept, and how Obsidian uses it - very well thought out. It was the treble bleed that turned me off to it.
Click to expand...

I don't think there's a treble bleed. (actually I don't know what that is!) just volume and tone.
 
#58
bassnyc1 said:
I don't think there's a treble bleed. (actually I don't know what that is!) just volume and tone.
Click to expand...
I'm not an electrical engineer - my understanding (and I have noticed this) is that when you turn down a volume knob on your guitar/bass, some of the high frequencies bleed off (they are lost). A "treble bleed mod" is usually a combination capacitor and resistor that is soldered between the lugs of the volume knob, that prevents this from happening. The choice of resistor and capacitor values influence how the mod affects tone, as does the choice of whether they are wired in series or parallel.

The treble bleed on my Obsidian harness seems to drop all the low frequencies, making the tone harsh and brittle (instead of just preventing treble from bleeding off, it sounds like it is also cutting lows).
 

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