Passive PJ - alternatives to VVT?

[Old Garage-Bander]

I have a passive P/J. Squier Jag VM shorty.
It had the stock 250K pots and cap. VVT. It has DiMarzio hb pickups.
Switched to 500K pots, Vol., Blend, Tone. Put in a 0.068 tone cap.
Didn't like the 500s, too bright, even with flats/tapes.
The blend didn't really wow me either compared to vol-vol. Just didn't really seem to be much useful control.
Had the 500 MN, tried grounded and ungrounded, snore.
Went back to VV 250K and a TBX, in stock config.
Getting there, but I think the TBX has to go for a regular 250K tone pot.
Kind of been there and back.

If you do one thing, and have room, put in a switch to throw the two pickups out of phase with one another.
The tone gets thin but in a funky sort if way that I like.

 

[40Hz]

I've tried a bunch of different wiring schemes with two single-coil basses. And after a lot of futzing around I found the VVT arrangement gave me the broadest and most useful range of tones for a circuit with a single capacitor.

Lately I've taken to using a stacked standard tone plus Wilde Q-filter with two single coils. But a lot of how well that sounds probably depends on your pickups - and I've never owned a passive PJ bass to try that arrangement out on. Just standard JBs.

Personally, I think the tone control/Q-filter arrangement I have right now is more effort than it's worth for a passive JB. There's just not enough there to work with. Which has led me to feel that if you already like the Jazz bass sound, then leave well enough alone. If you want more sonic variety with your JB, go active and get an Audere preamp for it.

But that's just my opinion. YMMV.

 

[RobbieK]

I ended up with the Dimarzio model p and an Ultra Jazz (

Ha, the model P was the one I removed! I'm surprised there's anything in a J form factor that comes close to the output and mid-range of the model P. But I'm glad it worked out for you. I was happy with the tone of the model J by the bridge in this bass so I experimented with the P. I ended up winding one myself. Funny, it's surprisingly hard to find an aftermarket pickup that boasts lower output than your original!

 

[RobbieK]

Do you think adding a resistor would be enough to balance the pickup blend?

Yep, you can try a few resistors. Or better still, try a temporary pot, then remove, measure, and install the closest fixed resistor(s).

 

[Flippy]

So many options Seems like I'm gonna need a free afternoon and a bunch of these

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Thanks for insightful information! Do you think adding a resistor would be enough to balance the pickup blend? Otherwise I guess a blend pot wolusnt work well otherwise right?

If you mean adding a resistor in series with the P pickup to knock the level down so it matches the output of the J pup? IMI there is no point in doing this. Unless you simple think it's wrong that both pickups are at the same level with the blend pot in the middle.

The point if the blend pot is to blend the signal the way you like it. The middle detent position does nothing more than act like the 5 on a numbered control knob. It tells you the relative pot setting. It is not written that the outputs must be equal with the blend in the middle.

If you want to accomplish mid pot equality, lower the P pickup and raise the J. That's what I did on mine.
They still don't sound the same because well... one is a P and the other us a J and they pickup different sounds at different volumes partly because of where they sit on your bass in relation to the string vibration.

If you don't mean a resistor in series with the P pickup, then... Nevermind.

 

[Flippy]

If you mean adding a resistor in series with the P pickup to knock the level down so it matches the output of the J pup? IMI there is no point in doing this. Unless you simple think it's wrong that both pickups are at the same level with the blend pot in the middle.

If that's the case then it is fine, I usually prefer to dim the J a bit anyway. I was worried the blend knob would provide little or no control apart from full P/J areas, unless the pickups had matching resistance.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

If that's the case then it is fine, I usually prefer to dim the J a bit anyway. I was worried the blend knob would provide little or no control apart from full P/J areas, unless the pickups had matching resistance.

It's perfectly capable of providing little or no control all by itself, without any help.
This is the thing about passive circuits. You can never add anything, you can't boost because there is no amplification to boost anything. You can only take away from what you already have, and you're working with pretty weak signals already.

The other thing we deal with in passive circuits is there is no real isolation between components. Everything affects everything else in some fashion or form. With an active bass, the volumes, tones, blends, can all be buffered or isolated from one another. When you change the value of a tone pot it doesn't adversely change the loading on a pickup. Even a switch that pops in a passive circuit can be tamed more easily in an active.

So while adding a series resistor to a pickup in a passive bass may achieve the desired results of pickup outputs balance, there's a better than good chance that you are affecting other aspects of how your bass works or sounds.

 

[tedsalt]

I may try a Vol / Vol / StellarTone in a PJ5 project.

The Vol / Vol / NoLoadTone is a good basic alternative

But yeah, use linear taper pots for volume, otherwise it gets harder to dial in, as it changes too quickly

 

[BAG]

I've got a Godin Shifter Classic which is p/j with 4 way switch...
P - PJ seies - PJ parallel - J
It is quite difficult to get the pickups balanced and the series setting raises the volume a bit. I do prefer VVT or VBT.

 

[nuts-n-bolts]

Hey guys, I'm going to bring this thread back to life for a minute. I'm trying to figure out how to wire my p/j build. I prefer the simplicity and speed of a blend control over 2 volumes, and I want to maintain the P-bass aesthetic and not add a bunch of knobs (might be weird if me... but oh well). Noll makes a concentric 250k volume/tone linear/audio that I'm considering using in conjunction with a Bourns 500k mn blend.
I've got a Bill Lawrence P-46 and I'm planning to get a dimarzio model p/j set, using the model j in the bridge and testing a/b-ing the p pickups.
I was also considering the Noll mixpot, which just just and active blend control.

Any sage words of wisdom?

 

[Flippy]

Honestly I abandoned this idea. The P stays at 100%, the J varies between 0-75%, and it's fine.