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Pot recommendations

L

Lobotomy Boy

Mar 19, 2012
7
0
#1
I apologize in advance if this has been covered, or if this is the wrong forum, but I searched and didn't find the info I was looking for. I bought a 1996 Korean Squier Jazz bass over the weekend, nice shape, nice neck, but a broken volume pot. This is my first bass and I don't know that much about their guts. From what I've found online, it seems that 250k pots are standard.

Also, while the bass sounded good through the bass amp the previous owner used to demo it, it sounds muffled and muted through headphones when I play it directly into my Zoom 8-track recorder, which is what I bought it for. It also sounds kind of funky played through my old Peavey 130 Special guitar amp. If this was a six-string guitar, I would suspect bad pots and caps, but again, I really don't know what to expect from a bass. Is this normal?
 
#5
The first volume pot is actually broken--mechanically, not electrically. I can jigger it around to make it work, but it needs to be replaced. I'm thinking I might as well replace all the pots while I have the soldering gun heated up, although I'd prefer not to have to start testing caps unless needed. That's something I can't do myself and will require enlisting a friend's help.
 
#11
So, reefage references aside, is the reason that I'm not able to find bass recommendations on 250k vs. 500k pots because basses pretty much stick with 250k? Also, is the muted response I'm seeing a result of passive pickups? I think I'll try plugging it into a friend's 600-watt amp and see how it sounds. Maybe this is why you bass types (you people...) use such crazy-high wattage in your amps.
 
#13
Lobotomy Boy said:
I apologize in advance if this has been covered, or if this is the wrong forum, but I searched and didn't find the info I was looking for. I bought a 1996 Korean Squier Jazz bass over the weekend, nice shape, nice neck, but a broken volume pot. This is my first bass and I don't know that much about their guts. From what I've found online, it seems that 250k pots are standard.

Also, while the bass sounded good through the bass amp the previous owner used to demo it, it sounds muffled and muted through headphones when I play it directly into my Zoom 8-track recorder, which is what I bought it for. It also sounds kind of funky played through my old Peavey 130 Special guitar amp. If this was a six-string guitar, I would suspect bad pots and caps, but again, I really don't know what to expect from a bass. Is this normal?
Click to expand...

1) welcome to the board
2) been covered
3) in the wrong forum
but I'm not going to flame you over it. I'll the the Hyper-sensitive guys do it.

The general consensus is to use 250K for single coil pups, 500k for humbuckers.

The normal debate is on whether to use linear taper or audio taper pots.

Fender lists 3 250k audio taper pots in the parts list for the American Std jazz bass. Couldn't go wrong there.

Good luck to you.
 
#19
I'll order the Fender pots. They should be as good as any. As for the cap, think I should go ahead and replace it while I'm in there? My buddy the electronic wiz with the equipment for checking the values of caps has a new baby and I hate to bug him if I don't have to.
 

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