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Pros/Cons of Blend versus Volume/Volume

Sundogue

Sundogue

Apr 26, 2001
8,795
481
65
Wausau, WI
#1
What are the Pros/Cons of a Blend pot versus Volume/Volume pots arrangement with two pickups?

I have a bass with a P-Bass pup and a single coil Jazz pup. I currently am using two volumes to control/blend the two pickups, but when either volume is all the way up, it sounds weaker and quieter than you'd expect full on to be. If I back off either volume just a bit off full on, then they both sound very strong again. It's only the last little bit of turning up to full on that makes it get weak (like if I turn the volume beyond like 90% than it gets quieter instead of louder). Either pup alone with the volume full on sounds full as well.

I'm just wondering if a Blend pot with one Master Volume would allow smoother control over blending the two pickups.

Thoughts?
 
#3
I prefer a single volume pot simply to act as a killswitch of sorts either between songs or when I'm not playing. Sure, you can do that with two volume pots, but it's more of a pain in the a$$.
 
#4
line6man said:
That's normal behavior, and is related to the way pickups load against each other.

The two setups you've described are electrically identical. The only variations will be in pot taper.
Click to expand...

Good to know. Thanks. It isn't terrible to deal with by any means. So long as I just back off the volume control a bit of one or the other from full on, the output is exactly what I want anyway.

Just have to be sure I don't forget and roll them both full on and dive into a song thinking they are full on. ;)

I love the tone of both full on anyway. Depending on where and how I play (like near the bridge or the neck...or even in between) I get a wide range of tone even without fiddling with the controls (save for the tone control).

I may just wire both right to the tone control and bypass the Volume controls altogether. Then again, there are a few tunes were I only use one or the other pup. Might as well leave as is.
 
#12
Sundogue said:
I have a mute switch for that. ;)
Click to expand...

I think blend with a master volume with a kill switch built in
As for the blend, could have a blend pot that when all the way to the right is the P pickup and all the way to the left is Jazz, all other times is a blend pot

Blend: Dual Pot
Take apart the pot, on the common (inner circle) you cut the track from were the common comes up and were it stars to go in to the circle, this will be were the arm rests when all the way to on side.
Do the opposite for the other pot.

Master Volume
This is done just the same, were the arm rests for 1 you cut ever side. One should be near were the common (output to jack) comes to the inner circle and a bit on the other side, meaning nothing gets out to the jack at this point.

Link Removed
The Cutting makes it HANG but Conductive Paint should set it to ground.
 
#14
wideload said:
I had a guy INSIST that V/V was better than V/Blend, because with one volume knob you could only go to 10, and with 2 you get 20! I just shook my head and walked away...
Click to expand...

I'm an engineer. Send me his contact info and I will ask him how much he would pay for a bass with two volume knobs that each go to 20. That way he could turn them both up and get 40....

And then next year I could offer him an upgrade to 50 + 50 = 100....

Ken
 
#18
Sundogue said:
I have a mute switch for that. ;)
Click to expand...

I have the same on some of my basses. Need to install a couple more on some basses that recently cracked the rotation.

I actually like what I have on my 78 and 84 Tobiases with V-V... a pickup selector toggle. Faster than a pot and also a quicker visual. I only use panpots to go bridge/both/neck so the toggle would do fine and I could switch to one pickup and turn its volume down.
 

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