Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

Merry Christmas to all of our Thunderbird family.
Cheers!
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Same to you Glenn.

 

[GonePlaid]

I’d love to have been there!

That dude knows how to rip sound from a Strat!

Who cares about the dude? And where's Susannah's Ric??

 

[GonePlaid]

George has experimented and has commented before and can give better info than I. But in my experience with two basses with blend, it sucks something out of the tone. Makes it darker and less something. I think George, and maybe others had a real reason for what goes on.
I'm thinking about changing my '17 Epi Embassy to VVT from VBT.

Interesting. I kinda like the BLEND on my 21 Embassy. Makes it very quick/easy to change tonality between songs-or within for a solo.

 

[JIO]

The advantage is to have one volume control to adjust on the fly.

A lot of my Fender Jazz and P-basses (that have “double P sets) have VBT, and maybe I notice a little less of something, compared to similar basses with VVT, but really not enough to bother me, and nothing that can’t be made up for with eq.

It is nice to make a quick adjustment mid-song by just moving one knob.

However, I so rarely do that, that I am not doing VBT anymore, and I do not have any ‘birds set up this way.

I feel similarly - one stop shopping. I'm working up an active 5-string with EMG BTC system that has an ABC (active balance control) pu blend pot, stacked B/T & master volume.

 

[Engle]

George has experimented and has commented before and can give better info than I. But in my experience with two basses with blend, it sucks something out of the tone. Makes it darker and less something. I think George, and maybe others had a real reason for what goes on.
I'm thinking about changing my '17 Epi Embassy to VVT from VBT.

Let us know if you hear a difference. IIRC you get a bit more loading on the pickups with a blend pot.
I've gotten used to VVT, but my preference is one Volume.

 

[dagrev]

I have twenty something basses. Not a one has VBT. Maybe useful for a specific recording application? Never really gave it much thought.

I always thought blend would be ideal. But in my experience that really didn't prove to be the case. But I don't often blend the pups. Generally it's either both (most of the time), or just one.

 

[dagrev]

Merry Christmas to all of our Thunderbird family.
Cheers!
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You sure have a lot of crabs...
Shells. Crab shells.

And to you as well!

 

[JJR58]

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy, healthy Merry Christmas.
Or festivas, or what ever you’ll celebrate.
Much love to you all.

 

[dagrev]

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy, healthy Merry Christmas.
Or festivas, or what ever you’ll celebrate.
Much love to you all.

Same to you, Jeff.

 

[Instagator]

You sure have a lot of crabs...
Shells. Crab shells.

And to you as well!

I used to make them every year for gifts.
In my area around the Chesapeake Bay folks seem to really love them..
So yes you could say I gave crabs to a lot of people.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

George has experimented and has commented before and can give better info than I. But in my experience with two basses with blend, it sucks something out of the tone. Makes it darker and less something. I think George, and maybe others had a real reason for what goes on.
I'm thinking about changing my '17 Epi Embassy to VVT from VBT.

^^ This, except I don’t have an embassy.

The one place VBT helps is if you have the blend just right but want to adjust the volume - one knob to move and you won’t hose the blend.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

One of my birthday presents from Sharon this year was the vinyl soundtracks to the Wicked movies. Last night I played through half of Wicked before quitting because my brain hurt. Numerous key changes, mode changes, tempo changes, you name it. Great practice material.

 

[GBassNorth]

My Christmas Eve stupid question time.

What advantage does a Blend control have over VVT ? I’ve never tried one - perhaps it would be obvious to me if I had, I know some prefer them.
But I can’t shake a nagging thought that I’d be missing a bit of “something” if I had VBT instead of VVT.

Can anyone explain it to me in simple terms?

First a little background and clarity so we’re all talking the same thing.

General reference, discussion, data and opinions on a “Blend Pot” are a mess because it’s more often than not mistakenly called that. In most cases when people talk Blend Pot pros and cons they are actually referring to what is technically a “Pan Pot”. It’s the potentiometer that is commonly used in guitar and bass applications and is a dual gang stacked pot layout with a single shaft and center detent.

A Pan Pot (commonly called a Blend Pot) at center detent is in effect 50% volume level from each pickup. Basically the same as setting each of your traditional layout Volume Volume knobs at 5 (unless yours go to 11, in which case it’s 5.5 ). As you turn from center detent to either extreme the volume of the pickup you’re favoring increases and the volume of the other pickup decreases. The net effect is a noticeable volume drop (and in some cases a slight dulling of the tone due to resistance loading) at center detent. To picky players that’s a real issue, to on stage performers the negative impact is offset by the ease in use of only having to adjust one volume knob on the fly on stage. Of course a volume pedal or master volume would do the same thing.

There is such a thing as a TRUE Blend Pot that operates completely different and is well worth having if you can find one that will work with your bass. It’s quite different, with the center detent actually being 100% volume level from each pickup. Like setting each of your traditional Volume Volume knobs at 10 (or 11 if you’re a Spinal Tap guy). The obvious advantage is zero volume drop and minimal loading at center detent, and in effect it sounds exactly how you would expect a Volume Volume layout to sound as the two pickups interact at various volume settings relative to each other.

The catch - good luck finding a True Blend Pot. Fender has them but most if not all are made for plate or pickguard mounting, so the shaft may not be long enough for a through body installation. Someone in the club here did go on a quest about a year ago to find a true blend pot for their Tbird application, I think it might have been @Thumper but I’m not positive, and I don’t recall if he actually found one or ended up with something else.

To confuse the issue further - Fender does make a True Blend Pot, but because everyone else makes a Pan Pot and calls it a Blend Pot Fender decided to start calling theirs a Pan Pot in some cases. Again, good luck finding a true blend pot, it’s a mess out there.

 

[dagrev]

From a drummer friend. Hopefully it works. It did for me.


Kind of hard to understand since they are speaking British not English.

 

[JJR58]

I treated myself to a belated birthday gift, and Christmas present.
The first being a new lens for my Nikon D810, and ordered a flamed AAA+ roasted maple J neck for my Precision.
You only live once, well, I might come back in the next life as a squirrel.
Then I’d be relegated to nuts and making nests.

 

[dagrev]

First a little background and clarity so we’re all talking the same thing.

General reference, discussion, data and opinions on a “Blend Pot” are a mess because it’s more often than not mistakenly called that. In most cases when people talk Blend Pot pros and cons they are actually referring to what is technically a “Pan Pot”. It’s the potentiometer that is commonly used in guitar and bass applications and is a dual gang stacked pot layout with a single shaft and center detent.

A Pan Pot (commonly called a Blend Pot) at center detent is in effect 50% volume level from each pickup. Basically the same as setting each of your traditional layout Volume Volume knobs at 5 (unless yours go to 11, in which case it’s 5.5 ). As you turn from center detent to either extreme the volume of the pickup you’re favoring increases and the volume of the other pickup decreases. The net effect is a noticeable volume drop (and in some cases a slight dulling of the tone due to resistance loading) at center detent. To picky players that’s a real issue, to on stage performers the negative impact is offset by the ease in use of only having to adjust one volume knob on the fly on stage. Of course a volume pedal or master volume would do the same thing.

There is such a thing as a TRUE Blend Pot that operates completely different and is well worth having if you can find one that will work with your bass. It’s quite different, with the center detent actually being 100% volume level from each pickup. Like setting each of your traditional Volume Volume knobs at 10 (or 11 if you’re a Spinal Tap guy). The obvious advantage is zero volume drop and minimal loading at center detent, and in effect it sounds exactly how you would expect a Volume Volume layout to sound as the two pickups interact at various volume settings relative to each other.

The catch - good luck finding a True Blend Pot. Fender has them but most if not all are made for plate or pickguard mounting, so the shaft may not be long enough for a through body installation. Someone in the club here did go on a quest about a year ago to find a true blend pot for their Tbird application, I think it might have been @Thumper but I’m not positive, and I don’t recall if he actually found one or ended up with something else.

To confuse the issue further - Fender does make a True Blend Pot, but because everyone else makes a Pan Pot and calls it a Blend Pot Fender decided to start calling theirs a Pan Pot in some cases. Again, good luck finding a true blend pot, it’s a mess out there.

Now my heard hurts.

Great explanation!

 

[Stealth57]

First a little background and clarity so we’re all talking the same thing.

General reference, discussion, data and opinions on a “Blend Pot” are a mess because it’s more often than not mistakenly called that. In most cases when people talk Blend Pot pros and cons they are actually referring to what is technically a “Pan Pot”. It’s the potentiometer that is commonly used in guitar and bass applications and is a dual gang stacked pot layout with a single shaft and center detent.

A Pan Pot (commonly called a Blend Pot) at center detent is in effect 50% volume level from each pickup. Basically the same as setting each of your traditional layout Volume Volume knobs at 5 (unless yours go to 11, in which case it’s 5.5 ). As you turn from center detent to either extreme the volume of the pickup you’re favoring increases and the volume of the other pickup decreases. The net effect is a noticeable volume drop (and in some cases a slight dulling of the tone due to resistance loading) at center detent. To picky players that’s a real issue, to on stage performers the negative impact is offset by the ease in use of only having to adjust one volume knob on the fly on stage. Of course a volume pedal or master volume would do the same thing.

There is such a thing as a TRUE Blend Pot that operates completely different and is well worth having if you can find one that will work with your bass. It’s quite different, with the center detent actually being 100% volume level from each pickup. Like setting each of your traditional Volume Volume knobs at 10 (or 11 if you’re a Spinal Tap guy). The obvious advantage is zero volume drop and minimal loading at center detent, and in effect it sounds exactly how you would expect a Volume Volume layout to sound as the two pickups interact at various volume settings relative to each other.

The catch - good luck finding a True Blend Pot. Fender has them but most if not all are made for plate or pickguard mounting, so the shaft may not be long enough for a through body installation. Someone in the club here did go on a quest about a year ago to find a true blend pot for their Tbird application, I think it might have been @Thumper but I’m not positive, and I don’t recall if he actually found one or ended up with something else.

To confuse the issue further - Fender does make a True Blend Pot, but because everyone else makes a Pan Pot and calls it a Blend Pot Fender decided to start calling theirs a Pan Pot in some cases. Again, good luck finding a true blend pot, it’s a mess out there.

When I changed the Peavey Foundation to a VBT, I did find a true blend pot that didn't have the volume drop around the center detent. I think you warned me about that before a made the change. When I sold the Foundation, I put in the original control pots. I still have the VBT wiring sitting on my work bench.

 

[GBassNorth]

Let us know if you hear a difference. IIRC you get a bit more loading on the pickups with a blend pot.
I've gotten used to VVT, but my preference is one Volume.

^^ This, except I don’t have an embassy.

The one place VBT helps is if you have the blend just right but want to adjust the volume - one knob to move and you won’t hose the blend.

There’s lots of different control layouts that work just fine and solve different problems.
If you have two pickups and only want one volume control you could install a master volume, or you could even install a stacked volume/volume knob where you can set each pickup individually and when it comes time to boost or cut output volume just grab both the upper and lower knob together and twist. I’m kind of a three knob nut, so I frequently try to push my layout designs in that direction regardless of the number of pickups.
I’m workin on a 4 pickup bass design right now that will only have three knobs - Vol/blend stack, Vol/blend stack, Tone/tone stack.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I treated myself to a belated birthday gift, and Christmas present.
The first being a new lens for my Nikon D810, and ordered a flamed AAA+ roasted maple J neck for my Precision.
You only live once, well, I might come back in the next life as squirrel.
Then I’d be relegated to nuts and making nests.

You’re here so you’re already relegated to nuts!

 

[GonePlaid]

I feel similarly - one stop shopping. I'm working up an active 5-string with EMG BTC system that has an ABC (active balance control) pu blend pot, stacked B/T & master volume.

Too much for this old fart to remember.