Tone Control?...I don't need no stinkin' tone control!

[GodsLove66]

I did something like that 50 years ago. Just volume for each pick up and a phase switch each for the jazz and p pick ups.

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The "tone" came from blending the pick ups or not.

Yeesh! Was this Walter Becker's Precision???

 

[sikamikanico]

I ditched the volume, and replaced the tone control with a cap selector switch. I typically just run it in one setting, so I could probably even hardwire one loading cap and go with no controls.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

I could do without a volume control on my single pickup basses, (4) but I use my tone control for various songs.

My 1952 Kay M1 has no volume or tone control, but it does have a pickup.

My ~2007 home made EUB has no volume or tone control, but does have a pickup.

 

[GretschWretch]

I'm waiting for the guy who's such a purist he forgoes tone controls, volume controls, and the output jack. Anyone that brave?

As soon as I get a new one, I intend to forego the bridge as well.

 

[tim gueguen]

There were guitars with built in wireless at one point - Nady was involved, I think. The challenge with that ius that wireless tech (and the bands where you can use them) change every few years - if you hogged out your '59 Les Paul for a wireless the first year you could do that, you'd have changed the transmitter a dozen times since then - the thing would be a compete hack job by now.

Yep, it was Nady. The guitar was the Lightning and the bass the Thunder.

Brad Gillis of Night Ranger played a heavily modded '62 Strat forever. It included an onboard wireless.

 

[GretschWretch]

I did something like that 50 years ago. Just volume for each pick up and a phase switch each for the jazz and p pick ups.

View attachment 5338554

The "tone" came from blending the pick ups or not.

This probably is my favorite bass pic on TalkBass. HUGE envy. Weight? (Sorry, I had to ask.)

 

[nnnnnn]

Is there anybody else out there brave enough to go volume-only?

Brave enough to go permanently without tones that I like?

 

[MrClassicMetal]

Love it. My ideal bass would be like Nikki Sixx's signature - no volume, no tone, just an on/off switch.

Sixx can also easily ditch the strings....

 

[_Tay_]

Below are two of my basses that I've modified greatly. The first is a G&L SB-2, which comes without a tone control (or used to, anyway). I modified it to use only a single volume control which is also a push/pull switch so I can run the pickups in parallel or series with one another. Once I established that I liked that arrangement, I had a new pickguard made for it. The second is a radically modded NS Design WAV4. It started its life as an active bass. I converted it to passive by stripping all the marginal-sounding electronics out of it, putting in a Lace Alumibar pickup (no affiliation), and simply using a volume control only. I have GHS Pressurewound strings on both basses, and both sound amazing. (Please forgive the oddly-sized pics.) Is there anybody else out there brave enough to go volume-only?
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You my dude, are my spirit animal. I'd love to go volume only.

 

[jdjk7]

Below are two of my basses that I've modified greatly. The first is a G&L SB-2, which comes without a tone control (or used to, anyway). I modified it to use only a single volume control which is also a push/pull switch so I can run the pickups in parallel or series with one another. Once I established that I liked that arrangement, I had a new pickguard made for it. The second is a radically modded NS Design WAV4. It started its life as an active bass. I converted it to passive by stripping all the marginal-sounding electronics out of it, putting in a Lace Alumibar pickup (no affiliation), and simply using a volume control only. I have GHS Pressurewound strings on both basses, and both sound amazing. (Please forgive the oddly-sized pics.) Is there anybody else out there brave enough to go volume-only?
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View attachment 5338374

Two (soon to be three) of my basses have a switch that, when engaged, bypasses the volume and tone controls and makes the signal go from the pickup selector straight to the output jack. I usually just use the switch on.

 

[eddododo]

You can use the push/pull to switch a cap load, which would give you the series/parallel sound but without the volume jump.

 

[_Tay_]

Two (soon to be three) of my basses have a switch that, when engaged, bypasses the volume and tone controls and makes the signal go from the pickup selector straight to the output jack. I usually just use the switch on.

I need this

 

[Guitalia]

Like what?

Why do you ask?

 

[stevensivak]

On the other hand, there are basses that have 5 knobs and three micro switches that would make my head spin off
How about photos of basses with the MOST knobs?

 

[5StringBlues]

Sixx can also easily ditch the strings....

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He ditched the idea of being a decent musician long ago.

 

[alembicbones]

I recently bought a Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ 5 string Fretless and it had the stock preamp (Vol, Blend,Treble Boost, Bass Boost). It was pretty good but it had a bit of harshness. I just had the Sadowsky preamp with the Vintage Tone Control installed on it and now this bass is full on money. Having the ability to roll off some of passive high end is essential to me, especially on a Sadowsky. That said, I get those of you who don't require a passive tone control.

Bones

 

[Jazzdogg]

my first encounter with a yamaha attitude bass turned me on to the value of no-tone basses.

i just recently had one removed from one of my 6 strings. one big old humbucker, a series/single/parallel switch, and volume.

i like it very much.

I leave the volume and tone controls wide open on my P bass, and have since I bought it 50 years ago.

My question is whether the bass sounds different with the tone control removed than it does installed, yet unused?

Is there any sonic benefit to physically removing the tone control from the instrument?

 

[jglunt]

On the other hand, there are basses that have 5 knobs and three micro switches that would make my head spin off
How about photos of basses with the MOST knobs?

Well, besides the two basses I pictured at the beginning of this thread, I also own a G&L MJ-4, which standard has five pots (volume-blend-active 3-band EQ) and a G&L L2500, which has three pots and three switches standard. On it, I changed out two of the pots to add two additional push/pull switches for individual single coil options to each pickup. So that's three pots and five switches. While it's fun to play, it doesn't sound any better (or worse) than my basses with only volumes, but at least I'm not just a one-trick pony!

 

[jglunt]

I leave the volume and tone controls wide open on my P bass, and have since I bought it 50 years ago.

My question is whether the bass sounds different with the tone control removed than it does installed, yet unused? Is their any sonic benefit to physically removing the tone control from the wiring harness?

That's a great question that I can't answer. My SB-2 had no tone control from the factory and my WAV4 was an active bass with so-so electronics in it before I converted it to its current state. I've heard it said that Timothy B. Schmit considered a tone control a tone suck, but I got that info at least second hand, so I take it with a grain of salt. Plus, he's back to playing a regular Jazz Bass. My guess is that a passive tone control can't help but affect the tone even when wide open. Electricity flows like water. If you put an elbow into a water pipe, it affects the water flow. If you add any pot that alters the flow of an electrical current into a circuit, it would change something. Now the question is, Is that change beneficial or detrimental?

 

[jdjk7]

I need this

I have two GrassRoots basses that came with this as a factory feature, and I recently got a third bass that I'm going to add this to. I'd probably add it to all my basses. It's really useful.