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

[sikamikanico]

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?

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Yes, both in tone and in volume. One of the basses has TI JFs while the other has Rotosound Ultramags. For the TIJFs it's a little less noticeable, but for the Rotos it is very noticeable. Not just in the highs, but the high mids too. Volume increases just a little bit. It's nice to take an overdrive pedal like a BBBOD, turn the bypass on and set my drive tone, and then turn it off, roll back the volume and tone, and set a good clean tone. Lets me cop 2-channel amp tones with just the bass and pedal.

I think something like this is a good way to get away with the warmer sound of 250k pots and high capacitor values while still having the option of bright, present tones.

Pots, even when open, dampen the resonant peak. Makes the bass sound darker. You can use higher resistance pots, or a no-load tone pot, which will both brighten the sound too (no load pot, when open, is like no pot). Volume, you gotta take it out.

I use my tone knob all the time. It’s sort of a must on a jazz bass bridge pickup.

What is the benefit (other than maybe optical) of getting rid of the tone knob? I don’t see any benefits but I am curious.

You can get you bass brighter sounding, but there are other solutions to that problem too (see above).

The biggest reason to not use/have a tone pot is how it functions/sounds - it’s basically a very simple low pass filter, and some prefer an active LPF or treble cut because of how they sound. I like how the passive tone knob works with flats, but not so much with rounds - it just sounds muffled. But I do like what loading caps do, kinda sound like an active LPF, just in discrete steps.

I suppose the last reason to take it out is to replace it with something you prefer more . Oh, and maybe to avoid temptation and accidental changes to the tone…

 

[XLunacy]

Simplicity comes at the cost of versatility; but unneeded versatility is definitely felt as unnecessary complexity. Seems like you found your happy medium. Rock it

 

[StereoPlayer]

 

[Shenron]

Is there anybody else out there brave enough to go volume-only?
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I am a bit jealous of your freedom

With the guitar, in 30 years of playing I practically never used the tone knobs, and neither the volume. I just preferred to leave them always up to max, then use a volume foot pedal. The only times I use the volume knob is for occasional swells effects on specific songs. I also typically only use the pickup switch either all the way towards the bridge or all the way towards the neck, very rarely in intermediate positions.

But with the bass... I am constantly undecided, I keep adjusting all knobs even for the same song, and I never seem to learn which setup is better

 

[groovaholic]

I'm the opposite - I keep the pickup selectors and tone controls but get rid of the volume pot.
If I need to play more quietly, I pluck more softly.
If I need my bass to be silent, I'll join a Metallica tribute band.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I don't need a tone control either, because I have an active bass, mid and a treble knob.

 

[Les Fret]

I don't need a tone control either, because I have an active bass, mid and a treble knob.

That's sort of the same isn't it? treble has the same function as a passive tone knob. technically maybe not but both get rid of annoying highs. I still like it though when passive basses have a passive tone knob for when you switch from active to passive if you have an active bass with that option.

 

[StereoPlayer]

 

[gmarcus]

Why Volume only? I never use my volume controls. I did have a Chavel San Dimas Pro Mod that I stripped everything out of except the balance control. It had a wide range of tones, but somehow it was always too bright so I added a .1uF cap tone control and a volume control which I still never use...........

 

[JIO]

Tone-less......

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nice knobs

 

[JIO]

I have my pickups wired directly to my amp’s input jack. Considering just wiring it directly to the auditory centre of my brain next. Wish me luck!

This Grass Roots/ESP Bass IV has a very useful setup and relates to your tact (not the brain part! ) and this thread. Passive, 3 pu's, 4 pu (on/off) selector switches and a V & T pot. Top switch = neck pu, second switch = middle pu, Third switch = bridge pu and the four switch sends whatever pu combination you have chosen directly to the jack. (all off is a kill switch) I always leave a little V headroom on the bass live and set my room volume at the amp. When you engage the fourth switch - you get a clean boost that comes in very handy on some songs where the bass needs a little goose. And, because it bypasses both V&T pots - if you had a bass-y tone setting, it would not only get louder but more defined - like full-on treble. But since I only leave about 10% headroom - it's not a LOUD boost - it's just enough. No fussing with knobs or a volume pedal and at the flip of a switch. On this setup, whatever pu combo you choose is equally engaged gain-wise (no blending between pu's) so the tone knob becomes a dynamic tone-shaping control. Very straight forward and effective.

 

[fjbolebruch]

I did no volume, tone only

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I’ve thought of doing this to my jazz bass. I always run both pickups at 100% and adjust the tone to fit the song. Doing this I’m always accidentally hitting the volume knobs.

 

[Mvolk87]

Very simplistic and intriguing!

I strung up GHS Pressurewounds over my '04 SR506 stock Bartolinis for the first time and they are amazing.

The parallel / series pickup toggle sound like a great idea.

I have a Fender Pugilist that has a parallel-blend / dual-series toggle. To be able to do that with on deck with clean tones I imagine would be a game changer while going minimalist as well.

Last year I dove into pedalboards and have added more pots into the path, and exploring parallel circuits. Do you have a schematic of how you wired it up?

What made you switch the GHS Pressurewounds?

 

[jglunt]

Very simplistic and intriguing!

I strung up GHS Pressurewounds over my '04 SR506 stock Bartolinis for the first time and they are amazing.

What made you switch the GHS Pressurewounds?

I'm not sure I understand your question. I still have Pressurewounds on both those basses, and I plan on using them on another one or two. I was encouraged to try them by a friend who is also a bass player. Hopefully, I've answered your question. If not, please ask again.

 

[drumvsbass]

Since many TalkBass posters never read past the first sentence of any post, if that far, it'll be interesting to see this bit of musical misinformation propagate online.

I know right? Anarchy. For my next trick I'll convince you that leather straps are better for tone than nylon or plastic because they are made of organic material.

 

[JIO]

Since many TalkBass posters never read past the first sentence of any post, if that far, it'll be interesting to see this bit of musical misinformation propagate online.

I think more specifically, tb posters see the title of the post and go to the last post w/o reading any of the posts before that.

 

[andare]

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.

That string misalignment though. Looks unplayable

 

[andare]

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

Joe Dart did it with his mini bass.

 

[wiscoaster]

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

Well, what the heck, why not go all the way with no controls?!?

 

[5StringBlues]

Well, what the heck, why not go all the way with no controls?!?
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EDDIE MONEY - No Control (youtube.com)