Tone knobs on Jazz Basses - how much are they actually USED?

[Spidey2112]

Both Highway One and Geddy Lee, volumes dimed and tone right around 50%... I have D'angelicos in the Highway One, and I'm not sure what the GL has, but both are roundwound strings.

 

[InhumanResource]

I'm curious about this! Most of my basses I run tone control wide open, all the time. I rarely dial down the tone ever, in typical use. (not counting the very rare situation where I might want a real thumpy acoustic bass -ish effect)

What say you?

I use mine all the time depending on how things sound in a particular room.

 

[JW56789]

On any passive bass, I'll ease up towards wide open just until it starts to 'bloom' but not quite wide open, it just gets a little too 'clanky' for me. I run my Jazz that way, and I only use roundwounds.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

On passive Jazz Basses, my favorite setting is everything on full. If I am soloing the bridge pickup, I may turn the treble down or off.

 

[hennessybass]

For me it’s - Passive VVT w/ flats

I’m wide open most of the time.
Roll the tone 1/4-1/2 for some things.
Roll the bridge back 1/4 and tone back 1/4-1/2 for some things.

 

[edencab]

I run all 3 knobs about 80% full all the time...all white lines parallel, with the middle one pointing to the centre the bridge...sounds great to me..oh.... and currently Labella DTFs , but I have tried Dunlop, Fender and GHS flats on it

 

[jamro217]

Fretless, V/V/T, rounds, bridge pickup volume 80-90%, neck pickup volume 30-50%, tone 20- 40%. Recording> everything wide open. MWWAHHHHHHH!!!

 

[Camaro69]

Tone knob gets used more than the other two

 

[LBS-bass]

If an active bass's EQ knobs don't have centre detents, how do I tell what is "flat"?

I don't know. Mine do.

 

[4001]

I removed the tone pots in my two stereo wired Jazz Basses and run all of the rest of my basses wide open nearly all of the time. I adjust the tone at the amp. Rotosound RS66LD.

 

[Pops OB]

What’s a Jazz Bass?

 

[4001]

What’s a Jazz Bass?

The best bass for metal.

 

[Camaro69]

The best bass for metal.

 

[Pops OB]

Steve Harris, David Ellefson and even Geezer Butler might disagree...

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I'm stupid. I just try to get the J bass sound I hear on the hits. Both volumes dimed, the tone rolled off 100%. It's not brain surgery.

 

[AndyPanda]

I could almost live without a tone knob except for when soloing the J bridge pickup. Plucking over the bridge pickup solo'd with roundwounds and the tone all the way off is great on some things.

 

[BaltBass5]

Exclusively passive Jazz Basses, VVT, all at 100% ALL the time. Rounds.
That is THE classic Jazz sound.

 

[wyleeboxer]

Both my Jazz basses at the moment are wired passive V/V/T/T, generally I roll neck back 30% bridge 100%, neck tone 75% bridge tone mostly @50% yet I go up and down on bridge tone depending on song or part? Play mostly over bridge too, but again depending on song sometimes over neck pup and roll off bridge tone for fat Motown

Set of well worn EB cobalt flats are a big part of my tone too..

 

[Bander]

I use mine (jazz) on every gig. I setup, check the tone, and adjust. We run thru a sound check, I adjust it again to lay in the mix.

 

[swafran]

Rolling off a little tone gives you that funky upper mid bump so I like it. And its main function, rolling off highs works well for bright new strings. Not for slap obviously.