I voted - off depending on sound, but actually i play my fretless jazz - neck pickup off, bridge on, tone off.
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Tone knobs on Jazz Basses - how much are they actually USED?
- Thread starter mikewalker
- Start date
I've been thinking of starting a similar thread...funny.
I keep mine rolled almost all the way off. I may turn them up to about 20% at times but thats probably about it.
I use all the tone controls on my basses at least once. I'll aim to get my sound and then leave them alone.
A lot of the differences in my sound will be down to right-hand technique but I don't use too many sounds. For instance, I won't play a Stranglers song with a JJ Burnell tone or a fretless cover on a fretless. I'm told I fit in fine doing what I do. The only concession I will make is to re EQ when I do reggae gigs.
A lot of the differences in my sound will be down to right-hand technique but I don't use too many sounds. For instance, I won't play a Stranglers song with a JJ Burnell tone or a fretless cover on a fretless. I'm told I fit in fine doing what I do. The only concession I will make is to re EQ when I do reggae gigs.
I usually have the V's at about a notch below 10 so mids aren't completely scooped..I put a tiny piece of tape with a felt pen dot to mark the sweet spot. I adjust between 5 and full on the tone ..depending on song..for me below 4 or 5 is woolly sounding ..I don't like clicking either so treble on amp is usually about 4..that's just my personal taste.. The Jazz isn't a thump monster like a Prec...but I really love being able to choose a wider variety of tones..I can get it damn close to a Prec.. , but not vice versa..
hasbeen
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Why didn't you put an option for a roll 100% off? I know you probably can't conceive of using it that way since you run it all the way open but I can't conceive of using it any other way. Bridge pickup solo, tone 100% off all the time.
well this is going to be fun to try out a few of TB'ers options....maybe get me off the 1 setting and forget it mode
On lefties it’s only tone on or tone off which kinda sucks
My Jazz bass has a 4-band Audere preamp so I voted CARROTS, although that option doesn't fit perfectly. 
I generally leave it set close to flat, with a slight low-mid boost, slight treble cut but will adjust for those occasional songs when you need to set it to a specific tone (I also generally try to set the amp for the room, then tweak tone on the bass). I do use rounds on it but it's the only bass I have with rounds on it right now.
Contrary to what some (not all) die-hard "I'll never play anything but a passive bass!" players seem to assume, the number of tweaks I make in a set is NOT greater than the number of notes I play.
I just like having the tonal options and use them when it makes sense to use them.
I generally leave it set close to flat, with a slight low-mid boost, slight treble cut but will adjust for those occasional songs when you need to set it to a specific tone (I also generally try to set the amp for the room, then tweak tone on the bass). I do use rounds on it but it's the only bass I have with rounds on it right now.Contrary to what some (not all) die-hard "I'll never play anything but a passive bass!" players seem to assume, the number of tweaks I make in a set is NOT greater than the number of notes I play.
I just like having the tonal options and use them when it makes sense to use them.
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The thing I like most about a JB is it has (for me) a certain sound I like which I can basically leave dialed in and just go play.
I always put both volumes at 85% and set the tone somewhere between 20-50% depending on the individual bass’s pickups and strings. Once I’ve set it that way I pretty much leave it alone unless I change strings and ditz with the tone knob a bit to get that JB sound I want. If it’s strung with flats I can easily go for years without touching the controls.
After that “it’s all in the hands” as the saying goes.
YMMV.
I always put both volumes at 85% and set the tone somewhere between 20-50% depending on the individual bass’s pickups and strings. Once I’ve set it that way I pretty much leave it alone unless I change strings and ditz with the tone knob a bit to get that JB sound I want. If it’s strung with flats I can easily go for years without touching the controls.
After that “it’s all in the hands” as the saying goes.
YMMV.
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I paid for that tone control, I'm gonna use it!
P.S. When I owned my 62 AVRI, I found those dual tone controls a real bother to use. After I rewired the pickups in series to fatten it up so the controls were just one V, one T. Much happier!
P.S. When I owned my 62 AVRI, I found those dual tone controls a real bother to use. After I rewired the pickups in series to fatten it up so the controls were just one V, one T. Much happier!
I find a JB with the tone all the way up is not the sound I really like - I do use the tone quite a lot but between something like zero to 3/4 of the way.
I used round wounds on mine but put in a new 0.1 uf tone cap in it so I could get it to sound as bassy as a Precision if I want that sound, it's got that nice lower mid bump with the tone on 0, but I'm all over the place depending on the song and gig. It came with either a 0.022 or a 0.033, took that out put in a 0.047 which was better but took that out and put in the 0.1 cap, now bliss.
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I have an 1996 American '62 RI Jazz that was made for the Japanese market and it came with VVT, I also put in a 0.1 uf tone cap and bought a new Pro neck for it, I love the thing now, hated it when I first got it, was too trebly with the tone control off.
With a Jazz Bass, I usually just put everything to 10. Sometimes I’ll roll the bridge and tone to 5 or 6 equally.
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I have a J Retro Deluxe in my main jazz and I usually hype the treble a bit much and then roll the tone back a bit to smooth things out. For whatever reason, I find it to be a better result and trying to just use the treble boost/cut
On the 'J' I use most often (Peavey Foundation) I run neck 20% vol bridge 80% vol tone 60-80% on.
Leaving the tone knob alone and turning the volume down from full on a passive bass also affects tone and I like the way they interact better than full on, although this particular bass sounds the best of all my passives full on.
Most of my basses are PJ, VBT & VVT both, and the ones I have modified all have a push/pull tone cap with different values to suit the pups. On those I will sometimes go full on tone with the lower value cap but most of the time even that is dialed back a little.
I generally prefer a bit darker sound coming from the bass going into a mid forward EQ on the amp. Most actives I find when I find a good setting with good bite, it also brings with it unwanted sounds so it's a sacrifice I don't mind in the overall sound.
Leaving the tone knob alone and turning the volume down from full on a passive bass also affects tone and I like the way they interact better than full on, although this particular bass sounds the best of all my passives full on.
Most of my basses are PJ, VBT & VVT both, and the ones I have modified all have a push/pull tone cap with different values to suit the pups. On those I will sometimes go full on tone with the lower value cap but most of the time even that is dialed back a little.
I generally prefer a bit darker sound coming from the bass going into a mid forward EQ on the amp. Most actives I find when I find a good setting with good bite, it also brings with it unwanted sounds so it's a sacrifice I don't mind in the overall sound.
Ric5
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