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

[Cover Band Dad]

Up until last week, tone was at 0 because I have a late 90s mim j bass with two short pickups that didn’t hum cancel. Buzz was terrible and stock pickups were awful. Didn’t play it much. Just installed bartolini 9j1s and now I keep tone at 80% It’s a different bass now and sounds great!

 

[tri2bob]

I too, use my tone knobs all the time depending on the song. Typically I move my blend first to add more or less bridge pickup for treble and cutting vs thump. I don't often use my bass set at 3/4, but use my mid knob to add or reduce treble when I need more than the blend can do and I have my treble off nearly all the time except when I slap. Just what I do and it works for me. Seems odd to always have the preamp cranked to me.

 

[RobbieNuke]

I might roll-off some treble when I put new strings on.

 

[Aladinsane1969]

I mess with mine all the time... all over the place depending on the song (and my mood that day)...

What you said.

 

[rtslinger]

my vote Rolled off 50%, all the time (ROUNDWOUNDS)
Classic Rock covers

 

[Furutan]

Tone knobs? For almost all Jazz Basses, it is tone knob. Singular tone knob. With the exception of the few J Basses with dual concentric knobs.

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I'm not a big fan of the business of having two volume knobs. Too fiddly for me. I have a friend who had his rewired with volume, fader and tone. I don't know how it was wired to get both pups full-on.

 

[crucislancer]

It varies for me, but most of the time I run the tone knob at about 80% with various combinations of volume, usually neck p/u at 100% and bridge p/u backed off just a bit.

 

[garethbarnes]

As many have said, it depends on the song /genre. I have a Fender Jazz fretless with flat/tape wounds and run the bridge pup on full most of the time plus a bit of neck. I run the tone knob about half. More to really cut through. It's a lifetime job. Never happy! Depends if I want to sound like John Paul Jones or Jaco.

 

[nick verbic]

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'm always adjusting the tone on my Jazz bass depending on the song we're playing....

 

[JimChjones]

Tone control completely removed. Replaced with a two position rotary switch for pickups in/out of phase. Considering putting in a 3 position switch to add pickups in series to the mix.

 

[stevieg]

Depends entirely on the song. I really can't answer your poll as of yet. I never play all the time on just one setting.

Hey twinjet, I totally agree. I change the tone knob setting on my bass very often. Including within the same tune. It makes a difference in attack and tone color.

stevieg

 

[wluffman]

I play a passive three-knob Jazz with (usually) flats and I don't change the tone much once I've dialed it in, except for songs that require a different tone. But there are always songs (or styles of music) that require something a little different. And as noted in another's post, changing the blend of the two pickups affects tone considerably. The controls are there to customize the sound, but that doesn't have to mean constant twiddling of knobs -- unless you want to.

 

[Basshappi]

Blend sucks, VVT all the way!
I vary the controls (all of them) on my Jazz all the time in order to take advantage of the amazing array of tones that are available. That's why they are there.

 

[BluelEyedlDevil]

I just set mine to "stun".

 

[H. Bob]

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 dial in whatever sounds best in the room. I never play wide open on either my active bass or passive. Ditto for volume.

Here's a trick: play the harmonics on 4th and then 5th fret harmonics. Dial your knobs so that they sound about equal in volume in that particular room. This balancing act may involve both pickups AND amp EQ.

 

[Kokoman]

Eliminated the whole JB thinness , buzzing,and VVT confusion by R/R the passive stock Fender pups with active EMG 18volt system with a total tone expander in place of the tone pot and get monsterous tones . No need to look further.

 

[coolfunk]

everything on 10.....

 

[4sight]

Tone knob? What tone knob?

(It is described as Fender Mark Hoppus Jazz for some reason, despite the P pickups and neck that says "Precision" on the headstock).

 

[LkS]

All the way up everything with roundwounds. Though I like to fake a P-Bass every once in a while by rolling the bridge pickup back on my J.
(off topic: the Hoppus above is not a Jazz Bass ... and neither is the new Flea Frankenstein ... get it together Fender!)

 

[bassdude51]

I'm not a big fan of the business of having two volume knobs. Too fiddly for me. I have a friend who had his rewired with volume, fader and tone. I don't know how it was wired to get both pups full-on.

The Bourns blend pot or fader pot has a center indent for knowing where both pickups are on full.