• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Tone loss with longer cables

#41
I was speaking more of what I've found generally in "stock" basses, not what can be done. I have tone pots too, that I have carefully dialed in so I get more usable variation; but when I pick up a bass in the store, or when I purchase one by mail, more often than not the slope of its tone rolloff is quite steep and sudden.
 
#42
bongomania said:
I was speaking more of what I've found generally in "stock" basses, not what can be done. I have tone pots too, that I have carefully dialed in so I get more usable variation; but when I pick up a bass in the store, or when I purchase one by mail, more often than not the slope of its tone rolloff is quite steep and sudden.
Click to expand...

Yeah, cheap pots with poor tapers. Also I don't think audio taper pots work all that well for tone controls.
 
#46
If you dont want to start hacking at your bass you can always just get a boss tu-2/3. It has great buffer in it and its a tuner to. The reason you get tone loss is from having more then 15' of cable. After 15' you start loosing high end. So say you have a 20' cable and a 30' cable and you have a fuzz connecting them. You then have 50' of cable. By placing a buffer between those two cables you'll retain those highs cause you have affectively went from 50' to 20'.
 
#47
thebean said:
If you dont want to start hacking at your bass you can always just get a boss tu-2/3. It has great buffer in it and its a tuner to. The reason you get tone loss is from having more then 15' of cable. After 15' you start loosing high end. So say you have a 20' cable and a 30' cable and you have a fuzz connecting them. You then have 50' of cable. By placing a buffer between those two cables you'll retain those highs cause you have affectively went from 50' to 20'.
Click to expand...

That's a very good suggestion. Any effects pedal that does not have "true bypass' will buffer your signal. Place that after a shorter cable and you are all set.

I don't understand people who get hung up on the hardwired bypass thing. You are always better off having a buffered signal path, especially if you use long cable runs or a lot of pedals.

Years ago some pedals used SPDT switches and always left the input connected, and often the circuit had a less than optimal input impedance, which sucked the high end out of your signal. Now the same thing can happen with an unbuffered pedal board with a lot of "true bypass" pedals.
 
#48
SGD Lutherie said:
That's a very good suggestion. Any effects pedal that does not have "true bypass' will buffer your signal. Place that after a shorter cable and you are all set.

I don't understand people who get hung up on the hardwired bypass thing. You are always better off having a buffered signal path, especially if you use long cable runs or a lot of pedals.
Click to expand...

In my personal experience I've found that there should be a balance between buffered and TB pedals. To many buffers and you start getting signal loss just from them doing there job. You need true bypass to maintain the signal path in small areas and buffered for maintaining it in longer runs. Usually a TU-2/3 will do the job for a full pedalboard, then throw like a DD-7 or even a BBDI or some other pre/di pedal at the end and you'll have the same tone as you would plugged straight into the amp with whatever cord is plugged into the tuner.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back