Can someone explain the benefit of keeping your instrument volume at 90% as opposed to fully open? I’ve heard people espouse this technique with no real explanation.
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Volume at 90%
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I do it all the time, just to have the possibility to add an extra HMPFH if needed in some section/song. Nothing to be with tone in my case.
With Fender PBs and JBs you get less of a trebly tone. Other basses, I just notice less volume. Now depending on how your signal change is managed on the way to the output stage of your amp might change the tone, but as for the output of the bass itself, not so much with other brands. One more thing is there might be less noise from interference with some basses that are not shielded well.
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Main problem with this is if you turn up your bass after sound check, the sound engineer can just lower it again at the board.
Yes, and sound-tech-darwin-bass will so give me full volume and use fingers for dynamics, please.
This is why I dial back the volume on my G&L M-2500 in my bands' performance space, which has an Eden/SWR rig. The Eden head does NOT like my M-2500 at full volume, even with the input pad engaged. As you said, the tone is not affected at all by this, which is an advantage of active electronics.
As many others have said, I keep it lower...maybe 60%-70%, so I have more volume available easily right by my fingers. Plus, I think it just sounds better, to me, not at max.
I've never really understood the mindset of keeping it at max, but I'm not that smart when it comes to these things.
I've never really understood the mindset of keeping it at max, but I'm not that smart when it comes to these things.
This is one reason why I really don't like Jazz style Basses!
To answer the question, I think it's necessary on active basses because the preamp does increase volume quite a bit, especially when things are boosted. I often find myself lowering the volume even below 90% when I'm testing out active basses at music stores. I currently don't own any active basses.
I keep my passive basses at full volume at all times.
I usually play an active bass, so it's not a thing. If I have an amp on stage, I run the bass's volume wide open. If I need more volume I reach for the amp.
If I am running ampless, I might back of the volume a bit so I have some range to turn. Most bands have a bit of volume creep during a gig.
As has been mentioned, rolling back the volume a bit can have an impact on the tone of a passive instrument. While I may like the resulting tone when I play by myself, I find it doesn't work for me in the mix. Back when my #1 was a passive Ric 4001, I ran the tone(s) and bridge volume wide open. I usually backed of the neck pickup a hair to get a more focused sound (I.E. so the sound of the bridge pickup was slightly dominant.)
If I am running ampless, I might back of the volume a bit so I have some range to turn. Most bands have a bit of volume creep during a gig.
As has been mentioned, rolling back the volume a bit can have an impact on the tone of a passive instrument. While I may like the resulting tone when I play by myself, I find it doesn't work for me in the mix. Back when my #1 was a passive Ric 4001, I ran the tone(s) and bridge volume wide open. I usually backed of the neck pickup a hair to get a more focused sound (I.E. so the sound of the bridge pickup was slightly dominant.)
I first heard about this, running the volume at less than full, here at Talkbass a few years ago.
It sounded strange to me, but I tried it, and liked it.
It kind of gives a slightly cleaner signal to the amp without much loss in volume.
I get the best, most noticeable results with my Gibson SG bass, which has Volume/Volume/Tone controls like a Jazz bass.
With both volume controls at max, the bass sounds OK, but it really comes to life when you set one or both volumes to less than full.
When I set the bridge pickup to about 90% and the neck anywhere from 30 to 70%, it gives a nice, creamy Jazz bass-type tone with the amount of fullness
set by the neck pickup's volume.
This is not as noticeable with my other two pickup basses, as they have blend controls.
A trick I didn't know about for 50 years.
Mike
It sounded strange to me, but I tried it, and liked it.
It kind of gives a slightly cleaner signal to the amp without much loss in volume.
I get the best, most noticeable results with my Gibson SG bass, which has Volume/Volume/Tone controls like a Jazz bass.
With both volume controls at max, the bass sounds OK, but it really comes to life when you set one or both volumes to less than full.
When I set the bridge pickup to about 90% and the neck anywhere from 30 to 70%, it gives a nice, creamy Jazz bass-type tone with the amount of fullness
set by the neck pickup's volume.
This is not as noticeable with my other two pickup basses, as they have blend controls.
A trick I didn't know about for 50 years.
Mike
I call that creamy tone my "velvet" setting.
Just recently discovered this myself on my jazz bass. These pickups interact in strange ways,
Because of this I'm not sure I understand the difference between low mids, mids and high mids.
When I use 90% neck and 70% bridge the g string is not as shrill as usual. (and I like it).
I know the highs have been reduced but am I hearing an increase moreso in low mids or "mid"mids?
I can't really say the bridge vol adds or takes away highs because the interaction with neck pickup seems to be non linear.
This is the only reason I know of wanting to do this (though it works better with guitar when you're playing straight through an amp with with a slightly distorted tone and want to clean it up a bit mid-song or for a different song).
I get the need to want to dime everything, but volume and tone knobs (in addition to playing technique) can be useful for altering dynamics and making tone changes without having to stop to fidget with amp controls or pedals.
Ummm...
So you can adjust your dynamics right there on the instrument rather than having to turn around/lean down/wave at the sound guy?
Seems kinda obvious to me. But then I'm late to electric bass; all the instruments I've played for the last 55 years you adjust loud/soft right there at the instrument by how loud/soft you play them.
So you can adjust your dynamics right there on the instrument rather than having to turn around/lean down/wave at the sound guy?
Seems kinda obvious to me. But then I'm late to electric bass; all the instruments I've played for the last 55 years you adjust loud/soft right there at the instrument by how loud/soft you play them.
