VVT tone pot going on PJ -- taking suggestions

[StatesideRambler]

Just what does the TB gang think "varitone" means? I've encountered at least four quite distinct things called varitone or Varitone(R).

 

[cheechi]

from the top google result
Mod Garage: Varitone Wiring, Reloaded and Extended | Premier Guitar

The original Varitone is a rotary switch with five different caps: 1000 pF, 3000 pF, 0.01 µF, 0.03 µF, and 0.22 µF. The first switching position is bypass, and each cap is paired with a 10M resistor. There’s also a 1.5H choke as an inductor.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

Their ranges aren't high enough for the application.
I also think the higher the range, the larger they get. The last time I saw a variable capacitor it was huge:

View attachment 3009560

This one only goes to 38 pF, that's 0.000038 uF

Just what does the TB gang think "varitone" means? I've encountered at least four quite distinct things called varitone or Varitone(R).

I thought it was a bunch of caps tied together on one end, splayed across a 12-way switch on the other.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I thought it was a bunch of caps tied together on one end, splayed across a 12-way switch on the other.

What KBD pictured for us is a variable capacitor. Not to be confused with the different iterations of vari-tone devices.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

testing the limits of the J control cavity
I started out with the same questions about using a varitone vs other options for tone values. Varitone I think is a poor choice for bass because many basses I play sound best to me at neither full on or off tone, nor at full vol, but somewhere in between. I do prefer tone fully rolled off for some cap values but not others. I personally like to pick cap values that complements the strings I am using (I like darker for flats brighter for rounds). I settled on two cap values, and the option to bypass the tone knob completely.

As a veteran of tens of component upgrades I can say with absolute 'internet expertise' VVT is the best kind of wiring for passive instruments. Strats should be VVVT, LP should be VVT, It's just the best. From there, add whatever switching you want, like a push/push on/off on each vol knob, series/parallel, tone bypass, basically you can do almost everything while adding minimal extra switches and knobs on most instruments. No need to overcome the limits of the selector switches on the strat (no neck/bridge) or LP (both vol knobs have to be on) it would simplify everything.

In all seriousness, VVT is the king of KISS. Start with that, or BVT if that's your liking, and then complicate it from there.

Thanks for the opinion! I completely agree about the useful range of the tone knob, which for me is within about two notches short of off, but of course that is one of the things I don't like about it--I would like it to be useful over its entire range, not ugly over 80% of its travel. I think a "switch and blend" might get me where I want to go. I believe Pops OB suggested this, and flats, waaay back there?

Or maybe a huge, radio-servo-controlled, off-board variable capacitor. Just run the wires right through the frnt.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

What KBD pictured for us is a variable capacitor. Not to be confused with the different iterations of vari-tone devices.

I thought the question was unconnected to the quote.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I thought the question was unconnected to the quote.

I saw the pic of the variable cap as one of the quotes tied in with the 12 way switch comment.
I dunno, disconnected? Probably. Didn't mean nothin by it. Can I buy ya a drink?

 

[bass71]

One volume, one tone, 3 way switch.

I did this to my VM Squier PJ which never sounded right with the original blend pot. I now get a totally pure growly P bass tone and clean burpy Jazz bridge PU tone. The middle setting is kinda meh...slightly scooped and a bit soft sounding which I've no interest in at all.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

I saw the pic of the variable cap as one of the quotes tied in with the 12 way switch comment.
I dunno, disconnected? Probably. Didn't mean nothin by it. Can I buy ya a drink?

Not a criticism--I was trying to explain my own unconnected reply. I'm not good at this!

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Not a criticism--I was trying to explain my own unconnected reply. I'm not good at this!

Let's be bad, together.

 

[bigtone23]

I agree that the VVT is a pretty damn good way to go. It works really well on a J bass, especially with linear taper volumes to get finer blends.
However, P/J basses just don't blend as well as a regular J (to my ears). The P pickup is almost always having to be lowered and the J raised to balance volumes. The pickups are different enough that they also sound kinda funky when blended. That said, I tend to use P/J basses as an enhanced P. The P pickup is 100% pretty much all the time with occasional 50/50 blends with the bridge PU for that scooped, quasi Jazz Bass tone. The 3 way switch makes a lot of sense on a P/J. You can then switch to the soloed P pickup and have it not loaded down by another pot.
My 99 US Deluxe P has the double J bridge PU and it blends with the P pickup rather well. That is probably in part to some smart engineering and in part having the active preamp buffering the pickups.
My Peavey Forum Plus with active P and J PUs just doesn't sound as full, it has wackier and sharper comb effects when blending. It's getting a passive makeover with Wilde P46/J45, an ungrounded, no load 250K M/N taper blend and 500K Vol and Tones. I was going to get a switch, but found the blend pot in my parts drawer. The no load mod with ungrounded wiring is just as isolated as a switch when set to the extremes of it's range.