• 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.

What’s my control scheme here?

Obese Chess

Obese Chess

You Guys Are Getting Paid?
Supporting Member
Sep 4, 2005
4,713
5,595
Portland, OR
#1
Hi all,

I have an old Fernandes FRB with Passive PJ controls. I have had it for many years and it occurs to me I don’t know what the controls DO. I assume it’s volume, volume, tone, but the “tone” knob doesn’t appear to do much of anything. Maybe blend? I don’t know.

so I figured I’d ask the experts - here’s the control cavity. Two 250k pots and a third one with 250k and some sort of dark green capacitor. What am I working with here?

61A18ED1-BBE2-463B-AE0D-77A4B4228B53.jpeg


D163E677-E0EC-4B77-BF4E-8D8439F242AD.jpeg
 
#4
Cool. I love how this bass sounds but I think I'd prefer volume, volume, blend? Maybe Volume, tone, blend? I dunno. I got three spots to fill up in that control cavity. What do we think? I usually just run everything full-on.
 
Last edited:
#5
On a J bass the VVT arrangement can be nice because of the way the pickups interact but I’ve never found it to work as well with a P/J.

If you’re planning to keep the bass passive you might prefer a volume/blend/tone arrangement. Also, check to make sure your tone control is actually working!
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Bebop and Obese Chess
#8
Obese Chess said:
Cool. I love how this bass sounds but I think I'd prefer volume, volume, blend? Maybe Volume, tone, blend? I dunno. I got three spots to fill up in that control cavity. What do we think? I usually just run everything full-on.
Click to expand...
Volume volume blend would be redundant.

It sounds to me like either the tone pot is going bad or maybe there's a loose joint somewhere in the circuit connecting the tone knob.

Personally, if I wanted to experiment with tones I would drill a fourth hole and add a Varitone-type control to select different capacitors.
 
  • Like
Reactions: danielnorris, MonetBass and Obese Chess
#9
Zooberwerx said:
Got room for a 9v battery in the control cavity? The Fernandes proprietary pickups (FGI?), both passive and active, really jump-to-life when paired with an Audere preamp.

Riis
Click to expand...

I might, though it would be a very tight squeeze. The pickups aren't labeled as anything other than having "Fernandes" on the pickup covers. Regarding the Audere, is there a way to bypass that? I ask because in current, passive form, this is the best-sounding passive bass I have ever heard and I do not want to mess with that. I may not even change anything in the process of shielding the control cavity. But I am open to tinkering, of course. :)

ardgedee said:
Volume volume blend would be redundant.

It sounds to me like either the tone pot is going bad or maybe there's a loose joint somewhere in the circuit connecting the tone knob.

Personally, if I wanted to experiment with tones I would drill a fourth hole and add a Varitone-type control to select different capacitors.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I realized that VVB was redundant after I hit send, haha! No loose solder joints, everything is nice and tight. Very possible that after 30-ish years the tone pot has gone bad, I suppose, or maybe I'm so used to active pickups and P-basses that the difference is just too subtle for me. Thank you for the input!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Misfit toys and ardgedee
#10
Obese Chess said:
I might, though it would be a very tight squeeze. The pickups aren't labeled as anything other than having "Fernandes" on the pickup covers. Regarding the Audere, is there a way to bypass that? I ask because in current, passive form, this is the best-sounding passive bass I have ever heard and I do not want to mess with that. I may not even change anything in the process of shielding the control cavity. But I am open to tinkering, of course. :)



Yeah, I realized that VVB was redundant after I hit send, haha! No loose solder joints, everything is nice and tight. Very possible that after 30-ish years the tone pot has gone bad, I suppose, or maybe I'm so used to active pickups and P-basses that the difference is just too subtle for me. Thank you for the input!
Click to expand...

No, there's no bypass. Not needed as your pickups will sound as they did...only better. Audere has a real neat way of introducing the blend function and "loading" the individual pups. Both my Fernandes (APB 5's) have 'em.

Riis
 
  • Like
Reactions: Obese Chess
#11
Obese Chess said:
It is working, but it's a very, very subtle difference.
Click to expand...
Bear in mind that the tone control doesn't boost anything. The lower your turn it the more it cuts the highs. It can't boost the bass, just cuts the highs. If you can't notice how much darker your sound gets by turning the tone knob down, you probably need to replace that pot.

I normally dime the VVT controls on my passive Jazz and then dial in a little low-mids at either 250Hz or 500Hz. From that point I can make my Jazz sound darker by playing closer to the neck or really bright by plucking over the bridge pickup. You can adjust your sound anywhere between those two extremes just by moving your plucking hand back and forth between those extremes. If your sound is a little too dark, move your plucking position back about an inch towards the bridge and see how that sounds. Adjust as needed.

The deal with running both Volume controls all the way up is that it turns those two single coil pickups of a passive Jazz into humbuckers eliminating the 60Hz hum you hear when it's quiet and you have them set at different volumes. Not sure how that would work with PJ pickups. The P pickup is a humbucker by itself because each of those split pickups is wound backwards to the other one - kills that hum. So not sure if that would help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clutchcargo
#13
ardgedee said:
Volume volume blend would be redundant.

It sounds to me like either the tone pot is going bad or maybe there's a loose joint somewhere in the circuit connecting the tone knob.

Personally, if I wanted to experiment with tones I would drill a fourth hole and add a Varitone-type control to select different capacitors.
Click to expand...

If it has two separate pick ups, it wouldn’t be redundant. REF: Fender Jazz Bass.
 
#19
Zooberwerx said:
No, there's no bypass. Not needed as your pickups will sound as they did...only better.
Click to expand...

Only problem there is that some players still want to have the option to switch to passive mode.

Audere’s preamp employs an active mixer design which precludes the option to just switch it out like you can with some other preamps. I myself can’t see why you would ever want to bypass an Audere preamp if you have one (and I’ll confess I’m a big fan of Audere preamps) since they bring so much to the party. And yes, it’s true that centering the EQ on an Audere gives you your pure pickup tone anyway. But for some players, the absence of a bypass option is still going to be a dealbreaker.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Zooberwerx
#20
Obese Chess said:
Hi all,

I have an old Fernandes FRB with Passive PJ controls. I have had it for many years and it occurs to me I don’t know what the controls DO. I assume it’s volume, volume, tone, but the “tone” knob doesn’t appear to do much of anything. Maybe blend? I don’t know.

so I figured I’d ask the experts - here’s the control cavity. Two 250k pots and a third one with 250k and some sort of dark green capacitor. What am I working with here?

View attachment 4403633

View attachment 4403636
Click to expand...
Volume volume tone
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back