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Who decided this was a good idea? (w/ poll!)

What's your thought on this switch trend?

  • I love the switches, fast toggling between tones is more important than finite control

    Votes: 127 40.8%
  • I hate the switches, give me back V/V/T or a fader knob

    Votes: 184 59.2%

  • Total voters
    311
I don't like the tone I get from blending pickups so I actually prefer switches because they completely isolate each pickup electronically from each other. But I like to use unusual pickup combinations that won't blend nicely even if I wanted them to, like a P-bass pickup in the middle position and a gold foil or a vintage spec 30k mudbucker in the neck position.

However, I would never install a switch in THAT position. I also don't like that particular type of switch. Poor unreliable design IMO (especially if the use the cheaper types). And when I do install switches I usually use 2-way switches (slide switches or miniature switches). I only want neck OR middle pickup, I don't like blended pickups or bridge pickups. No need for a 3-way switch.

But I know I'm in a minority here. :)
 
upload_2023-11-16_17-3-13.png


Why decide?

Vol/Vol (stacked) /Tone with 3 way rotary, (I kept bumping the lever out of position.)

3 way rotary switch good photo.jpg


It's my standard PJ configuration:

V-V-T Switch.jpg
 
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View attachment 5253564

Why decide?

Vol/Vol (stacked) /Tone with 3 way rotary, (I kept bumping the lever out of position.)

View attachment 5253567

Now that is a cool solution.

Personally, I'd be happy with a 3-way switch (shoot me). 90% of the time I'm using bridge only, neck only, or both. I'd be happy to lose some nuance on stage in exchange for being able to quickly get it set correctly before the next song starts. It's not like the audience would know the difference. And 1 volume knob makes it way easier to adjust my overall output on stage. Of course, I'm too lazy to modify my J bass for this purpose so I will just accept my VVT and shut up :P
 
My objection to that switch is that it would probably get in the way of my hands when I'm slapping.

I like my knobs are close to the bridge end of the body as possible, so they don't get in the way when I'm doing chords, strums, slapping close to the neck.

VVT is my ideal setup (VBT doesn't do it for me), but I admit that VVT is not ideal for doing volume swells. I can, but I need to finagle a little.
 
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When I was in Junior High, I was envious of my Brother’s Mockingbird. It had enough switches and knobs to launch an ICBM and the control cavity looked like the Sinclair computer my Dad had put together. In my older days, now, I’m happy with push-pull pots, but also fine with simple VVT.
 
I don't hate the switch per se on my Mustang P/J but I hate the location it's in. Can't explain how I manage to do it, but I've knocked it into a different position while playing more than once. I prefer VVT, but I'm OK with a switch - location notwithstanding.

Oh ... and I had to replace the original switch it came with after the first few months of buying brand new. I've read quite a few others here on TB had the same experience. The switch in mine is now a Switchcraft.
 
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Finishing up my eb0 mods (ya right my mod brain says). Neck swapped for reissue guild bisonic and added a novak h22 in middle. Swapping out 12way varitone w vol only for 6 way that has stacked vol/tone. Have switch for pickup. Now my mod brain is going to want to try a blend. Lol. Pot/output cavity full so had to put switch on lower horn.

20230129_164214.jpg
 
My current basses came with knobs. I like the knobs. Come to think of if, all of my basses have had knobs...no switches. I don't feel wanting for it. I dial my tone in with the knobs. If I need to make quick changes, I'll set custom EQ curves or effects on my board. Fine tuning occurs on the bass if required. If I had to have a switch on my basses, I'd likely go for a momentary kill switch if anything and just can't bring myself to approve the required drilling. Maybe on a free beater test mule...
 
I think you should feel bad about posting an invalid and carrot free poll.

But for what it's worth I have a 3 way pickup selector and individual passive tone circuits for each pickup on my parts bass. Oh and a master volume.

So I can dial in the specific single-tone tones I want and switch between them.
If I'm changing tone to add more beef during the guitar solo I'm not messing with trying to dial in a blending knob.
 
I can think of no situation where I've ever needed to change pickups so quickly that I needed a switch - especially when you give up the ability to blend vs fixed settings.
Especially on a PJ, where my least favorite tone is both pickups on full.

I have IV & V Roscoe Becks. Great basses, but I'm limited to the available tones - and can't get my favorite settings. (until I get around to modding them);).
 
I build all my basses with a 3-way switch, master volume, master tone with two humbuckers. I’ve tried other configurations, but I find this the best for me, especially for live playing. I use passive pickups and a blend knob didn’t really blend and acted more like a switch.

This configuration is definitely limiting, but for some reason, I prefer having a few quick-to-access options. I use the neck pickup alone most of the time, followed by the both, then bridge alone the least.

Looks like I’m in the minority…..