Why aren't Jazz basses wired Volume-Balance-Tone?

[J Wilson]

I'm no JB purist, so mine does have the VBT setup, and whatever it doesn't do, I could care less. It suits me and sounds great, it was simply beyond aggravating turning up and down two volume pots. All passive with CTS and Fender Yosemites.

 

[zubrycky]

Nice idea!

 

[alack]

Was a blend pot even an option in 1960? Were any manufacturers offering a blend control? If it wasn’t a thing at the time that would explain why Leo didn’t do it.

I’m just glad he went VVT and dropped the concentric knobs.

 

[Will_White]

The J has only three main tones: neck pup full and bridge pup off, neck pup off and bridge pup full, and both pups full. All the other micro variations can be heard only by the player. So, VVT or VBT doesn’t matter.

Yeah I've switched most things to switches on my basses, either Selector/Kill/Tone or individual toggles. I usually add a Series/Parallel switch too.

 

[Monkey]

This explains why I've never been able to achieve a 'blend' with jazz bass pickups when one is at 100% volume and the opposite is at any volume other than 100% - The tone simply reverts to the loudest pickup, i.e. 100% bridge and (for e.g.) 75% neck is actually all bridge; and 100% neck and (for e.g.) 75% bridge is actually all neck. I've never understood guys who say, for example, "favorite setting is 100% neck and 50% bridge", because for me it's never worked that way. 100% neck and 50% bridge is all neck.

This was my experience, too. Many years ago, I got tired of messing with VVT on my Jazz, so I put in a blend. It seemed to work like a pickup selector switch, although I was able to get a bit of a difference with a very slight roll either way, as ToddB1963 described. I seem to remember knowledgeable posters on TB back then saying that active blend works way better than passive.

I've been using a 3-way toggle with master volume and tone for many years now and much prefer it to passive blend, even though it is somewhat limiting.

 

[ZedLepp]

I think Leo had it right when he first did the jazz bass. V/T, V/T using concentric pots.

 

[mr80htz]

Honestly, VVT is really the same result as VBT. I have basses with both but I do have a preference for VBT...it's quicker to get the tone I want...and I don't think the hum is quite the same with a blend pot. But you can't hear the hum live anyways

 

[BuddhaFingas]

With BVT, the signal from each pickup has to pass through two pots.

With VVT, it only passes through one.

Simpler electrically. Lower loss, arguably.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I congratulate those that can blend 10% of the bridge or whatever. To me, the blend pot (or dual volumes) sounds like a toggle switch. Dual volumes can sound different by setting both to, say, 70% or whatever. That's effectively changing the value of the pots used in the circuit making it deeper.

 

[M.R. Ogle]

I switch my Jazz basses to Master Volume, Master Tone and a series/parallel switch. I'm a simple man.

I dislike both VVT and VBT.

 

[CallMeAl]

I tried VBT cause I thought I’d like the master, but it just didn’t sound the same. Hard to describe, but muddy?

Lately though I’ve been into running my 2 pickup guitars and basses wide open (tone knob to taste) and adjusting volume at the amp.

 

[Ekulati]

I have one bass with VVT and another with VBT.

Both get me to where I want to be.

I don't see downsides in either.

The downside of VVT is, volume being arguably more critical than tone, if you're mid song and you need to go up or down, quickly, you have to adjust TWO knobs, not one.

 

[KidAmnesia]

With a balance pot you can't run up your bridge and leave it while you add in some neck. As the neck increases the bridge decreases.

That's not how, at least the balance pot in my bass, works. It has a click in the center where both pickups are at full volume (no load at all from the balance pot) and to either side one of the pickups remains full on while the other decreases. So, if you turn it all the way tothe right you have bridge only and you can gradually turn it to the right to add any ammount of neck you want till you get to the center click where you have both pickups full as with normal jbass vith both volumes dimed. Past that center click to the right, neck pu remains full while the bridge pu is filtered out. Its a stacked cts balance pot.

Both wiring options have their pros and cons but the difference is rather minimal once you get used to it.

 

[Chickenwheels]

It’s never bothered me. I run a Jazz with both Vol at 80% and Tone 30-80%. I’ll fiddle at bit for more bridge (burp) or neck (P tone). Like every Fender design, it’s just a fiddle-til-it’s-good, never maxing anything out, everything interactive situation.
The best controls I’ve encountered for a Jazz bass are the Roscoe Beck controls. With these each component operates more independently from the others.

 

[Thegreatzambini]

To me the blend pot seems to be the perfect marriage between a 2 volume and a three-way pick up selector switch

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Seems like a pain in the butt to try to sort a tone with the relative level of each pickup and set an overall volume at the same time.

Why not have them with a master volume and a balance pot instead? Wouldn't it be easier?

i have a VVT with my PBj.I have a VBT on my Warwick. I have no preference.

 

[Snert]

Why not have them with a master volume and a balance pot instead?

Requires 4 pots. Leo was cheap.

 

[Herrick]

Has anyone hear ever done a comparison between a Jazz Bass with VVT & one with VBT? If so, was there any significant difference in the sound?

 

[bogwart]

Toggle-switch PU-selector is all I really need.

when I bought my mustang it had the three way toggle switch and it was pretty terrible. The switch was defective (many others had the same issue) and I replaced it with the stacked V/T/V/T Blend configuration. That is so much more effective IMO.

 

[Will_White]

The downside of VVT is, volume being arguably more critical than tone, if you're mid song and you need to go up or down, quickly, you have to adjust TWO knobs, not one.

If you need to change volume quickly use your fingers and if that's not enough use the two volumes to your advantage change to make the change more pronounced.