They used stack knobs in the eighties and nineties also, Urge, Urge Standard, Urge 2, Prodigy, Vintage reissues and maybe some I don't remember 
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Why /when did Fender stop using stack knobs on their basses
- Thread starter cnltb
- Start date
I have been led to believe the change occurred in December '61, but early '62 stacked knobs exist because Fender wasted nothing and used the existing inventory!
Danelectros had them, too; and they still do. Yes, the wiring under the pickguard on my DC Pro is a little..busy, shall we say? And the knobs themselves are kind of a pain, too. If they're not positioned just right on the shafts, and locked just so, you wind up adjusting things you didn't want to adjust. Which may be another reason Fender did away with them.
Funny that you never see one for sale anywhere. I've never seen one, known anyone who had one, or heard of a vintage guitar dealer who had one. They must be rare as hens teeth.
I'd find it hard to believe that it would be due to difficulty in wiring. Look at their Jaguar guitars! It's absolute chaos in there, but they still make them just like that.
My guess would be poor output or lack of interest. Personally, I love the look of the stack knobs, but I feel like the lack of them being used much since 61-62 is due to some factor besides cost or complication.
If it was truly better, you'd see a hell of a lot more of that configuration around... that's all I'm sayin'
My guess would be poor output or lack of interest. Personally, I love the look of the stack knobs, but I feel like the lack of them being used much since 61-62 is due to some factor besides cost or complication.
If it was truly better, you'd see a hell of a lot more of that configuration around... that's all I'm sayin'
I've never played one, but I suspect it was due to excessive interaction between the two tone controls, but that's just a guess.
Those stacked knob setups were horrid. If you wanted isolated tone controls, you had to sacrifice output to get them. That aside, there are some opinion-based reasons that VVT can be seen by some as the superior setup. First off, concentric pots aren't great. Some people frequently turn the wrong knob by accident, or turn both when they mean to only turn one. Second, it's debatable how much of an improvement two tone controls really are, over just one. It sounds good on paper, but sometimes it just isn't as versatile or practical as it might seem. Third, both in that time period, and the present day, the use of concentric pots places limitations on the options you have for knobs. AFAIK, early VVT Jazzes had plastic knobs, which were probably cheaper to manufacture than chromed knobs with knurling.
when did fender stop selling jazz stack knobs (plastic jazz style, not the two tone 62 era ones)
ive been looking for 2 sets in the UK for years, and importing from a USA seller is my only option at the moment..... and its working out at about $60-$70
ive only played a friends 62' RI and it seemed ok..... no issues with the pots, but i can see why people prefer vvt
ive been looking for 2 sets in the UK for years, and importing from a USA seller is my only option at the moment..... and its working out at about $60-$70
ive only played a friends 62' RI and it seemed ok..... no issues with the pots, but i can see why people prefer vvt
When asked, Jaco always said that he changed the stacked knob on his '60 fretted bass to the 3 knob was because the it was louder. I almost bought a Aug '61 J bass years ago, and it had the v/v/t.
Bassically, Michael
Bassically, Michael
Yes they did. I am however interested in when they originally stopped using them-should have made that clear from the start, I suppose.They used stack knobs in the eighties and nineties also, Urge, Urge Standard, Urge 2, Prodigy, Vintage reissues and maybe some I don't remember
I think an electronician at Fender's threw a look into the cavity, got a seizure from it and decided to give the bass proper guts.
I owned a white 1962 Jazz that was V/V/T, Slab, and black ink stamped neck.
I sold it a decade ago. I can guarantee you that it's sitting on a stand right this moment in the office of the same collector I sold it to.
I sold it a decade ago. I can guarantee you that it's sitting on a stand right this moment in the office of the same collector I sold it to.
There are all sorts of stacked knob setups used today, from a host of different guitar manufacturers and after-market preamp suppliers. How lame is it when someone can't figure out how to "turn the right knob"?
How lame it is... Well, I've seen some experienced performers try to adjust a knob while playing, and twirl the wrong one. And I found that my odds of doing likewise, as a non-experienced non-performer, were rather large.
On the other hand, I always liked the 2-Volume/2-Tone setup, as on Les Pauls; one of my favorite tones was to have the neck pickup on full treble, and the bridge pickup on full bass tone (using both pickups, of course).
On the other hand, I always liked the 2-Volume/2-Tone setup, as on Les Pauls; one of my favorite tones was to have the neck pickup on full treble, and the bridge pickup on full bass tone (using both pickups, of course).
Right?
If I were to have such a problem I'd find my Ric's 4-knob and toggle switch setup to be more confusing than my Jaguar's stacked knobs, but...nope, never turned the wrong knob on either bass.
Then again, maybe four strings is too many for some people, too. Might strum the wrong one!
Like I said before; not so much a matter of turning the wrong knob, as it is of turning them both, whether you want to or not. Which will happen, if they're not adjusted just right on the shafts. That's not too hard to do; it's keeping them that way that can be a problem.
