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Wiring Straight to The Jack... What Should I Expect?

#21
GlennW said:
A less subtle approach, '62-'63 Bartolini.
Click to expand...

I love those old instruments!

I play active basses because they have the same advantage as bypassing your controls, will still having controls. :)

I hardly ever use the volume knob, except to mute the bass, but I use the tone controls all the time.

I've been playing my pickup "tester" bass with one pickup wired right to a jack a lot lately.
 
#22
da_s_man said:
So to wire it straight to the jack you do exactly that....solder all wires to the jack? Does the ground also go onto the jack aswell?
Click to expand...

It can. I quite often leave in the pots, they fill in the holes. So I often leave the grounds to the backs of the pots. Makes it easier if you ever think you will switch back.

And more often I leave in the volume and only remove the tone. I like to turn down the volume in between sets just in case.
 
#23
DavidRavenMoon said:
I hardly ever use the volume knob, except to mute the bass, but I use the tone controls all the time.
Click to expand...

Same here, and that's what got me interested in trying different things.

The V is always on 10, so why have it? I had the common misconception that the V all the up would sound the same as no V pot...wrong.

That's also why I like caps on a rotary switch. It's a little more work, but well worth it IME.

The bigger caps make the bass appear quieter, but the right hand can compensate, and if it can't there's usually at least one V knob on the amp.
 
#26
GlennW said:
Same here, and that's what got me interested in trying different things.

The V is always on 10, so why have it? I had the common misconception that the V all the up would sound the same as no V pot...wrong.
Click to expand...

Just having the pot in the circuit puts what ever value the pot is across the signal to ground.

Most of my basses are active, so it doesn't affect the tone.
 
#27
da_s_man said:
So to wire it straight to the jack you do exactly that....solder all wires to the jack? Does the ground also go onto the jack aswell?
Click to expand...

solder your hot line off the pickup onto the positive lead on the jack, then solder the ground onto the negative lead on the jack, as well as a connection to the bridge to complete the ground. three wires, pretty simple.

I've wired two p-basses and a fretless jazz this way, and i like the extra punch it gives them. As has been said already in this thread, the differences are subtle, but still noticeable.
 

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#30
Since I'm here, I may as well give an update.

After some experimentation my final observation is that leaving out the vol and tone pots causes too many highs in my tone. So I went back to the standard, original configuration. Maybe I'll just Crazy Glue those suckers all the way up or something. Just kidding.
 
#33
::::BASSIST:::: said:
Since I'm here, I may as well give an update.

After some experimentation my final observation is that leaving out the vol and tone pots causes too many highs in my tone. So I went back to the standard, original configuration. Maybe I'll just Crazy Glue those suckers all the way up or something. Just kidding.
Click to expand...

I found the same thing. Did you try it with a cap across the jack? Makes a big difference.
 

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