Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Your Jazz Bass settings: static or fluid?
- Thread starter dougjwray
- Start date
Y'all don't hear a difference when you start rolling back the volume on one pickup with the other on full? I'm genuinely surprised this is a subject of debate. It's quite audible on my bass (stack knob setup FWIW). The neck down just a touch is perfect - it adds a little midrange cut to the two-pickup sound.
My usual jazz bass recipe is:
Neck: 80%
Bridge: 30%
Tone: 5
all slightly adjusted according to venue or song, with a bit of room to move, especially on the bridge pickup.
Neck: 80%
Bridge: 30%
Tone: 5
all slightly adjusted according to venue or song, with a bit of room to move, especially on the bridge pickup.
Wiring that was used on very first JBasses 1960.
https://www.talkbass.com/attachments/img002copy-jpg.2429026/
[URL]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1c/5a/50/1c5a50523375fa1bef7c92a5cbaa66e1.jpg[/URL]
Last edited:
Thanks for that. I knew the early ones had this. Didn’t realise that you could do the conversion.
What advantages do you find?
Agreed.
Another one that I like is:
Neck 100%, Bridge 10%
It just *slightly* smooths out the pseudo-Precision "bark."
Last edited:
I haven't played another jazz bass in years, so I can't really comment on any sonic differences resulting from the stack knob setup versus the typical VVT arrangement. I will say my bass (a 62 AVRI) sounds great, but that isn't necessarily due to the knobs. I'd say the main advantage is it looks cool. The main disadvantage is that's it's harder to adjust the tone (the two tone controls don't work independently when both pickups are on). I've thought about switching to VVT on my bass many times, but I'm lazy and it sounds good now.
I realize is not a new topic for most of y'all, but as a dude just getting into bass semi-seriously -- and using a J bass to do it -- I appreciate the thread.
I am discovering strings matter. I switched out the stock Fender 7250's for some Sunbeams on my Aerodyne Special Jazz. I love the new strings, but finding it tougher to get the sound I want when soloing the neck pick up (and playing near the neck) for Reggae.
I also solo the neck for some occasional P-Bass sounds, but I am mostly both P/Us 100% and fooling around with the tone knob for almost every tune (for better or for worse).
I am discovering strings matter. I switched out the stock Fender 7250's for some Sunbeams on my Aerodyne Special Jazz. I love the new strings, but finding it tougher to get the sound I want when soloing the neck pick up (and playing near the neck) for Reggae.
I also solo the neck for some occasional P-Bass sounds, but I am mostly both P/Us 100% and fooling around with the tone knob for almost every tune (for better or for worse).
When you're playing with a band, your precise tone matters a whole lot less.
I need to remember/learn this. Spent a lot of time the last few days trying to “dial in” a couple of gig tones.
I'm normally a set-and-forget guy, and I'm not usually picky about my tone. As long as I can get something I consider to be a good tone, I'll roll with it. But setting up for this one gig on a boat, I just couldn't find a sound that worked for me. After messing with it for a while, I just had to move on to the other stuff I had to do to set up (I was responsible for lights -- that kept me from having to do anything with the PA). When we started playing, I didn't even notice. Whatever I had, it worked well enough.
Another time, I forgot my HPF. Doing the sound check, the speakers were experiencing a scary amount of excursion, so I cranked down the low bass on the amp. It helped the excursion, but the bass sounded thin... right up until we started playing, and then I stopped noticing. Nobody in the crowd noticed either.
I have not played much VVT Jazzes, so I can’t tell much. I play mostly a ’68 Telecaster Bass.
Its mostly feel: I like the sound, stack pots look cool, I think it is "the wiring" for Jazz Bass. Of coarse you get a tone control for each pickup.
Fender MIA Jazz player here. The stock VVT provides three primary sounds: both pickups on, bridge on with neck off, or neck on with bridge off. There is, at best, maybe 5% worth of wiggle room when rolling down either pickup that will introduce a little bit of mids to the tone before the pickup I’m turning down just shuts completely off.
This feature annoyed me enough that I eventually purchased a John East Retro J to help introduce the flexibility I was looking for in my Jazz. I’ve been toying with the idea of reinstalling the stock wiring and may do so just to see if my opinion has changed.
For those seeing more tonal variety of sound with the stock VVT, I’d be curious to know the make, model, and year. Seeing some under-the-hood photos of the wiring could be interesting, too.
This feature annoyed me enough that I eventually purchased a John East Retro J to help introduce the flexibility I was looking for in my Jazz. I’ve been toying with the idea of reinstalling the stock wiring and may do so just to see if my opinion has changed.
For those seeing more tonal variety of sound with the stock VVT, I’d be curious to know the make, model, and year. Seeing some under-the-hood photos of the wiring could be interesting, too.
I use Jazz Basses, both 4’s and 5’s, for 95% of my current gigs, which are generally cover gigs. The material on the playlists was mostly recorded with either P or J basses; and I tend to dial in whatever pickup blend I think best suits the particular tune. I should say that I use Sadowsky preamps, either onboard or outboard; and those are a big part of the sound.
There are some interesting twists. For example, I can cop Mel Schacher’s vibe best with the plectrum and the pickups dialed towards the neck pickup.
A bunch of the classic P Rockers (Eagles etc) and Country material sound best to me with palm muting, either plectrum or thumb; and I’m most satisfied with that sound with the pan close to balanced, just favoring the neck pickup.
Slapped parts are either dialed towards the neck pickup or near balanced, depending on what kind of vibe I’m after. Who’s Making Love is mainly neck pickup, The Best is both full on.
I shift towards the bridge pickup for harmonics and for staccato parts. Where do I use those? Well, I cover the intro harmonics on Mary Jane’s last dance, because neither guitarist does that; then switching to neck pickup for the main part. And, I use the staccato thing in the choruses of Country Girl Shake It. Etc.
Jazz Basses are very versatile. I don’t really have “a” sound. I have many sounds.
There are some interesting twists. For example, I can cop Mel Schacher’s vibe best with the plectrum and the pickups dialed towards the neck pickup.
A bunch of the classic P Rockers (Eagles etc) and Country material sound best to me with palm muting, either plectrum or thumb; and I’m most satisfied with that sound with the pan close to balanced, just favoring the neck pickup.
Slapped parts are either dialed towards the neck pickup or near balanced, depending on what kind of vibe I’m after. Who’s Making Love is mainly neck pickup, The Best is both full on.
I shift towards the bridge pickup for harmonics and for staccato parts. Where do I use those? Well, I cover the intro harmonics on Mary Jane’s last dance, because neither guitarist does that; then switching to neck pickup for the main part. And, I use the staccato thing in the choruses of Country Girl Shake It. Etc.
Jazz Basses are very versatile. I don’t really have “a” sound. I have many sounds.
Last edited:
Depends on the song, at least if you're trying to sound like the actual song.I'm just curious. How many of you Jazz Bass users...
a) Always use one particular pickup selection-- your "signature sound"
b) Set the pickups for the room and leave them there
c) Tweak the pickup choice/blend throughout the gig, maybe even multiple times in each tune
No "I don't like Jazz Basses" responses, please!
