redstriper

So the vast majority of guitar and bass players including most members of this forum have boring run of the mill fairly crappy instruments and don't even know it. They might look pretty and cost a fortune, but they're still basically rubbish. Wonder where that puts my two main gigging basses - both Tanglewoods, one free from freecycle and the other £23 delivered off ebay?

I got this simple explanation from Manchester guitar guru Steve Robinson - [i]"When you turn the volume down you are effectively changing the pickup's inductance and therefore its resonant frequency. It's possible to fit a resistor in series with the volume control to mimic turning it down, but you would of course lose volume".[/i] It seems the obvious and easiest solution is to keep the volume turned down.

[quote name='Linus27' post='737272' date='Feb 6 2010, 03:01 PM']Here is the Musicman on full bass boost with no mids and no treble played with fingers. [attachment=41932:Musicman...o_Treble.mp3][/quote] Thanks for that - it's not a good sound for me, too much middle and not smooth or warm enough. I hope you find time to play your other basses with solo neck pick up and tone rolled right off. Steve.

It confirms that buying without trying is very risky. This says it all really: "if you're hot to buy a guitar right now, you're gonna get burned. Wait for the right one. Be patient and play a lot of them. You just did the math — you may have to play 50 or 100 to find a real good one. Most people don't have the patience for that. But if you only play ten or 20 in a store, and they all sound about the same, there probably isn't a good one in that batch, because the real good ones will stand out noticeably from the rest. Buyer beware! DRG: All I'll add to that is that if you do find a good one, for God's sake, hang on to it!"

Yes that makes sense - thanks Alan. I am interested in deep fundamental bass with no upper mid or treble.. It is achievable with eq and it is only recently that I noticed how much closer to 'my' sound it was with the volume turned down. I like the idea of a wider ranging tone control taking out more mids as well as tops so I could get the tone I like with the volume on full. Unless someone makes a jazz neck pick up that has a restricted tonal range, concentrated in the lowest frequencies?

[quote name='kennyrodg' post='736532' date='Feb 5 2010, 06:44 PM']Me, I quite like it too, I fitted one on the Spunky Jazz, easy job to do and I like the results.[/quote] I just watched the youtube demo of the redeemer and it seems to do the opposite of what I want. It retains the tone with the volume on full, when you decrease the volume. I want the muted tone with the volume turned down to be retained with the volume on full. Unless I'm missing something............... ?

[quote name='Beedster' post='736489' date='Feb 5 2010, 06:10 PM']Exactly, good reply Alan. There are all sorts of such characteristics with amps and guitars, and the trick is to get to know then and use them. I've always used the volume pot on my Precisions as a form of tone pot, and have always used the interaction of the two pots and a further option. Irrespective of amp gain, I've always felt a Precision sounds sweeter with the vol and tone rolled off a bit. C[/quote] Nobody has ever mentioned using the volume pot to adjust tone as far as I can remember, but it has almost as big an effect as the tone control. The tone just adds top, where the volume increases upper mids and harmonic overtones (as far as I can tell). It's surely not intentional in the production of the instrument - or is it? I've always kept the volume on full, probably as a result of working in studios where it's important to maintain the same volume after session breaks and to get best SNR. I still feel happier with the volume on full and I think I'll try experimenting with amp eq to eliminate the nasty overtones without reducing pup volume. I'm still amazed that I've only just discovered this after all these years - it's like my ears have finally decided to actually listen.

[quote name='AlanP2008' post='736471' date='Feb 5 2010, 05:46 PM']It is not necessarily a flaw - it is certainly a "characteristic", you could even call it a "feature"... It can be changed somewhat by putting a cap across from the "hot" terminal of the volume pot to the wiper, but the value wold be a matter of experiment, and you might well find that as you rolled the volume down past a certain point it actually ended up with all toppiness and no bass... .... you might try to live with it?[/quote] Thanks but I won't be doing any experimental mods, coz it's just not my scene. I have lived with it for 30 years in blissful ignorance and only just discovered this 'feature'. Now I can't stand the tone with the volume on full - I really should get out more!

[quote name='kennyrodg' post='736467' date='Feb 5 2010, 05:44 PM']Could this be the answer perhaps [url="http://www.creationaudiolabs.com/redeemer"]http://www.creationaudiolabs.com/redeemer[/url][/quote] Thanks - that really looks like what I need, has anyone on here tried one of these ?

[quote name='Linus27' post='736179' date='Feb 5 2010, 01:51 PM']If I get chance, I am more than happy to do that. Not sure about the string changes though but the rest I can do [/quote] You are a gentleman sir. BTW - I love the tone of your Warwick. There's a well used passive ash corvette in my local shop for £550 which is a joy to play and sounds great but I can't justify the price. My Tanglewwod Warrior (Corvette copy) is also very nice to play, not such great tone but it was a lot cheaper. Oh, if you get time maybe you could have a look at my thread about jazz pup tone [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=76104&pid=736489&st=0&#entry736489"]here[/url]. All opinions much appreciated. Thanks, Steve.

So is this a flaw with my basses, which could be fixed with some electrical tinkering? Or is it a feature of all jazz bass pups ? My basses are a 1963 Fender jazz and a modern Tanglewood Corvette copy, both with original wiring .

I'd like to hear the same comparison with the neck pups on full, no bridge pup and the tone rolled right off, playing finger style over the 15th fret and with the MM on full bass boost with no mid or treble. I understand if you don't want to do that coz it's not your style, but no one ever demos basses with a reggae tone (probably coz no one is interested except me) . Oh - and would it be too much trouble to change all the strings for well used flatwounds ?

[quote name='acidbass' post='735396' date='Feb 4 2010, 06:51 PM']I've always had a soft spot for the Ashbory basses - they're supposed to sound cracking too despite being so small. Another one to add to the list?[/quote] I've gigged with one many times, it weighs next to nothing and sounds great for what I do. All the tracks [url="http://myspace.com/redstriper"]here[/url] were recorded with one.

Hi Pete, Gad to know I'm not the only UK Flite fan - do you use just one on it's own? I'm thinking of ordering another without the driver to save shipping weight and fitting an Eminence 3015LF, which is the same driver I already have in mine. Steve.

I'm still looking for another 15" cab ..............

[quote name='AlanP2008' post='734748' date='Feb 4 2010, 08:52 AM']I think you've discovered that as the source impedance of your bass increases (via the volume pot), the turnover frequency of the low-pass filter formed by the (increasing) source impedance and the capacitance of the guitar cable reduces, reducing top-end... [color="#FF0000"][u]Please translate in layman's terms (science is not my strong point).[/u][/color] A lot of guitars suffer from this too, and some guitars have a "bleed" capacitor fitted across the volume pot to prevent it from occurring.... In fact, it can be quite useful on a guitar - playing your chord stuff with the vol rolled off a bit for a softer sound - whack it up for lead parts, with a more agressive tone... ... I'm a bit surprised it is so noticable on a bass though - I have a Jazz, but it's an active, and I haven't tried it yet... I mostly use it with the vol pot right up (or knocked back only just a little) for this very reason...[/quote] Thanks for the explanation - I don't quite understand the science, but I'm glad to know I'm not imagining things! I have noticed that there is no such effect with the active piezo pup on my Ashbory and I wonder whether it will still be there with humbucking pups? It's a very noticeable phenomenon with the single coil jazz pups and I'm amazed I've only just discovered it after 30 years of always having the pup on full volume. It's especially useful in my style of music where deep fundamental bass is everything. I will always keep the volume low now and I recommend all reggae bassists give it a try.

Here's what I look for in a bass, in order of preference - 1: playablity 2: comfort 3: tone 4: looks Number one is the most important by a long way, but the others are also nice if you can have them.

I feel a bit daft posting this but.............. If you have a bass with a jazz pup near the neck, try this and report back - Solo the pick up on full volume with the tone rolled right off. Cut all top and middle eq on your amp. Set amp gain well below clipping and moderate output volume. Play something simple, finger style. Now do the same thing with the pup volume reduced to about half or 3/4. Increase amp gain to match the previous output volume. Leave all other settings the same. Play the same thing. Well ? Does it sound the same, or do you notice a difference in the tone? I have found a big difference and I've done it with different basses and different amps, there is a lot more deep fundamental and less harmonic overtone with the pup volume turned down. Is this normal and if so why have I only just found out?

I'd like one or two for jazz bass if still available. Thanks, Steve.