Mxyzptlk

The switch cuts something certainly. When it is on the sound is very thin, and the smallest movement on the strings gets amplified. And my original query about Passive or Active, as there seems to be no difference in sound between the two. Is this normal?

Not quite sure if this is the best place to post, but still... I have had Yamaha TRB-6P which I bought around 1996 second hand from the Bass Centre. At the time, the tube station near the shop was closed so I did some walking from Tower Hill to get there and caught a bus back carrying the bass in a Hiscox case and also a stand. It is (of course) through neck and has the 5 pots and a switch. As far as I can tell you get the Volume Control and a pan pot for the pickups. Below that are two tone controls. Are they Bass and Treble? The last pot is for panning between the Magnetic and Piezo pickups. The switch seems to cut the bass frequencies. I have never noticed any difference between using passive or active inputs on the amp I get to use. A Trace Elliot combo with a 15" speaker. What is the best input to use and is there anything else I have missed in the 17 or so years I have owned it! I presume this bass was made in Japan?

This sounds identical to the problems with my old Futurama. I don't think I have the ability to do anything about it myself. Anyone have any suggestions? The downside as far as my bass is concerned is that someone smoothed out the body where there is that kink. The mods also included a strip down and repaint. It also didn't have the bar that goes below the strings, though a friend made a shortened version for me.

Bought a Second-Hand Yamaha TRB6P from the Bass Centre some 16/17 years ago and have been playing it ever since. Usually played via the Magnetic Pickups. Rarely use the Piezo one in the bridge. At least I have the versatility if I need it! One of the tone controls seems to be getting a bit stiff, so may have to attack it with some contact cleaner spray and see if that improves things. Currently in need of some new strings (suggestions welcome!). Having got used to a 6 string, I think I would find it a bit of a culture shock to go back to 4 strings in the shape of my early 70's Jazz Bass or Yamaha BB400S Lined Fretless. Occasionally getting a bad shoulder (old age "creeping" on maybe) the lighter 4 strings may have to be an option occasionally...

I think my Commodore was more like the first one in this topic. No damper. Being around 1970, it was probably a fairly early one. As for the Futurama it is like the one in the link, but someone removed the "kink" below the strap thingy (sudden brain fade... can't think of the correct name!) and painted it black. They got handy with some Letraset (that is going back a bit as well) and called it a Guild Bass VI! There is a small crack in the neck near the headstock. I think the last time I tried it I used some contact cleaner spray on it to make it work better. Interesting control arrangement to say the least.

My first bass was a Commodore. My dad was a piano tuner and dealt with the company that imported (I presume) them so he was able to get it for me at cost price. First time I used it "in anger" was a practice for my first gig with a band. I had never used the bass to any extent before that. I played it through an ancient guitar amp that had been returned to the leader of the group just in time for me to use... I'd taken an old tape recorder to play through! This would have been around 1970/71. I can't remember if I was driving a Vauxhall HA Viva at the time (1970) or a Mark 1 Escort (from December 1970). I eventually replaced it with a "modified" Futurama 6 string bass and subsequently a Fender Jazz. I have no idea what happened to it as I gave it away after getting the Futurama.

Well, I started out with a cheap Japanese Semi-Acoustic Bass, probably in the very late 60's. No sign of a band at the time so I never really put much time into it. I did play a normal guitar and had 4 years of piano lessons as a kid. I eventually joined a Christian band in the early 70's (which was pretty much a crash course in bass playing) and soon picked up a secondhand Futurama 6 String Bass that someone had "customized". It still had the original pickups and controls. I did eventually upgrade to a Fender Jazz. The Futurama appears to have a cracked neck last time I checked it (haven't tried it for a good few years). We did get to release an LP in 1973 (amazing it had a limited rerelease via Korea around 2007) on a Christian label. We were involved with another project in 1974 so the band eventually ceased to exist as such. Some of us (and a few others) got together as a new band towards the end of the 70's. Our first gig was Friar's at Aylesbury. After a severe lack of gigs I left at the end of the 70's and the band folded soon after. We did do a couple of studio sessions which resulted in 8 tracks. We did a reunion session in a local village hall in 2007 which resulted in 8 tracks (out of the 9 we recorded). This is my favourite track... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRS1LJKApw Other than that I have only played in a Church Music Group for the last 25 years (or more?). Along the way I picked up a Yamaha BB400S (Lined) Fretless. For the past 17 years or so I have been playing a Yamaha TRB6P. I have occasionally played for a friend in his Jazz Band, though not particularly my scene as such. Rather tempted to get one of those Squier Bass VI's to play with, but not sure of how much would need to be done to it to make it worth playing (I read the thread here).