paul_c2 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 [quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1476754381' post='3156981'] This has got me thinking - I always thought that, if you use it correctly and tastefully, the volume manipulation technique known as violining (on guitar, a la Yngwie Malmsteen) can be quite cool. I wonder if there's a way to make it sound good on bass? Kinda doubt it, but it's got to be worth experimenting with. [/quote] I used to be able to do it - albeit with a foot pedal. However its not as easy as it looks. The foot coordination is the easy bit, the "rememering to play a note just before its needed" isn't - you effectively have to learn how to play slightly out of time. If you're late playing the note, your foot has increased the volume and you get to hear the attack which you didn't want. I've tried it (on a guitar with one volume, not my bass with two) and just can't do it, I can't pick the note and use my little finger, despite the volume control being ideally positioned right next to the strings. Maybe others can successfully do it, or I could sit down and learn how to do it (with guitar volume control, not a pedal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_c2 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 PS it definitely has its place in certain styles or passages of music, so its worth learning if you're playing that kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Pretty much full all the time, but if I pull the knob I get a 12db boost which I can then turn down if I dan't want to walk back to my amplifier (or pretend I haven't touched anything) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Always on full: if I want the bass quieter, I play it quieter, tho I will adjust the balance, treble and mids per the song requirement. I could live with it as a switch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operative451 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 I was wondering about this after seeing a meme on FB, which was obviously originally a guitar thing but got edited. I always thought volume was from the olden days for guitars where they wanted that clean 'shadows' sound. Having said that, i've got back into playing my ancient East German P-bass and my other basses have humbuckers, so turning them down a notch means i have to faff with pedals less as they're lots louder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 In 44 years of playing bass I've never had any use for a volume control, other than to turn the thing off. Come to think of it, I've never had much use for tone controls either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 [quote name='ped' timestamp='1476785413' post='3157154'] ...if I pull the knob I get a 12db boost... [/quote] I'm sure you do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steantval Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Flat out all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 [quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1476754381' post='3156981'] This has got me thinking - I always thought that, if you use it correctly and tastefully, the volume manipulation technique known as violining (on guitar, a la Yngwie Malmsteen) can be quite cool. I wonder if there's a way to make it sound good on bass? Kinda doubt it, but it's got to be worth experimenting with. [/quote] I have an example right here: http://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/track/frozen-heart (Skip forward to about 1:00 to hear me attempting to mimic a cello via the volume knob and a Bass Tubescreamer.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyvee Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 My bass has a volume for each pickup and also a master volume that way I can set the pickups to the ratio I want then use the master volume to control overall instrument volume without having to turn up two volumes to increase my output whilst keeping the ratio of bridge to neck in the output the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBass Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 [quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1476723217' post='3156661'] I always roll my volume back a bit so I have some in reserve for when the guitarist/s start upping his/their volume, I can quickly turn it up until the song has finished, and then I can up the volume on my amp and roll my bass volume back a bit for the next time its needed. [/quote] That's what I do. On the few songs where I use a pick I roll it back a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrig Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 (edited) [quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1476802614' post='3157378'] That's what I do. On the few songs where I use a pick I roll it back a bit. [/quote]Yea, I roll the volume back when using a pick as well, but I also roll the tone back a bit also. Out of interest, have you ever thought, "I know what, I will just ask the guitarists to keep an eye on their volume"? Alright, we wont even go there! Edited October 19, 2016 by thebrig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 I just use it as a mute for when I'm playing cowbell or drinking beer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 One thing that we do seem to have overlooked here is the precursory question of how many pickups your bass has. I can hardly blame Precision players for popping the volume on full and tweaking the tone control to find a spot where the tone sits well in the mix - that's exactly what I do with mine. But if you play a Jazz, or a Thunderbird, the volume controls also serve as your "blend" control. T-birds, in particular, have a particular sweet spot when the neck's on full and the bridge is on about '8'. In short, where I'd set the onboard volume may depend on how many onboard volume controls I have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 Agree with Elias. On the P, the vol is always up full, but on the Jazz, I like to roll off the bridge a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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