Why bother pushing the boat out?

[neepheid]

As some of you will know, I recently took ownership of a prototype Harley Benton HB-50, and as outlined in the NBD thread, the bass is ergonomically, structurally and aesthetically sound but the wiring leaves much to be desired.

 

I had this mad idea of getting a 5 or 6 way switch to do all the things one can do to a single humbucking pickup.  Then I had a word with myself and thought "what would I actually use some of those settings for?"  Am I just doing it for logical completeness, or showing off?  In the end, I think I'm just going to fit a 3 way rotary and do simply parallel/single/series and be done with it.  I'm on the fence as to whether or not parallel and single sound that much different from each other as well.

 

Fitting the Freeway 10 way switch to my Reverend Triad made more sense with the 3 pickups (not to mention it's a super neat mod that requires no modification to the bass other than the wiring), and I do actually use some of the combinations it offers (like the series options), but what's the point of out-of-phase, even in series?  Just making work for myself to no obvious benefit.

 

I dunno why I started this thread really, maybe to spark some discussion about the whole "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" type thing.

 

Over to you...

 

 

[basstone]

17 minutes ago, neepheid said:

As some of you will know, I recently took ownership of a prototype Harley Benton HB-50, and as outlined in the NBD thread, the bass is ergonomically, structurally and aesthetically sound but the wiring leaves much to be desired.

 

I had this mad idea of getting a 5 or 6 way switch to do all the things one can do to a single humbucking pickup.  Then I had a word with myself and thought "what would I actually use some of those settings for?"  Am I just doing it for logical completeness, or showing off?  In the end, I think I'm just going to fit a 3 way rotary and do simply parallel/single/series and be done with it.  I'm on the fence as to whether or not parallel and single sound that much different from each other as well.

 

Fitting the Freeway 10 way switch to my Reverend Triad made more sense with the 3 pickups (not to mention it's a super neat mod that requires no modification to the bass other than the wiring), and I do actually use some of the combinations it offers (like the series options), but what's the point of out-of-phase, even in series?  Just making work for myself to no obvious benefit.

 

I dunno why I started this thread really, maybe to spark some discussion about the whole "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" type thing.

 

Over to you...

 

 

I'd never seen one of those neat 10 way switches until the SW bass bash the other day. A great way of increasing the switching options without seriously irreversibly modifying the instrument.

Although only a few combinations are likely to be used, it is interesting to explore which ones work for you and inspire more ways of playing.

[BigRedX]

Those comprehensive switch options are fine for working out the one combination that gives you the sound you want. After that you can hard-wire it in, and leave the switch as DFA to allow placation of unhelpful band members and studio/PA engineers.

[paul_5]

I suppose you could just sit in it and wobble about a bit until the tide comes in, but really, who has time for that?

 

 

 

 

And I've just read the rest of the thread. 

 

As you were.