Volume All the Way Down

[thegummy]

Does a PJ pickup config with the J's volume turned all the way down sound exactly the same as the same bass with just a P pickup in it?

 

I.e. does the J pickup being in the circuit affect the output of the bass even when its volume knob is all the way down?

 

Thanks

[Downunderwonder]

Same enough for me but I never actually owned a bonafide P nor A/B'd one against a P/J.

[hooky_lowdown]

2 hours ago, thegummy said:

Does a PJ pickup config with the J's volume turned all the way down sound exactly the same as the same bass with just a P pickup in it?

 

I.e. does the J pickup being in the circuit affect the output of the bass even when its volume knob is all the way down?

 

Thanks

Para 1: Yes

Para 2: No

[itu]

You want to separate them completely from each other, you need an active blend. But vol down sure is enough in band context.

[Lozz196]

I’ve read that the J pickup still affects the sound even when off but on the PJ basses I’ve had, both with separate volume controls and with blends I’ve never noticed it, just sounded regular P to me.

[Baloney Balderdash]

13 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I’ve read that the J pickup still affects the sound even when off

Yes, in the same way that guitars in white finish, according to Billy Corgan, sounds superior to guitars in any other color finish. 

 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Lozz196]

I’ve read that too 😀
 

I think Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols had/has similar views re white Gibson Les Pauls being better sounding than the others.

 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Lozz196

[thegummy]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

I’ve read that too 😀
 

I think Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols had/has similar views re white Gibson Les Pauls being better sounding than the others.

 

 

lol the idea of someone from The Sex Pistols being concerned with the subtle minutiae of tone.

 

Was worried this might be one of those things where some people swear blind it makes a difference to the sound while others say (admit?) that they can't hear any difference.

 

My situation is that I'm going to convert a Jazz bass to a PJ and if it did make any difference at all I'd get a selector switch with a master volume while if it didn't I would save the money and just use the existing 2x volume knobs.

 

To be honest I doubt I would hear any difference personally; some people talk about blending one of the pickups in at 80% with the other on full and things like that but when I turn one of the pickups down any amount it sounds the same to me as when it's all the way off.

 

But selector switches aren't massively expensive and I'll be using the bass for decades so if there was technically a difference I'd go for it. Was hoping someone might know from a factual electrical point if the output signal would be any different or not.

[Downunderwonder]

On 06/11/2023 at 01:26, thegummy said:

when I turn one of the pickups down any amount it sounds the same to me as when it's all the way off.

There's something wrong with your wiring or your hearing at that rate.

[thegummy]

2 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

There's something wrong with your wiring or your hearing at that rate.

 

Fancy putting money on if you can tell the difference in a blind test?

[Downunderwonder]

47 minutes ago, thegummy said:

 

Fancy putting money on if you can tell the difference in a blind test?

For sure, but not with your possibly dodgy wired instrument. Solo bridge is a sound I just can't abide. Never noticed a helluva difference between either dialed back a tad, but preferred the neck when I had a jazz. Solo, no thanks. Find a pukka jazz and try it for yourself. If it still sounds the same find a mate and blind test them. Then come after my money.

[thegummy]

4 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

For sure, but not with your possibly dodgy wired instrument. Solo bridge is a sound I just can't abide. Never noticed a helluva difference between either dialed back a tad, but preferred the neck when I had a jazz. Solo, no thanks. Find a pukka jazz and try it for yourself. If it still sounds the same find a mate and blind test them. Then come after my money.

 

Funny how you assume I've only got one and have only ever played or heard one Jazz bass...

 

Just like Corgan is convinced his white finish sounds different, you're convinced that when you turn a knob you're hearing a difference.

 

The reality is that a passive pickup circuit is nothing like a mixing console. Changing the resistance to one of the pickups isn't like mixing its output in at a different level.

[Downunderwonder]

Turning down a pickup is changing the resistance. Padding is just a fixed amount of turning down.

[Downunderwonder]

My jazz was passive VVT btw.

[thegummy]

7 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Turning down a pickup is changing the resistance. Padding is just a fixed amount of turning down.

 

I know, that was what I was saying - it's not like a mixer.

 

I had written an explanation about passive circuits and hearing perception then realised it's like trying to tell Corgan why his white finish doesn't matter.

 

I fear the thread's already been too derailed.

[Downunderwonder]

Riddle me this. If padding down one pickup slightly isn't its  own sound how come a Roscoe Jazz has a pull pot for that in the volume knob, and a three way pickup selector for both and either?

 

Never mind the series parallel single switching.

[Downunderwonder]

13 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

There's something wrong with your wiring or your hearing at that rate.

Because turning down one pickup all the way sounds very different to turning it down just a little.

 

Is what I meant and I am pretty sure you understood it the first time. What the hell?