Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

New jazz bass is too bright, suggestions?


AnAnInginAneAnA
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hey guys, just a quick update here.

Had a get together with a friend who also has a jazz bass and he allowed me to temporarily borrow his pickups and control plate to do a bit of troubleshooting. Trying his control plate with my pickups darkened it up ever so slightly so it might partially be the 250k/500k issue, I also used his quarter pounder set with both control setups, and in the end my bass with the electronics of his sounded pretty monstrous.

So now I'm going to purchase myself some 250k pots, a set of SD QP's, and I'm probably going to add a series/parallel switch into the mix also (I figure I'm redoing the thing anyway I might as well have a few more options). Somebody mentioned getting a "loom" from kiogon, Is he a member here? and, if so, How would I get in touch with him?

Thanks to everybody who read and replied, I appreciate the help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey guys, just a quick update here.

Had a get together with a friend who also has a jazz bass and he allowed me to temporarily borrow his pickups and control plate to do a bit of troubleshooting. Trying his control plate with my pickups darkened it up ever so slightly so it might partially be the 250k/500k issue, I also used his quarter pounder set with both control setups, and in the end my bass with the electronics of his sounded pretty monstrous.

So now I'm going to purchase myself some 250k pots, a set of SD QP's, and I'm probably going to add a series/parallel switch into the mix also (I figure I'm redoing the thing anyway I might as well have a few more options). Somebody mentioned getting a "loom" from kiogon, Is he a member here? and, if so, How would I get in touch with him?

Pretty much did everything you've mentioned above with an American standard Jazz I had, other than fitting SD's I fitted model J di marzios. Everything was still to bright. Flatwounds are a cheap option. Just put kiogans name in the search toolbar and send him a PM

Edited by buff
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1492122815' post='3278199']
Yep, the service diagram shows these have 500k pots on both volume and tone. Changing these to 250k - which is standard Fender spec - will really help mellow this, and be as said, much cheaper than a change of pickups. A trip to a luthier, or a message to Kiogon for one of his wiring looms and adios twang.
[/quote]
Why does changing pots from 500k to 250k mellow the tone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1493548944' post='3289016']
Why does changing pots from 500k to 250k mellow the tone?
[/quote]

I Am Not A Techie, but apparently 500k pots basically allow more of the treble / highs in the signal from the bass to pass through to the amp, whereas 250k pots allow them to bleed away to earth while retaining the lows...

http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Guitar_Pickups_and_Electronics_and_Wiring/Which_control_pot_to_choose.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='buff' timestamp='1493545537' post='3288989']Somebody mentioned getting a "loom" from kiogon, Is he a member here? and, if so, How would I get in touch with him?
[/quote]

http://basschat.co.uk/user/7835-kiogon/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[size=4]Yes I have. My first bass was an 80s Korean Squier Jazz. Best neck I have ever tried bar none. Even with the tone rolled off the bass and lower mids were really poor. I sold that one but with hindsight I think some good pups would have sorted it. It’s not that I don’t like a bright sound, I love the full range sound from jazz type basses, and my main gigging bass is a jazz type bass with humbuckers. I want the bass, the mids and the treble.[/size]

Edited by Adrenochrome
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really need to try a series/parallel switch on my jazz basses, does anyone make something an electrical ignoramus such as myself? I was amazed at how good my 60s classic sounded the other day with the front pu on full, the bridge on about 1/3, through an ABM 600. Rediscovering my love of Jazz Basses!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1493832138' post='3291118']
I really need to try a series/parallel switch on my jazz basses, does anyone make something an electrical ignoramus such as myself? I was amazed at how good my 60s classic sounded the other day with the front pu on full, the bridge on about 1/3, through an ABM 600. Rediscovering my love of Jazz Basses!
[/quote]

Have a word with kiogon.

I have no electrictronic skills at all and I was able to install the new loom I purchased from him in under 5 minutes.

He assembled all the electrical gubbins on a new control plate, all I had to do was connect the pickups to the solder free connectors and screw the new plate in.

I'm sure if you tell him what you need he could come up with something similar for you.

Edited by Cato
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1493844181' post='3291277']
Hei KiOgon, is this something you can help me with, got a classic 60s Jazz and a recent US standard Jazz that would benefit from an added series/pareller switch (i think!)
[/quote]

PM him here.

http://basschat.co.uk/user/7835-kiogon/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Put a series parallel switch on my Jazz (ish) bass, out of interest. Doesn't make it more bassy really, just a) louder and B) more "solid" .. Jazz to Precision (sort of) .

Could be this particular bass has a pickup coil to coil fault - ie not all the windings are working. A bigger capacitor will take away more treble, but won't add more bass - what yr actually doing by increasing the capacitance is dropping the frequency above which the volume is reduced.

Could also, possibly, be that one pickup is wired in back to front (pos to neg).... does it sound even more bass lite with both pickups turned up full?

Really worth trying some different pickups. My vote for dark warm tones is Kent Armstrong .. far too treble light for me, but kind of warm and comforting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got a couple of Jazz basses, one classic 60s and one recent US Standard, and would like a more Precision bass sound from both of them. I'l try the series/parallel trick before changing pick ups.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...