M-Bass-M Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I currently have my guitarist's Epi SG on loan. It has a pick-up selector, yet also has individual volume and tone controls for each pickup. Why is this? All it does is make it damn confusing to get a tone I like from it! I mean, a Jazz has no pickup selector and only one tone control. Easy. Even a Telecaster has only a pickup switch and a master volume. Likewise for MM Sterlings I guess. So...any enlightenment from out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 For me, the best tone on a Les Paul when using both pickups, for rhythm, was bridge pickup on full volume, neck pickup on about 7 on volume, anything more would become "sludgy" - bear in mind I`m talking for rock music here. then, switch to just the neck for more biting passages. For really soulful soloing, a blend of bridge pickups volume and tome on full, with neck pickup volume on about 7, with tone fully off, sounds great - think Slash sortof tones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 T-40 basses also have a volume and tone control for each pickup. Rather than see this as a challenge, try to see it as a way of dialling up a wider variety of tones At least, this is the case for the T-40 (which also has a phase switch) - I can't vouch for the efficacy it may have for the SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I used to wonder the same thing, but if you are running into a dirty amp then you have the ability to set your neck pickup to a chimey clean or bluesy sizzle and bridge pickup to roaring crunch and to easily switch between the two with the toggle switch. Clean and dirty sounds without a dirt pedal - et voila! Without that combination of vols AND selectors you can't do that. Another one is to set the neck volume to 'off', bridge to 'full' then get a faux stuttering trem 'cut-off' sound by toggling the switch back and forth. Loads of famous records with that on (brain isn't giving me any names right now tho!). If you were so inclined you could also put a treble bleed on just one of the pickup's volume controls to retain high end on one of them and still toggle between them easily if you like. Not possible with single volume control setups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Ric basses have the same. I guess the benefit is that the knobs allow you to blend the pickups, but the pickup selector then allows you to toggle quickly between pickups mid song. Personally I just set everything on the Ric to full and leave well alone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Can also use the pickup selector as a rhythm / instrumental quick sound change switch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I've used one pickup backed off to switch from dirty to clean (well, to 'a bit less dirty'!) on a single channel amp. A lot of overdrive/distortion boxes for guitar will also clean up nicely and give a range of useable tones with adjustment to the volume knob, so it's worth having that versatility. Of course, you can just put everything on 11 and forget about it, that works just fine too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 so guitarists can spend the first half of practice trying to dial 'their tone' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1328794858' post='1532729'] so guitarists can spend the first half of practice trying to dial 'their tone' [/quote] The most accurate response so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 [quote name='mcgraham' timestamp='1328780205' post='1532438'] Another one is to set the neck volume to 'off', bridge to 'full' then get a faux stuttering trem 'cut-off' sound by toggling the switch back and forth. Loads of famous records with that on (brain isn't giving me any names right now tho!). [/quote] Stiff Little Fingers, Wasted life. Angus Young does it a lot as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind pilot Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Also can act as effective mute - roll one volume down etc! our guitarist uses this feature a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 The neck pickup sounds better for clean tones whereas the bridge gives you a better distortion sound I find. It's good to be able to switch between the 2 and keep your volume settings for each pickup. I don't find it confusing at all, in fact I think it's easier that way. Having said that, I am not so keen on tone controls, I never really use them. The other advantage of this type of setup is you can have one pickup turned all the way down on the volume and you've got an instant killswitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Of course, plenty of guitarists share your point of view, and I've seen a good few Les Paul style guitars where the owner has whipped out everything except one volume pot and wired it all through that - could always give it a go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyratm Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 [quote name='mcgraham' timestamp='1328780205' post='1532438'] Another one is to set the neck volume to 'off', bridge to 'full' then get a faux stuttering trem 'cut-off' sound by toggling the switch back and forth. Loads of famous records with that on (brain isn't giving me any names right now tho!). [/quote] Tom Morello and Jonny Greenwood also. My guitarist has a doorbell on his for the same effect as a killswitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M-Bass-M Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 [quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1328797966' post='1532802'] The neck pickup sounds better for clean tones whereas the bridge gives you a better distortion sound I find. It's good to be able to switch between the 2 and keep your volume settings for each pickup. I don't find it confusing at all, in fact I think it's easier that way. Having said that, I am not so keen on tone controls, I never really use them. [/quote] Ah, this makes a lot of sense, but also assumes a certain style of playing - i.e. having two separate tones set for each pickup and switching between the two. What I'm finding difficult to do on the SG is to use the volume as an overdrive gain control, gets a bit confusing with two volume controls and a few tone controls in the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 [quote name='M-Bass-M' timestamp='1328821415' post='1533363'] Ah, this makes a lot of sense, but also assumes a certain style of playing - i.e. having two separate tones set for each pickup and switching between the two. What I'm finding difficult to do on the SG is to use the volume as an overdrive gain control, gets a bit confusing with two volume controls and a few tone controls in the way! [/quote] I see what you mean, I guess it's one of those things. Maybe you could think about getting a volume pedal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 My '86 Fodera Monarch has volume control for each pickup and master bass/treble controls. I use it in a soul / disco band set up to simply flick the switch forward for neck pickup only on the old solu/funk stuff for a P bass sound & then to both pickups, with the bridge pulled back a shade for the more 'modern' disco material. Works really well for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 [quote name='molan' timestamp='1328830507' post='1533595'] My '86 Fodera Monarch has volume control for each pickup and master bass/treble controls. I use it in a soul / disco band set up to simply flick the switch forward for neck pickup only on the old solu/funk stuff for a P bass sound & then to both pickups, with the bridge pulled back a shade for the more 'modern' disco material. Works really well for me [/quote] Well [i]that[/i] has convinced me I need a Fodera, if only to be able to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 [quote name='mcgraham' timestamp='1328864708' post='1533758'] Well [i]that[/i] has convinced me I need a Fodera, if only to be able to do that. [/quote] You'll need to find an old one then as they don't do this any more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Brilliant. I'll let the wife know that I [u]need [/u]to find an [i]old [/i]Fodera. She's been saying since day one 'Mark, your basses are nice but they are not anywhere near as well made as the [i]new [/i]Fodera that Matt Garrison plays on his Shapeshifter album - you should get one of them... definitely spring for the horse chestnut top' Clearly she has no idea what she's talking about. Vintage Fodera is where it's at. Women eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Or you could just... y'know... wire in a master volume pot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 On a Fodera? ... ... ... bwahahahahahhahaha, you crack me up you do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I remember asking this question in reverse on here (why doesn't the Jazz have a pickup switch) and being told that bass players find one tone and use it all night. It's not just for clean & dirty, but for tonal variety between different songs and within the same song. I like the neck pickup for big fat clean lead tones and sometimes for picked arpeggios, and the bridge works well for either strumming or more complex chords. The in between setting can be good for some twang/quack sounds (not very quacky by strat standards, but even so) or for a more hollow tone with sparkle and depth. Conversely I owned a Godin Radiator for a while, and that has the same control arrangement as a 3 knob jazz: frankly it was frustrating, because often a different song would need a different tone and it would require fiddling during the first verse or so to get the right settings. Much easier to think "bright tone for this, so use bridge PU, dark tone for this, so neck PU" etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 (edited) [quote name='mcgraham' timestamp='1328872027' post='1533979'] On a Fodera? ... ... ... bwahahahahahhahaha, you crack me up you do... [/quote] What I meant was you can spend £1.50 on a new pot instead of spending loadsamoney on a fodera, if you're that bothered about it. Edited February 10, 2012 by EdwardHimself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Another fun thing to do is to turn the neck tone right down with the bridge tone full on and use the switch as a kind of wah effect. As previously mentioned though, setting a rhythm and lead sound on a non-master volume valve amp, it's totally the way to go. I'd have the amp (WEM Dominator) on 8, neck pickup on 3ish for rhythm and bridge on 10. No pedals or boxes. Lush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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