tbonepete Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 (edited) . Edited June 8, 2012 by tbonepete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 I can hopefully answer the blend knob q as i put one on a jb build a few years ago and it did just that, the cheaper blend pots have inaccurate taper so at the mid position both pickups are a little bit under powered and this gives a vol drop. I'd recommend v/v/t config every time for passive pups, only use blend well with actives and a proper on-board pre-amp. I found getting a decent passive blend pot a nightmare till john east helped me out and sent me a 'spare' - what a decent chap! Graphtec nuts are usually very reliable. srewy intonation sounds like inaccurate fret placement, hard one to correct. Hope the bass was not too expensive. Worth forking out for a better quality replacement bridge which might anchor everything more firmly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Maybe go for a Wilkinson bridge - inexepensive & usually fairly decent. If you haven't cut a nut before, then go very carefully as one pass of the file can be the difference between perfection & a blown nut. Put on a new set of decent strings & I bet at least some of your intonation probs will disappear. I'd probably replace all the pots with semi-decent ones & go for VVT. Good luck with it. If you do all that & it works out, there is a terrific sense of achievement & satisfaction. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonepete Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 Thanks Geoff, and Al. I shall digest these wise words and then proceed, hopefully with great results! Ive never cut a nut before, but its not my working bass, so I can afford to really take some time over it. The bass wasnt expensive (its the bottom of the range tanglewood/ overwater classic J (although its actually a P/J ) Strings are new slinkys (use em on all basses, coz I like em!) Im hoping that the nut, and bridge replacement will sort out minor intonation issues (cross string vibration, maybe, cheap saddles skating around the bridge plate, and contact with each other). Geoff, you mention changing pots, I was going to do this anyway, as the soon to be replaced pan pot has a centre detent, and I wont need that for pup volume. Can you recommend any pots in particular? Al, Im hoping intonation issues arent a result of misplaced frets, as intonation is fine on G and D strings. We shall see! Am really enjoying the sound of the stock cheap pups soloed, and once Ive converted to V V T, and replaced pots, nut, and bridge, I should hopefully have a cracking bass for still not alot of dosh, and also some satisfaction of my handywork in there to boot! I really appreciate the advice, and if any out there has more advice/opinion, then Id be glad to hear it. Many thanks Cheers Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonepete Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Well, progress of sorts, 1) graphtech 1214 nut installed, and intonation problems have pretty much diasppeared, yay! 2) a very slight buzz on the E string around frets 10-14, has me puzzled, Im not the gentlest player, but the buzz disappears the nearer the bridge pup I play. Im struggling to find a comfortable position for playing between the P and J pups, seems like no mans land, so I may have to raise the E string a bit, and learn to play more gently whilst having no where to anchor my thumb (except the P pup, which is too far forward for comfort ) 3) very careful and gentle fileing of the bottom of the bridge grub screws has given a more stable saddle movement, but I still think I will change the bridge for one with a smoother action, (probably Babicz ) 4) I mainly play in theatre pit at the moment, so I may hang on to the Vol/Pan/Tone arrangement, as there are extended periods of non playing, and its much easier to just kill one Vol pot for these times, than to kill two, and have to set them up again each time (assuming that both arent full on). This is why my Spector doesnt get used for pit work. This being the case, is there any gizmo, or set up that will minimize volume dip, when the pan pot is at centre? So Good, and bad to report, however, Im still really enjoying the whole passive thing, and each day sees the set up get closer to my ideal. If you have any advice, or similar experiences please tell all, the P J bass is a strange fruit, in terms of trying to balance pups of different type, output, shape, and location, and every time I think Ive cracked it I notice another balance problem!!! . So guys trade secrets, and magical cures all welcome. Cheers Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) If you are still 'adjusting' the nut remember to cut with a slope down toward the headstock as you need the 'witness point' at the very front edge of the groove. The lack of this is the cause of many intonation problems. I've used CTS pots in the past with no probs. Sometimes, when you have a slight fret buzz further down the neck, a very slight release of truss-rod tension will fix it. An easy way to cut volume is to buy a decent tuner pedal that cuts the volume when stood on - you can check your tuning too - the step on it again to go. G. Edited March 3, 2012 by geoffbyrne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I rewired an RBX270 bass from VBT to VVT - not due to output dipping problems but solely personal preference. As I understand it, part of the problem is to do with the wavelength of the resonating string and physical pickup placement having the effect of actually cancelling each other out. Alex at Barefaced wrote an article on it and describes it more eloquently here: [url="http://barefacedbass.com/uploads/BGM61%20Dec2010.pdf"]http://barefacedbass.com/uploads/BGM61%20Dec2010.pdf[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 [quote name='tbonepete' timestamp='1330451599' post='1557768'] Can you recommend any pots in particular? [/quote] There are a few threads on Talkbass about blend/centre volume issues: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f38/jazz-blend-pot-center-detent-volume-drop-525115/ http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f38/old-story-volume-drop-middle-position-when-using-blend-pot-598672/ Both of these recommend the 'MN' blend pot from Allparts: http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/guitar-bass-parts/electronics/250k-pots/dual-250kmn-blendbalance-audio-taper-pot-w-centre-detent-p-1560.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonepete Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1330804560' post='1563323'] If you are still 'adjusting' the nut remember to cut with a slope down toward the headstock as you need the 'witness point' at the very front edge of the groove. The lack of this is the cause of many intonation problems. I've used CTS pots in the past with no probs. Sometimes, when you have a slight fret buzz further down the neck, a very slight release of truss-rod tension will fix it. An easy way to cut volume is to buy a decent tuner pedal that cuts the volume when stood on - you can check your tuning too - the step on it again to go. G. [/quote]Hi Geoff, Thanks for the info on cts pots, Im thinking that these will do nicely, and after going over my set up again the buzz has gone (maybe I missed something, or didnt allow enough "settling in time".With regards to the pedal idea, I was more thinking of a bass wiring solution rather than yet more things in the external signal path. Most work is done at a theatre and if we are on stage we tend to use wireless packs as the amp could be anywhere, or even not there at all, and if we are upstairs in the band room then I plug straight into a rack mount pod and go straight through front of house. In anycase we use in ear monitoring and personal roland mixers for track/click/bandmember levels. Yes I know the pod has a tuner/mute function but Im not always near it. so a single volume/blend would be easiest for me I think. I used for reference the 4 videos on youtube by john carruthers/elixir for set up routine including nut cutting in. I find these vids very clear and easy to understand but Im sure there are others that more experienced BCers will recommend . Sorry for the late reply but am at the theatre all week, and replying on my phone is such a faff!! Many thanks again and if you know of a way to balance out the pups with no loss at centre detent so I can use a single vol knob then please let me know. Cheers Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I've always found it a pita when using pairs of volume pots especialy when you want to turn the volume down gradually at the end of a song or to do cello style swells using the volume. Though I've never fully researched it (the blends on my active basses work just fine), wouldn't a stacked pot with the volume for each pup catered for by the top and bottom rings work fine? That way when you turn down the volume you can turn both stacked dials at once (it's how I imagined I'd wire a stack-knob Jazz with the tones on the other stack)... does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='tbonepete' timestamp='1331406688' post='1572573'] Things look like they are being steered towards a preamp of some sort, but this will rather defeat the object of the lovely passive sounds this bass has to offer! . What I want is vol/blend/tone, and NO appreciable volume drop regardless of where the blend knob is. Shall I put this with the quest to cure the common cold? Cheers Pete [/quote] I [i]think[/i]that with the right taper pot (non-overlapping dual audio taper, 500k to compensate for the fact there's effectively an extra pot), the blend at centre detent should be identical to a two volume-knob set up on full - it's the options for intermediate sounds that are a bit different. At any rate, volume drop with two pickups blended is to an extent part of what the 'passive bass sound' is. Pickup loading issues require a buffering preamp, while perceived volume changes due to phase cancellations between pickups are an inherent part of the tone and would require electronic gain compensation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Alternative take, volume, tone and 3 way toggle switch, lower P pickup to gain reasonable balance. These days I find I want basses without volume and tone controls, just use hands, tone for me always full up, seems muffled otherwise. If really keen get multiway rotary switch a la Gibbo EB3, pad p bass back with resistors of varying amounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonepete Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='3below' timestamp='1331414473' post='1572699'] Alternative take, volume, tone and 3 way toggle switch, lower P pickup to gain reasonable balance. These days I find I want basses without volume and tone controls, just use hands, tone for me always full up, seems muffled otherwise. If really keen get multiway rotary switch a la Gibbo EB3, pad p bass back with resistors of varying amounts. [/quote]Hmmm, I think you may be onto something here. Maybe I should manage my expectations a bit more, and learn to drive it without the aid of abs, airbags, esp etc (to use a motoring analogy). So Im off to set my watch back 30 years! Cheers Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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