Tone pot closest to no tone pot

[sirmuppet]

Hi all. 

I have a Precision fitted with a SPB3, pan pot and a tone pot. I think the tone pot is a 250k mini and the capacitor is not the original but I don't know the value. Anyway, I find the bass very dark sounding. I used to own a Mark Hoppus bass which wasn't and sounded great. I want to get close to that sound. On that bass there's no tone pot and it goes direct to volume then output jack. I'd like to retain a tone pot and pan pot (It's a PJ bass but I mainly use the P pickup) so can I do this and get close to the Mark Hoppus sound, if so how? I'm thinking 500k or 1meg but I could be way off, no load 250k maybe?

Thanks for any help. G.

[Norris]

You could maybe use a pull-pot to bypass the tone control completely. That would keep the option of using the tone control if you want to

[sirmuppet]

Cool. That did cross my mind but I'd be wiring it up myself and I've tried following diagrams for those with little success. Standard wiring with a little mod I can do. That was one of the reasons I thought a no-load tone pot might have the same effect at 10 and it wires in the same as a standard one. From what I've read on other posts it should be, am I right in thinking this?

[ikay]

2 hours ago, sirmuppet said:

... am I right in thinking this?

Yes, a no-load pot is completely removed from the circuit when on '10'

[BassBunny]

It might be worth removing the the tone pot from the circuit completely first to see if it gives the required result as you are comparing 2 different instruments.

The P pickup in yours might not be the same as the one in a Mark Hoppus.

Edit: Just noticed you have a Seymour Duncan 1/4 Pounder in the P Bass, whereas I am assuming it was the stock pickup in the MH?

Edited November 26, 2017 by BassBunny

[sirmuppet]

2 minutes ago, ikay said:

Yes, a no-load pot is completely removed from the circuit when on '10'

Awesome. I was hoping I'd got it right. Wasn't sure if it removed the pot and cap or just the cap. Cool, I've now ordered one. Thanks for confirming it. 

[sirmuppet]

2 minutes ago, BassBunny said:

It might be worth removing the the tone pot from the circuit completely first to see if it gives the required result as you are comparing 2 different instruments.

The P pickup in yours might not be the same as the one in a Mark Hoppus.

It should be as both my bass and his model are the SPB3. 

[sirmuppet]

5 minutes ago, BassBunny said:

Edit: Just noticed you have a Seymour Duncan 1/4 Pounder in the P Bass, whereas I am assuming it was the stock pickup in the MH?

Lol, just seen you edited it while I was posting. Yeah, same one

[BassBunny]

Gotcha. Easy job to remove tone pot though. Should be just unsoldering 1 wire.

[Geek99]

Why don’t you get a no load Fender tone pot? As stated above 

standard size, normal looks but at “9” you can feel a very slight detente as the pot drops out of circuit and the signal bypasses it. 

 

I have one in my bass doc p and it’s fabulous 

http://www.northwestguitars.co.uk/cts-split-shaft-no-load-tone-potentiometer-250k-or-500k-for-stratocaster-telecaster-guitars/?utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_source=bc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrouNv4Ld1wIVBLvtCh3xnggzEAQYASABEgLDrPD_BwE

 

http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk//parts-c4/electronics-c698/potentiometers-c109/fender-no-load-250k-solid-shaft-pot-tone-p5295?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrouNv4Ld1wIVBLvtCh3xnggzEAQYBCABEgLciPD_BwE#fo_c=1949&fo_k=e8fe8947d3958445f1c907a1c89b6e87&fo_s=gplauk?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2017 by Geek99

[sirmuppet]

42 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Why don’t you get a no load Fender tone pot? As stated above 

standard size, normal looks but at “9” you can feel a very slight detente as the pot drops out of circuit and the signal bypasses it. 

 

I have one in my bass doc p and it’s fabulous 

http://www.northwestguitars.co.uk/cts-split-shaft-no-load-tone-potentiometer-250k-or-500k-for-stratocaster-telecaster-guitars/?utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_source=bc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrouNv4Ld1wIVBLvtCh3xnggzEAQYASABEgLDrPD_BwE

 

http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk//parts-c4/electronics-c698/potentiometers-c109/fender-no-load-250k-solid-shaft-pot-tone-p5295?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrouNv4Ld1wIVBLvtCh3xnggzEAQYBCABEgLciPD_BwE#fo_c=1949&fo_k=e8fe8947d3958445f1c907a1c89b6e87&fo_s=gplauk?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=

 

 

 

Yeah, That's what I ended up going for. Like I mentioned above before ikay confirmed it, I wasn't sure if the load was the pot or just the cap. He confirmed what I had hoped and that's it ordered. Good to know that you put one in and it got good results. What pickup do you have in yours out of interest?

[Geek99]

14 hours ago, sirmuppet said:

Yeah, That's what I ended up going for. Like I mentioned above before ikay confirmed it, I wasn't sure if the load was the pot or just the cap. He confirmed what I had hoped and that's it ordered. Good to know that you put one in and it got good results. What pickup do you have in yours out of interest?

I'm sorry I should have read the thread more closely. I would have gone for the Fender model as I like the slight click-feel as it drops out of circuit. CTS doesn't do that.  I'm using a "Blues tribute" model that I bought from ebay (seller is in the US but ships quickly) - with a fender brass grounding plate in the back of the pup. Here is his link on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/ONLYMUSIC-BLUES-TRIBUTE-VINTAGE-PRECISION/dp/B00DC9FI58 - he does jazz and 51 style also -they're very reasonably priced. It wasn't expensive but it sounds really thumpy yet also woody.

I don't have a valve amp but its the kind of tome (when on full) that would overdrive just nicely. I do know from personal experience that through a zoom b2.1 on the Ampeg SVT patch it sounds "totally awesome" (in the words of a young lady there who said wisely "we need more bass around here") , it made cups and glasses rattle quite nicely even at low-ish volume. I'm happy.  

 

[sirmuppet]

2 hours ago, Geek99 said:

I'm sorry I should have read the thread more closely. I would have gone for the Fender model as I like the slight click-feel as it drops out of circuit. CTS doesn't do that.  I'm using a "Blues tribute" model that I bought from ebay (seller is in the US but ships quickly) - with a fender brass grounding plate in the back of the pup. Here is his link on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/ONLYMUSIC-BLUES-TRIBUTE-VINTAGE-PRECISION/dp/B00DC9FI58 - he does jazz and 51 style also -they're very reasonably priced. It wasn't expensive but it sounds really thumpy yet also woody.

I don't have a valve amp but its the kind of tome (when on full) that would overdrive just nicely. I do know from personal experience that through a zoom b2.1 on the Ampeg SVT patch it sounds "totally awesome" (in the words of a young lady there who said wisely "we need more bass around here") , it made cups and glasses rattle quite nicely even at low-ish volume. I'm happy.  

 

Good to know. I also have that pedal but use the Bassman setting, lol. 

Yeah, my P-bass has no top end at all. I had an SPB2 in there and thought that was the issue. But since trying the SPB3 I found the same. I did see the Cap had been replaced and I wanted to re-wire it anyway with better pots, so perfect time. Gonna have a master volume, no load tone and pan pot. I have the no loads on my strats but was unsure of how it would work on a bass. Can't wait to try it now. 

[Geek99]

Impressive is my choice