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Volume control with two pickups


Count Bassy
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I have various basses with two pickups, Three have a master volume, a balance and common controls (or two), but my most recent, a Westone quantum has a volume for each pickup and a common tone pot.

My opinion at this stage is 'why would anyone want to have separate volumes for each pickup', rather than master volume and a blend. As far as I can see having two volume controls just makes it difficult to adjust your volume without altering your tone, but I guess it must have some advantage or no one would do it that way?

I'm thinking of changing the Quantum to a Vol-Balance configuration - should I do do it or not?.

All thoughts and comments gratefully received.

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Some people prefer vol vol tone, i don't though. That's how my OLP is currently set up though, until i get my preamp installed. I say go for volume blend tone.

My les paul has vol vol tone tone switch, and i can see why they did that as it does come in handy sometimes (setting the pickup levels differently or you can mute the whole at the flick of a switch)

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[quote name='Clive Thorne' post='327795' date='Nov 12 2008, 05:47 PM']I have various basses with two pickups, Three have a master volume, a balance and common controls (or two), but my most recent, a Westone quantum has a volume for each pickup and a common tone pot.

My opinion at this stage is 'why would anyone want to have separate volumes for each pickup', rather than master volume and a blend. As far as I can see having two volume controls just makes it difficult to adjust your volume without altering your tone, but I guess it must have some advantage or no one would do it that way?

I'm thinking of changing the Quantum to a Vol-Balance configuration - should I do do it or not?.

All thoughts and comments gratefully received.[/quote]

If you want to use both pickups simultaneously: a blend control in centre position will attenuate each pickup equally, and (unless you're running an onboard preamp) you'll lose top end due to the capacitance of the cable. You'll only be able to get the 'full volume' sound with one or the other pickup on full.

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