Jazz bass volume

[bridge]

Not sure if this is the right place but, I play a 2004 MIM jazz. It's perfect for me, set up nice, plays well, so, I bought another ( because I wanted a white one 😁😁) playing it for first time last night a rehearsal, Orange Terror 1000 through gen 3 supertwin, I had to turn volume half way up to get a reasonable volume. Thought it was an amp issue, however, I plugged in my original bass, at same volume level and nearly blew the roof off! Both have original pups, only difference I can tell is new one had flats, old one rounds. Any ideas? BTW both are passive.

Edited January 22, 2020 by bridge

[Maude]

Are the pickups a lot lower in the new one? 

[bridge]

No, They are the same height

 

[skidder652003]

Possibly different pots? The pickups sound like they have different outputs (er..obviously) same year? New or secondhand? Someone may have changed the pups? - edit.. you say they're both origional.

Edited January 22, 2020 by skidder652003

[Muppet]

Both pickups working? Have you taken of the control plate to see if there's anything obviously out of place with the wiring? 

[bridge]

Not done anything yet guys, will take your advice and have a look after work tonight

[Lozz196]

The different strings could be a factor, my passive Precision string with steel rounds is louder than my active Stingray stung with nickel rounds.

[chris_b]

What's the problem? One bass has a higher output than the other. Adjust the amp and, assuming you can make both basses sound good at their respective volumes, you're ready to go.

[ambient]

I think white basses in general are quieter than other colours.

Maybe it’s a tone thing? You’re hearing one as being louder?

[bridge]

There is a massive difference between them, one needs 2 on amp max with loud rock band, other needs 7 

[Jonse]

23 minutes ago, ambient said:

I think white basses in general are quieter than other colours.

Maybe it’s a tone thing? You’re hearing one as being louder?

Black guitars are best for metal. 

[Ricky 4000]

11 minutes ago, bridge said:

There is a massive difference between them, one needs 2 on amp max with loud rock band, other needs 7 

I've had the same thing with two basses that should have the same output but don't.

It's a PITA.

Cheapest way is to probably use a drive pedal or something as a pre-amp.

👍

[paul_c2]

No direct experience but it doesn't seem right to me and it would definitely be worth checking the quiet one to see if there is an electrical issue. You'd be able to check yourself if a pickup isn't working (and I'd not expect such a dramatic output level difference anyway) and neither would different strings make such a difference.

[ead]

1 hour ago, Jonse said:

Black guitars are best for metal. 

Gloss or matt finish?

[Jonse]

6 minutes ago, ead said:

Gloss or matt finish?

Metallic sparkle

[ead]

2 minutes ago, Jonse said:

Metallic sparkle

Of course what was I thinking

[Stub Mandrel]

The loud one isn't a Deluxe is it, they are active...

[bridge]

No mate, both definitely passive 

[Happy Jack]

What about using the two pickups individually? Is each pickup on the new bass running at about the same volume? 

Obviously the neck pickup tends to sound louder anyway on a J (IME anyway) but if the combined volume is less than the sum of its parts, one pickup may have been mounted the wrong way around.

 

[funkgod]

Some mods that might help, given the pickups are ok....worth a try maybe.

on some wiring the earth runs through the pot to the actual plate, so the control plate is the earth run to the jack socket, anything to save a bit of wire !, you could try to tighten all the pot screws and jack socket screw ?

If you feel like a bit of a project then here are two mods that made mine much more reliable for over 20 odd years with no problems, ever. It also sorts out that crackly sound jazz's get when the jack socket gets a  baggy ring,  owww errrrr misses 🙂

1, put a stereo jack socket in, this then will have a pin you can solder to that has a prong contact on to the sleeve of you input jack, as well as the ring of the socket.

2, Run a solid piece of twin and earth copper wire over the top of all the pots right to the lug of the jack socket, then solder to top of pots and jack socket, with a bit of wire sleeving on it between the pots. then solder a link to the other earth lug on the jack socket, ( or just bend the end of the long one and do it in one)

This is the Hogie 1, Mod

simple, tidy, solid, reliable. 100% good sig.

 

( image is only to show the earth mod)

 

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by funkgod

[bridge]

Thanks for all the info guys, looks like I'm going to have a busy weekend 👍😁

 

[Muppet]

I would just check first that the wiring in your problem bass matches the standard wiring schematic for a jazz bass.  You could always just check the bad bass against the actual good one to make sure they match. This is a pretty simple job and is a good starting point before you wade in with a soldering iron!

[bridge]

Possibly different pots? The pickups sound like they have different outputs (er..obviously) same year? New or secondhand? Someone may have changed the pups? - edit.. you say they're both origional.

Edited yesterday at 07:29 by skidder652003

Maybe some light? Just saw this from guy I bought it off  pickups are from an American 60's reissue

Edited January 23, 2020 by bridge

[Muppet]

Hmmm there still shouldn't be such a dramatic difference as you're describing. The new ones could have been wired in wrongly?

[bridge]

Maybe, will check over weekend