KingBollock Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 After saying in the “Are you 100% satisfied…” thread, that I have decided not to change anything (much…), I did say that the centre detente for the blend knob is really difficult to feel. So, I got to thinking… I stuck a series parallel switch in my passive jazz bass, and I really like it. I wonder if I could replace the blend pot in my active, double P pick-up bass, with a push-pull pot? Pulling out doing the opposite of whatever it’s wired up to do now. Would it being an active bass cause any problems? I know I have push-pull pots and blend pots, but not a push-pull/blend pot, so I’d have to see if I could find such a creature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 No problems with it being active and yes, the series parallel would work, but you then can't blend if you are in series, or at least you could but it wouldn't work well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted January 27, 2023 Author Share Posted January 27, 2023 Yeah, I know I can’t do both at the same time. I tend to stick blend pots in wherever I can, including my jazz bass. To be honest, I only put the switch in there because I accidentally drilled through the front of the bass and thought a switch would be less ugly than a hole… And I just happened to like the way it sounds. I think the problem I have now, though, is finding the pot I would need. The only one I can find is in Canada. If there was more room in the control cavity I might consider just a switch, but there ain’t. I just thought that, since I could really do with replacing the blend pot anyway, I could do both at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 No, not the switch with blend, I mean the concept of blend with series. With parallel you are taking the output of both pickups and blending between them, effectively blending between two pickups. With series the output of one goes into the base of the other - so the output of the second is the sum of both, making effectively one big pickup, so there is nothing to blend with, and even if you did the output of one will be twice the output of the other so it wouldn't work, it would be the same as blending with a coil tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted January 27, 2023 Author Share Posted January 27, 2023 That’s what I thought you meant! I’m sorry I didn’t describe what I want to do more eloquently. The idea would be for the pot to work as a blend pot until pulled out, in which case it would be just a series switch. One which I would have to be careful not to fiddle with. I mostly keep the blend in the middle anyway, which is why it’s so frustrating not being able to feel the detente. If I’ve got it wrong again, just give me up as a bad job, because it looks like I won’t be able to get the kind of pot I’d need to do it with. Thanks for ensuring me that a series/parallel switch should still work fine on an active bass. I might be able to change the volume pot for a push/pull or push/push, both of which I already own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 Bourns makes MN-type blend in 250k and 500k. I have no info whether this is available with a switch. Could you use a tone with a switch? They are far more common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 44 minutes ago, KingBollock said: I’m sorry I didn’t describe what I want to do more eloquently. The idea would be for the pot to work as a blend pot until pulled out, in which case it would be just a series switch. One which I would have to be careful not to fiddle with. I mostly keep the blend in the middle anyway, which is why it’s so frustrating not being able to feel the detente. No you could do that if you had enough poles in the push pull, I did the same thing with a fender S1 switch (in fact, fender do the same with a S1 switch), so as long as you dont' expect the blend knob to do anything in series, then it would work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted January 28, 2023 Share Posted January 28, 2023 (edited) You can do the series/parallel switching on any pot. It would be easier to replace a volume pot for one with push/pull capability and leave the blend as is. The series/parallel switching is independent of the main function of the pot. Of course, once you run in serial, you have essentially only one pickup, and one side of the blend getting a signal. Edited January 28, 2023 by Doctor J 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted January 28, 2023 Author Share Posted January 28, 2023 2 hours ago, Doctor J said: You can do the series/parallel switching on any pot. It would be easier to replace a volume pot for one with push/pull capability and leave the blend as is. The series/parallel switching is independent of the main function of the pot. Of course, once you run in serial, you have essentially only one pickup, and one side of the blend getting a signal. The main reason for starting to think about this, is because I could do with replacing the blend pot because the centre detente is difficult to feel. I might try it with the volume pot if I can find a suitable pot. I think all my pots are for passive basses, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted January 28, 2023 Share Posted January 28, 2023 Problem with a blend pot with a pull switch, if there is such a thing, is the size of it. What you are looking at is 2 volume tracks stacked one on top of each other with a switch on top of that. It would take a very thick body to be able to accommodate that in the control cavity. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 28, 2023 Share Posted January 28, 2023 12 minutes ago, BassBunny said: It would take a very thick body to be able to accommodate that in the control cavity. I had a look and you can get those thing, but yes, they are pretty thick, I would just use the volume and replace the blend on its own if you need that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted January 28, 2023 Author Share Posted January 28, 2023 That is indeed a good point. I will just replace the blend pot like for like. I’d like a better quality one, but there isn’t a great deal of room in the cavity, so I don’t know what my options would be. I normally go for those huge CTS pots. I shall give some thought regarding replacing the volume pot. If I have, or can get the relevant pot from the same place I order the blend pot from, I’ll probably go for it. I want to replace the cavity cover as well. I want to make one with a built in battery compartment. I was hoping to make it using a thin sheet of steel (which I have) and some ebony (to go with the fretboard) veneer, but I’m struggling to find the veneer. I might have to go with a blonde wood and dye it. I’d also use it for a truss rod cover, I think. I might as well do it all if I’m mucking about there anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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