Volume Control!

[Happy Jack]

Big discussion in my band at the moment about volume levels and settings, not helped by the fact that I think the guitarists use their controls / pedals / amps in a fundamentally different way to me.

Mutual incomprehension.

Interested to find out whether I'm as far off-target as they seem to think I am.

[Sibob]

I assume you mean the volume on the bass!

I'll leave my Bridge pickup on full, adjust the Neck pickup to taste for tonal reasons, and use my amp for gig volume.

Si

[Clarky]

The fewer permutations with me the better at a gig. I have the volume on full, the treble rolled back slightly (on my Ps) and don't touch them from the soundcheck onwards. I tweak the amp volume if needs be

[velvetkevorkian]

It's on or it's off as far as I'm concerned.

[6stringbassist]

I don't have one !

[maxrossell]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='658506' date='Nov 18 2009, 08:22 PM']Big discussion in my band at the moment about volume levels and settings, not helped by the fact that I think the guitarists use their controls / pedals / amps in a fundamentally different way to me.[/quote]

I could be wrong but that may have something to do with the fact that the volume pot dictates the amount of gain driving the front end of the amp, which for a guitarist means that if they roll off the volume pot they have less overdrive or distortion. It actually doesn't have that much effect on the db volume when running into a high-gain channel until below 5 or so, whereas on a bass the volume pot acts more like a master volume (unless you're also using gain breakup effects).

[Spoombung]

It's the most useless thing on a bass ever.

[thisnameistaken]

I either have it on 10 or 0, so I suppose I could get away with a switch instead, but I think switches look ugly on basses.

[OldGit]

I don't understand the problem.

It's the balance and suitability of the volume levels for the tune / event / room / audience that matters, not if it indicates 1 or 12 on the volume setting.

[Marvin]

Full on. No compromise.

[jwbassman]

Tend to set my bass volume to full - set gig level at the amp - let the fingers deal with dynamics...

[Ou7shined]

Full on 95% of the time but roll back a notch for quieter passages, intros etc.

[King Tut]

I'm glad someones posted this. Andy Viccars (well respected local luthier and bass player) always reckons you should roll the volume on the pickup back a bit to find it's sweet spot. I usually have mine full on but do roll it back occasionally for quieter passages - but I'm interested - DOES volume level affect the tone?

[teej]

um... my upright doesn't have one.

[BigRedX]

On full (it sounds better) all of the time. Only used to fade out ringing notes at the end of songs. That's it.

[Pentode]

Did someone mention Andy Viccars?

Ees' a top geezer - done some cracking work on my basses!

[wesfinn]

a always slightly roll back from full. I get a sweeter tone that way. plus my p bass clips a bit with the volume on full.

[Buzz]

I have both of mine slightly rolled off my my Jazz bass as the pups sound nicer like that, it's normally around 75%/95% forward/back split, with my Aerodyne I have to roll off the p-pup otherwise it just overrides the j-pup. T-Bird is similar to the Jazz.

[chardbass]

All or nothing.

Play hard, play soft or tweek, bass and mid controls for a bit more harrumph.

[BassTool]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='658609' date='Nov 18 2009, 09:47 PM']On full (it sounds better) all of the time. Only used to fade out ringing notes at the end of songs. That's it.[/quote]

+1 exactly the same

[spinynorman]

If I've got one volume control, it's full on most of the time, unless I really think I'm too loud mid song. If I've got two, one gets rolled off a bit. Never had 3.

[ashevans09]

Hmm I alter it from time to time depending on the song. I try to avoid messing with my amp because the smallest tweak on it results in a huuuuuuge change in volume which considerably annoys sound guys + others in band.

[xgsjx]

Mostly on full as the envelope filter works better when used if there is a hotter signal going in. I used to have is rolled back slightly, but there's no difference soundwise. Only time I turn it is when I want no sound & it goes right down. An on/off switch would be better.

[OldGit]

If the question is "does your bass sound better if the volume controls are set at 10, 8 or 5?" then we should probably differentiate between actives and passives.

[Adrenochrome]

Full all the time on all basses.
With guitars it can be very different as a dirty amp can sound clean when the volume of the guitar is backed off, as someone mentioned earlier. This allows quieter/cleaner passages in a song without fiddling with amp or effects.