Bass Guitar Pot Values

[marek]

hey guys,

I've just taken delivery of all the parts I need to make my bass, except for the electronics. The problem is I don't know what pots to buy.

The bass I'm building is fretless, and I'm putting in some kent armstrong "hot vintage jazz" pickups, which I guess could be a direct replacement for a fender jazz bass.

If I wanted just 2 volumes and a tone control, what value and scale (lin or log) pots would I need? and also there needs to be a capacitor somewhere, but what value should that be?

Since I'm in the electronics section, I got one other little thing to ask. I was thinking of making the bass active/passive, so it could be played switched off if ever the battery ran out. Has anyone had any luck with any schematics found online?

thanks in advance,

Marek

[Phil Mailloux]

Pots are usually 250K for bass (jazz & P-pickups). The volume should be a log pot and it's your choice for the tone, some use log(audio) others linear.

0.050uf and 0.100uf are the caps usually used in basses

If you want to make a passive/active setup you'll be fine with whatever schematic that will come with your preamp, they usualy have many different versions with all the options available. The schems you can find online like at guitarelectronics.com are also perfect and all work well.

[marek]

cool, thanks that's exactly what I needed. think I'll go passive for now, because it's easiest, and then build one if I ever feel i'll need one. I've only ever owned passive basses and never seen the need to get an active one. What does it matter if the preamp is inside your bass or in a pedal or in an amp?

[VanKirk]

What does it matter if the preamp is inside your bass or in a pedal or in an amp?

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I agree 100%