I'd like to get a tone control/pot with a center detent for my Fender Jazz Bass(es); Who makes them? ... I'd probably use them for my Volumes as well. I think (for myself) they would be very useful, Thanks.
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Center detent on tone control
- Thread starter madjazzbass
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- center control tone tone control
TBH, I think you'd be pretty lucky to find a 250 log pot with a centre click. You might be able to get a centre click pot and swap in a wafer from a 250KA pot of the same manufacturer. A alpha 16m mn blend pot would be easy to do, if you could get a reverse-log (C taper) 250K single gang pot. You'll destroy the single gang pot removing the wafer, but then you can flip it (that's why it has to be a reverse-log pot) onto the lower gang of the blend pot really easily. Just four little tabs. I'm not sure if this will stop the centre click though. It depends how that works.
I have modded pots for years, and I've often had active controls or blend pots on my basses without centre clicks. In this situation, I use the grub screw in the knob as a reference, with it pointing to me at half rotation. Or if it's a push-on type knob, I'll paint a neat line with some white enamel or something. Another bass I have has knobs with 1 to 10 on them...
I have modded pots for years, and I've often had active controls or blend pots on my basses without centre clicks. In this situation, I use the grub screw in the knob as a reference, with it pointing to me at half rotation. Or if it's a push-on type knob, I'll paint a neat line with some white enamel or something. Another bass I have has knobs with 1 to 10 on them...
What is the purpose of the detent? Tone controls are cut-only. There is nothing noteworthy about the 50% point, especially given that they have an audio taper, where the resistance at that point is not one-half of the total resistance.
A little trick to find the mid point, or any other place you would like to find with a volume/blend/tone pots that don't have a detent, is to find the place you want to stop, and loosen the control knob. Move the line (for a Jazz) to face you, or at a screw, or some other easy marked spot, tighten the knob. Bam, it's now easy to positively find the exact spot you want to twist the knob.
On a bass that doesn't have a line, like a p bass, line the tightening screw on the knob to a spot on the bass. I used to do this with the neck pickup volume control on a jazz, where I found the perfect blend point. I pointed the line straight at the front control panel screw and quickly found the same spot every time. This also worked on a bass with an active eq that had a mid sweep. I found the spot I liked and set it so I had the screw pointing at a reference spot on the bass.
Some might have ocd issues with this, but it worked for me. I eventually stopped doing it on the jazz, as I instinctively was able to find the spot, but it does help and you don't have to mod the bass
When touring, I often just put gaff tape on the controls that might get bumped, so they didn't move during a show. I bumped the bass boost a few times during my first shows, and learned to just tape them down after that.
On a bass that doesn't have a line, like a p bass, line the tightening screw on the knob to a spot on the bass. I used to do this with the neck pickup volume control on a jazz, where I found the perfect blend point. I pointed the line straight at the front control panel screw and quickly found the same spot every time. This also worked on a bass with an active eq that had a mid sweep. I found the spot I liked and set it so I had the screw pointing at a reference spot on the bass.
Some might have ocd issues with this, but it worked for me. I eventually stopped doing it on the jazz, as I instinctively was able to find the spot, but it does help and you don't have to mod the bass
When touring, I often just put gaff tape on the controls that might get bumped, so they didn't move during a show. I bumped the bass boost a few times during my first shows, and learned to just tape them down after that.
Dude Thanks, that's a brilliant idea! I like that, Thanks again.
my knobs are the opposite, but I have center detents on everything but volume
when at their detent the screw is facing straight down, but when I roll it back I can see where the screw is & know roughly how far I've traveled & how much of the sweep is left
when at their detent the screw is facing straight down, but when I roll it back I can see where the screw is & know roughly how far I've traveled & how much of the sweep is left
