2 bass questions: stacked vol/tone config and pbass p/u config

[Peter Wilcox]

1st question: I'm making a single pickup bass with a stacked pot for volume and tone. I've never played one before - which way is the easiest to control volume on the fly - upper/center or lower/ring as the volume control?

2nd question. I'm using a pbass type split pickup, and I'm thinking of configuring it the opposite of the way it usually is. That is, the pickup for the trebles farther from the bridge, and the bass strings pickup closer to the bridge. It seems to me this would produce a more even tonal gradation across the strings, instead of the bass strings being bass heavy and the treble strings treble heavy. Anyone with experience or thoughts in doing this?

[Art Davila]

If you were a guitar player, that used your volume to control breakup a lot I would say volume on top. But if it your bass try it that way for awhile, and if you end up not liking that switch it. It doesn't take that long and then you will know which way you like best.

As to the pickups I don't really think that the switch of either will make as much of a difference as where in the body you place it. But if you really want a different sound try placing them further apart from each other. You could make a plywood body and screw down the neck and bridge the move the pickups around when you close in on something that works for you tonally, mark the placements and start in on your quality wood body.

[David King]

As Art says it's worth trying the different configs first before setting in stone. Propping the inverted pickups up over the strings on little blocks works well.
If you want it to sound like a P bass then don't stray too far from the original. That said a lot of folks claim to prefer the swapped locations. In my experience it's subtle. Most P basses are used for their thunderous notes on the E and A strings exclusively and moving that pickup back to a brighter position somewhat defeats their raison-d'etre.

Regarding the knobs, the larger diameter knob will give you finer control while the smaller knob will give you faster action.
I would stick with tradition which put the volume on the bottom and the tone on top.

[Peter Wilcox]

Thanks Art and David for your input. I think I'll try the controls in the usual configuration to start - tone on top and volume on the bottom. As you say Art, it's not hard to change if need be.

I'll try switching the pickups around before I route. It's not a p bass, just using that type of pickup. I've read several threads in different fora since I posted this, and apparently not only does reversing the pickups even the tone, but also the output, the thought being that the less massive strings are farther from the bridge and have a greater excursion, thus increasing their volume.