All bass tone controls aren't created equal. That's a catch-all description for what is usually a shelving-type EQ control that affects frequencies below a certain level. There's no one standard for what the frequency will be. There's also no guarantee that the slope of the curve around the target frequency will be the same from control to control.
With a semi-parametric EQ, one can not only set the boost/cut level, but can also set the frequency. A fully parametric EQ will also be able to set the slope. If you don't have one of these, your control will work at whatever frequency the designers thought would be appropriate. These parameters matter to the impact of spinning that tone dial. Add to this that the bass control on some amps doesn't behave independently. One example of this is the Fender tone stack found in the Alembic preamps among others. In these configurations, the bass, mid and treble controls all have an affect beyond their primary range.
Now, in addition to considering the quality of the components involved, you also need to consider what the tone control you're tweaking is intended to do. The easiest way to decide what to adjust is to try it and, if it sounds good, the settings you made are fine.
Personally, for performance versatility, I would prefer to have a setting on my amp that doesn't require a lot of adjustment on the bass. That way, if I need to tweak something during a set, I can probably get what I am looking for without going back to the amp. I wouldn't set my bass control to a default of ten on the bass, because then where do you go if you need a little more? Nigel wouldn't approve unless your Orion bass knob goes to eleven.
