Quote from: JimmyJ on Yesterday at 06:24:01 PMHow about this: In mono with a pan pot you can adjust your pickup balance on the fly without affecting the overall volume. As in, if you need a suddenly bright sound for a musical passage you can pan over to the bridge pickup and without losing output level. With individual controls, suddenly turning down the neck pickup would substantially reduce your volume.

You're right that in stereo it might not be as useful although I'm sure there are some creative spins on that too.

Jimmy J

Yes that makes sense. But that actually is an advantage of a pan knob. Yet most people here seem to prefer two volumes knobs or say it is better. Maybe it's a more 'pure' sound?

Neither one is better than the other, it's whatever YOU prefer. 

The traditional design since the beginning of Alembic, likely based on all electric guitars at that time, was two individual volume controls.  I don't think the pan pot option appeared until many years later.  And maybe only when active electronics became more popular.  Anybody know of any passive instruments with pan pots?  Seems like that would load the pickups in a weird way...

But it's all up to you which you might prefer.  Alembic can build whatever you dream up! 

Jimmy J

Hi, Greg, good to see you and that beauty again!

Peter

Quote from: JimmyJ on Today at 07:33:53 AMNeither one is better than the other, it's whatever YOU prefer. 

The traditional design since the beginning of Alembic, likely based on all electric guitars at that time, was two individual volume controls.  I don't think the pan pot option appeared until many years later.  And maybe only when active electronics became more popular.  Anybody know of any passive instruments with pan pots?  Seems like that would load the pickups in a weird way...

But it's all up to you which you might prefer.  Alembic can build whatever you dream up! 

Jimmy J

I have a Yamaha RBX60 bass; P-J p/ups, passive with V-P-T.
Being a guitarist (as much I'm anything; even saying that's a big stretch) I don't play it much, but it works just fine, and I like it.
I'm sure there are others, but I couldn't name them.

Peter