3 way toggle switches on basses

[Inflames626]

So, I've noticed a lot of basses from the 80s and early 90s had 3 way toggle switches. Something like this Jazz bass comes to mind.

Why was this done when a traditional Jazz bass setup or stacked blend volume pot would seem to offer so much more flexibility?

I can understand a 3 way toggle on a guitar when isolating one pickup is a common thing. But not so much on a bass when you more frequently want both pickups involved somehow.

 

[jeremy]

i think plenty of bassist use just one pup at a time a fair amount. comes down to what works for the player like most things

 

[Chistopher]

I feel it's because on a two pickup bass I tend to have the bridge full on, but blend the neck in.

 

[Inflames626]

As a guitarist, I would just keep them both on full if a J bass. If I am using a passive J bass, I find going bridge only gives a more hi fi, faux active pickup sound. Occasionally I might use that. A J neck pickup by itself is not a pleasing tone, IMO. Both positions are meant to be used to fill out the tone.

I just tend to associate 3 way toggles on basses with a very specific time in luthiery--mainly DiMarzio and BC Rich in the late 70s and early 80s. I may have seen toggles on some Rics but other than that not much.

I know a lot of people like to pull things out of the circuit, etc., to change the tone. I have read this is one reason why a 3 way toggle is used on basses. But I feel like this is a lot of trouble for not a lot of benefit. Others probably have good justifications for doing it though.

My 2 P NJ Warlock is tone/tone/volume/volume and they certainly interact with each other when they are adjusted. But I'm not sure it's enough to warrant wiring straight to the jack and ignoring pots, etc., for the sake of a tone improvement.

 

[jeremy]

lots of 80s and 90s basses had three way switches too. jackson and charvel for example