Switch the Tone With the Best Bass Varitone Switch
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Platinum Lab V6B Varitone -
Stellartone ToneStyler Bass Varitone Switch -
CertainBass Varitone Switch -
Santellan Sounds Elek-Trix Bass Varitone Switch -
Carfrae Customs 6-Way Varitone PLUS -
Buyer's Guide
The varitone introduces a useful way to manipulate the frequencies of a guitar signal. Introduced into the market in 1959 by Gibson, the varitone switch acts as a notch filter that passes the signal through capacitors that remove or reduce the specified frequency. Though they were first prominent in electric guitars (B.B. King’s classic Lucille guitar is one of the more prominent axes to feature one), it wasn’t long before bassists joined the party, with the first bass varitone switch being put into the Les Paul Signature bass in the early 1970s. Today, the bass varitone switch is still something of a rare find, but we’ve compiled a list of the best varitone switches in 2022. Each one listed here offers at least three different tonal settings to switch between, has the ability to be installed at home without requiring professional attention, and can work with a multitude of separate capacitors to provide the wide tonal range that they provide.
Here Are the Best Bass Varitone Switches of 2022
Platinum Lab V6B Varitone - Best Bass Varitone Switches Overall
The Platinum Lab V6B Varitone switch comes from the folks at Rothstein Guitars. Designed to work specifically for bass guitars, the V6B features five tonal filters to give you plenty of options to play with when crafting your sound. The unit is also true bypass, so your original signal won’t be tarnished by the implementation of this varitone switch when it is not in use. Installation is easy, with all that's required being two wires get connected. The V6B also comes with detailed instructions for those who need further guidance.
Stellartone ToneStyler Bass Varitone Switch - Runner Up
Forget that old traditional tone control on your bass guitar – you know, the one with just one lone capacitor that just isn’t giving you enough tonal abilities. Here comes Stellartone to save the day with their ToneStyler varitone switch. The ToneStyler provides 14 different capacitors that all are equipped to shape the highs and mids of your signal’s frequency range, while instilling the power and fidelity of the original tone. Choose between 16 different settings, including one that offers no capacitor and one that emulates the tone of a wide-open standard control. With such a wide range available at your fingertips, the Stellarstone ToneStyler provides bassists with a whole new palette of tones to play with.
CertainBass Varitone Switch - Honorable Mention
Mark Certain is definitely bold when he boasts that his CertainBass Varitone is the very best varitone on the planet, but when examining the range of tones that the unit is capable of producing, it doesn’t seem all too outlandish. There are six positions available; the first position is a flat signal, while 2-4 provide the classic tones of premiere bassists Jaco Pastorious and James Jamerson. The fifth position provides a scoop of the midrange that brings the tone over into Stanley Clarke territory, and the final position emulates a P-bass or any other type of single pickup bass. The CertainBass is passive and requires no battery. To top it all off, the unit comes with a lifetime warranty.
Santellan Sounds Elek-Trix Bass Varitone Switch - Consider
Santellan Sounds’ Elek-Trix varitone switch has been designed to bring out a new range of sounds for Fender Jazz and P-bass guitars. Installation is simple and requires no soldering; the Elek-Trix’s Terminal Block allows you to connect to your axe quickly and easily. The P-Bass version of this varitone switch provides four different settings to choose from, ranging from a dark vintage tone to a more bright and modern sound. The Jazz bass option offers similar modern and vintage sounds, as well as a blender control to create a mix of both sounds. Santellan stocks their gear with top-quality parts; the incorporation of elements from trusted brands such as Panasonic, Oak-Grigsby, and CTS have all been selected to ensure that your sound quality is never compromised.
Carfrae Customs 6-Way Varitone PLUS - Best Bass Varitone Switches
Carfrae Customs’ 6-Way Varitone PLUS can help bring out tones from your bass guitar that might have seemed impossible at one point. Operating out of Des Moines, IA, the company offers an attentive, hands-on approach that one can expect from smaller companies/manufacturers. Installation is simple, and the folks at Carfrae are also available to send wire markings and diagram instructions along with the item to help make the entire process even smoother. Once installed, your bass guitar will have six different tonal options to choose from. In addition to being a great addition to a bass guitar, the 6-Way Varitone PLUS can also be calibrated with your 6-string electric guitar too.
Buyer's Guide
With the guitar market filled with multitudes of options to choose from, it can get quite difficult to choose the best bass varitone switch for your needs. This is why we have compiled this complete buyer's guide to help you make a better and informed decision. This guide compares and reviews all the best bass varitone switches so you don't have to.
Important Things to Consider Before Buying a Bass Varitone Switch
Bass varitone switches are used to filter out specific frequencies that you do not want the guitar to output when playing something. To that end, these switches are put into guitars. These switches use capacitors to remove a certain frequency enabling you to play freely without the hassle of having to play while also ensuring not to play a certain note by accident.
Frequency filters
The bass varitone switches use different capacitors to filter our different sound frequencies. One of the most important things to consider when buying these switches is the range of frequencies you want or could find yourself in the need for filtering out during your jamming sessions. Having a wide range of capacitors enables you the freedom of playing exactly like you want with the music sounding as good in real life as it did when you came up with it.
Sound shaping
These bass varitone filters are not just for filtering out certain frequencies. They are also used to reshape the sound of the highs and the mids of your input signal’s frequency range. This enables you to alter the input signal as you want it to sound. These characteristics should be kept in mind when buying bass varitone filters. The kind of music and the frequency ranges you will be playing or are prone to play mostly is an important consideration when buying these varitone filters.
Different instruments
Most of these bass varitone filters also enable the guitarist to play sounds and frequencies that are not that of a traditional guitar— for example, playing a range of sounds that resemble Fender Jazz and P-Bass guitars. Most musicians find themselves having to go to extraordinary lengths to include these frequency ranges in their music flow. With the addition of these characteristics in the bass varitone switch, playing a different and more enhanced musical symphony has never been easier. Therefore these three considerations when buying a bass varitone switch are extremely important.
What Are the Different Types of Bass Varitone Switches?
In today's market, there are many different bass varitone switches to choose from. They include a wide range of different frequency filters and noise sound profiles to choose from. Most of the modern music created today includes the use of these bass varitone switches in their music production somewhere in the process. This is why these switches have become an essential part of the creation of a specific type of melody. Experienced musicians and guitarists know exactly what kind of sound they want to produce and that is why they incorporate different switches in different guitars. From stopping a certain frequency band to altering some frequencies to a certain degree to even playing the sound from another instrument on a guitar, these switches can do it all.
What Sound Profiles Can Bass Varitone Switches Produce?
Bass varitone switches are able to produce different sounds using the same guitar. Sounds ranging from dark vintage notes to more modern bright sounds, these switches can give your sound and music production a refreshing yet truly reminiscent sound profile. While it is true that a produced sound can never be as good as the original production of an instrument, these switches do come really close to producing the same sound of different instruments enabling you to be more confident in your music production workflow. The bass varitone switches have become an industry standard for many guitarists and music producers when it comes to limiting a certain range of frequencies or playing a sound that can otherwise require an entirely different instrument to produce. These switches enable musicians to have the freedom to play around with the sound profile until they get it almost right.
How Do We Pick Our Top Choices?
All of the products listed in this complete buyers guide have been thoroughly reviewed and studied before making their way into this guide. We take into consideration the price, brand reputation, quality of the product, and‚ most importantly, customer reviews.
Reviews
User reviews are some of the most important considerations when researching a certain product. Since user reviews enable us to find the pros and cons of a certain product, we go through them religiously and understand all the problems (if any) these users have faced with a product. The products that make it to this complete list of the best bass varitone switches havevery few bad reviews, which is what makes this guide the ultimate buyer's guide for the best bass varitone switches of 2022.
Best Bass Varitone Switch FAQs
Q. What are the care instructions for a bass varitone switch?
A. Bass varitone switches are pieces of delicate electric components. Even though they can be used and interacted with quickly, the expensive hardware they contain needs to be dealt with in a careful manner during assembly. It should be noted that the wires on the switch should never be pulled with force since that could break or loosen the connections.
Q. Do I need different bass varitone switches for different workflows?
A. Bass varitone switches can accomplish a range of different tasks like not allowing certain frequencies to pass and producing sounds that resemble different instruments. It is important to understand your own requirements and then buy the right switch for you. This can be one, two, or even more switches.
Q. Do all guitars come with a bass varitone switch?
A. Although most bass guitars come with some sort of a varitone switch, not all are equipped with one. This is why most people consider buying these bass varitone switches to incorporate the required musical frequencies in their music. With different switches producing different ranges of frequencies, it can be helpful to have these switches.
