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how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:35 pm
by van_muddlestein
I've almost always either completely bypassed the tone knob or left it on ten for most of my guitar playing life. The last day has been filled with messing with rolling it back and fiddling with settings on it and man, it's taking my tones way further than anything has in a while. I know this is a total n00b thing to discover but I've been playing close for going on 20 years and I came from punk rock "bridge pickup everything on ten" mentality...
Pointless thread is pointless, but I was excited and felt the need to share.
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:44 pm
by sonidero
Man teh Tonezzz Knob is where the Tonezzz live... Lot's of pedals sound better with some rollin off...

Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:47 pm
by van_muddlestein
TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. I've been rolling the tone knob down just a little under half way and it's been pretty much the best thing ever.
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:48 pm
by sonidero
van_muddlestein wrote:I've been rolling the tone knob down just a little under half way and it's been pretty much the best thing ever.
Makes Pedlols Mo Betta...

Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 4:30 am
by misterstomach
i've been rewiring the guitars to not even have it. guess i'll never know. i can't imagine bothering with adjusting it during shows. i plug in and rock out and try to have to stomp on as little shit as possible.
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 4:36 am
by kbit
I like the idea an aesthetic of no tone knobs, but they are really nice sometimes. Especially for having separation on different sections whilst looping. Also, P-Bass with tone rolled off -> Rat Tail is awesome.
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 7:21 am
by t-rey
van_muddlestein wrote:bridge pickup everything on ten
I'll probably always be this way

Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:52 am
by D.o.S.
Tone Knobs are like Keith Morris's bands.
Best when Off!
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:04 am
by van_muddlestein
misterstomach wrote:i've been rewiring the guitars to not even have it. guess i'll never know. i can't imagine bothering with adjusting it during shows. i plug in and rock out and try to have to stomp on as little shit as possible.
See, most of my guitars that's how I've done it. I've either left them on 10 or completely removed them. But I'm digging it lately and it's adding so much more to the sound I'm trying to get. Now, I'm not getting too crazy with it, I'm still leaving it at one specific setting but it's rolled off nonetheless. I'm thinking about wiring up a varitone type switch where it's bypassed on one setting, rolled off to a specific setting on another, and a different roll of on the next. That might be better for me, personally.
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:04 am
by van_muddlestein
t-rey wrote:van_muddlestein wrote:bridge pickup everything on ten
I'll probably always be this way

Do work, son.
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 5:26 pm
by fishinjim
Your not alone in this, Van.
Though its been off and on, I'm 20 years deep into playing as well.
Always left everything wide open on the guitar and dialed out the treble on the amp.
Just in the past couple years did I start really fiddlin with the volume and tone knobs on my guitars.
I like your vibratone idea. Right now I have my knobs marked up with a sharpie so I can see the 1/4 way turns better for different settings.
btw, this is my first post, so hello everbody.
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 5:31 pm
by Ancient Astronaught
Welcome!!!!!!

Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 7:51 am
by benjuro
I'm not far behind you guys who never bothered rolling it off until recently.
Now, to get all corksniffer/TGP tone snob on yer asses...if it's an inexpensive guitar and you've got some soldering skills, try replacing the cheapo capacitor on the pot itself with a better quality ceramic disk or drop cap. Look up the recommended value for the pickups you use, or experiment to give it a different taper...
Makes no difference if it's all the way up, but totally worth the $1 and 10 minutes it'll cost you if you do ever use the tone control...
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 2:58 am
by van_muddlestein
benjuro wrote:I'm not far behind you guys who never bothered rolling it off until recently.
Now, to get all corksniffer/TGP tone snob on yer asses...if it's an inexpensive guitar and you've got some soldering skills, try replacing the cheapo capacitor on the pot itself with a better quality ceramic disk or drop cap. Look up the recommended value for the pickups you use, or experiment to give it a different taper...
Makes no difference if it's all the way up, but totally worth the $1 and 10 minutes it'll cost you if you do ever use the tone control...
I must try this now. Trip to my local electonic parts store is imminent.
Re: how have I never appreciated a tone knob before?
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:02 am
by AxAxSxS
oh hell yeah, I'm kinda the opposite in that I used to roll the tone knob off. I like a really dark sound and kinda hate string squeeky noises. Lately I've been swapping out the caps to be appropriate for what I want. That way I can have everything "on 10" and get the guitar to sound how I want. Lowering the pickups has also been a good thing to experiment with.