let's talk about tone switches

[dubkitty]

yeah, an .022 will shave the treble right down to the bone. and Fenders use an .047!

[LoriNagle]

Hello....On the off chance that they're the tone handles, at that point one is (as I review) an ace tone control, and the other is only for the center pickup. Or on the other hand something. Attempt them both with various pickup choices.

A few people never utilize the tone controls, however they can be convenient. Set your amp altogether too trebly, at that point move back with the tone control. In the event that you, at that point need to slice through the blend, simply roll the tone control forward a bit.

pcb quote

[Dandolin]

nice first post - welcome!

As far as cap values, I tend to agree that the industry standards are a bit heavy-handed for my tastes.

I prefer the Tonestyler type select-a-cap to a Varitone - the inductor puts you into cocked-wah type sounds, which can have its uses, but isn't what I want most of the time - a simple LPF will do. I'm also a huge fan of the HPF-type circuit in a guitar - a la Reverend. Most of the time, I prefer a selection of caps on a switch to a single cap and pot, but sometimes you get lucky and the right cap/pot interact with your amp/pickups/effects perfectly. But usually, I'm just happier clicking in a new cap.

Framus used a two-knob LPF/HPF arrangement on an archtop I have - it works really well....

[dubkitty]

that sounds really intriguing. i'll have to look for a schematic.

at some point i'm going to A/B test the ToneStyler against a Varitone...there's a shop in New Jersey that sells a drop-in for like $80. i'll do the thing where you make a cardboard mounting surface connected to the guitar's circuit via long leads with little alligator clips so i can swap them in/out without having to go spelunking inside the guitar and soldering way more than i want to do.

[Dandolin]

sound plan

[qersty]

How do these react with fuzz and other devices with charming impedance fuckery?

[Dandolin]

Tonestyler types, and Gretschy mud switches work fine - they're basically like switching in a tone knob rolled all the way back, but the ability to choose the cap gives you more or less lowpass effect....

The varitone is more of a bandpass (the inductor cuts the lows and the cap cuts the highs), so more in cocked wah territory, but passive and lower Q, so more subtle. For my taste, I prefer the non-inductor variety, but that's consistent with my overall preference for lowpass over bandpass. I've gotten good use of a varitone though, so like most of these things its about hooking shit up, twiddlin' and listenin' - you might like the way a varitone sounds better.

Setting a varitone up with a blend knob increases chances of happiness - the blend controls how much of the effected freqs are shunted to ground - it's not a Q control, but it can help if you want a little less honk.

It's intersting that Gibson came up with the Varitone, given the general middiness of their pickups already. I've always thought a varitone might work better with a strat....

You can throw a varitone circuit into a pedal box and it works just fine, I assume a tonestyler type cap selector switch would work just as well....

Being passive, these circuits are less prone to making your precious Mullard'd tropical fish fuzzface go all wonky....

As expected, you'll also get different kinds've howls from oscillatin' devices - could be good, could be worserer - ymmv.

[dubkitty]

i'm really glad i started this thread...i'm learning stuff i would have taken months to find on my own.

[dubkitty]

Jorma Kaukonen did pretty well with a Varitone in Jefferson Airplane.

[Dandolin]

Def - his tone still stands out as unique to this day....

[spacelordmother]

I just stumbled upon this randomly -- tone switch for single coils using resistors:



http://guitarwiring.blogspot.com/2010/10/wiring-for-p90-pickups-soapbars-dog.html

[dubkitty]

so do i understand correctly that this is functionally a stepped high-pass filter? that could be handy with P-90s which can be pretty tubby-sounding if they're not precisely dialed in.

[Dandolin]

that's my understanding of it....

[dubkitty]

i'm still somewhat unclear as to the roles various components play in tone circuits/controls.

[chromandre]

so do i understand correctly that this is functionally a stepped high-pass filter? that could be handy with P-90s which can be pretty tubby-sounding if they're not precisely dialed in.

no I don't think this is correct. the function of the resistors in this case decreases high end, functionally the same as using a lesser value volume pot. you lose some high end just by doing that.

I also wanted to mention the "treble bleed" circuits which counteract that same issue. I personally liked the "kinman" type,