Is a tone pot really needed?????

TMatt142 · #1 02-07-2008, 03:59 PM

I don't know....I'm in the process of building my 7. It's all painted so now I'm just doing some research into pickups, pickup configs...I've always bought guitars new and kept the stock p/u's in. Now since I'm building one, I'm gona get some Dimarzios (AN 7 neck, Blaze or D Activator for bridge). I've NEVER messed with my tone control, and I don't think I will with non-factory p/u's either. Why should I even bother hooking the damn thing up??? And another question....Could I do a H/ /S config..ya know, bridge hum, then just a single in the neck position, that way I could eliminate the tone pot as well as the 5-way selector and just put in a push/push or push/pull volume???? Any thoughts on that??? The only downside would be having to repaint the front of my guitar....To me though, it's no biggie. If the H/ /S config would work...anyone got a wiring diagram?? I suck at wiring these things...

jb4674 · #2 02-07-2008, 04:57 PM

It's definitely possible and if you want to do away with the tone control, go for it. If it works for EVH, why can't it work for your own purposes?

Jimmy

rastachild · #3 02-07-2008, 04:59 PM

you can definitely omit the tone knob if you so desire. the only thing is it will make your tone a bit brighter (someone smarter than me can explain why this occurs, but it's true).

and by h/ /s do you mean a blank spot in the center? that's been done too, allows for that cool sound when you rapidly change your selector from sustaining pickup to the dead sound in the center position. ace frehley did that a lot.

brothersnowgone · #4 02-07-2008, 05:45 PM

I've done it on the guitar I use for band practice. It's a very beat up 570 (too many kids at our practice house, I'd be stupid to bring a nice looking guitar), with a volume and a mini switch to switch from Bridge(hum) to Neck (single). I never use the tone pot really anyway, just the volume to get different tones.

David McCarroll · #5 02-07-2008, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rastachild

you can definitely omit the tone knob if you so desire. the only thing is it will make your tone a bit brighter (someone smarter than me can explain why this occurs, but it's true).

It's because the tone control is never truly 100% off - on a strat it's only 250k off at best, so there is still a minimal amount of treble leakage to ground.

As an aside, I added a push-pull pot to my Strat to bypass all the pots and send the switch straight to the output socket - I'll be darned if I can hear any extra output or brightness in this setting over the normal vol/tone setup!

TMatt142 · #6 02-07-2008, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rastachild

you can definitely omit the tone knob if you so desire. the only thing is it will make your tone a bit brighter (someone smarter than me can explain why this occurs, but it's true).

and by h/ /s do you mean a blank spot in the center? that's been done too, allows for that cool sound when you rapidly change your selector from sustaining pickup to the dead sound in the center position. ace frehley did that a lot.

Yes, that's what I meant a hum at the bridge, and just a single at the neck. Then i just figured I could use a push/pull pot to switch between the two pickups. It was just an idea I had...I don't like all those knobs and garbage, I think it breaks up the look. Not sure how I would do that type of wiring since I'm new to guitar wiring. It would be easy to fill in the cavity at the neck to fit a single. I just have to sand things back down to do the fill work...Any wire guru can chime in if you can whip up a diagram for me!! (I know that's asking a bit much!)

David McCarroll · #7 02-07-2008, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMatt142

Yes, that's what I meant a hum at the bridge, and just a single at the neck. Then i just figured I could use a push/pull pot to switch between the two pickups. It was just an idea I had...I don't like all those knobs and garbage, I think it breaks up the look. Not sure how I would do that type of wiring since I'm new to guitar wiring. It would be easy to fill in the cavity at the neck to fit a single. I just have to sand things back down to do the fill work...Any wire guru can chime in if you can whip up a diagram for me!! (I know that's asking a bit much!)

The only sound you are likely to miss out on using just a push/pull knob is the rather cool neck and bridge pickup together, which, with a bit of jiggery pokery you could arrange to be split bridge/single coil neck reverse wound reverse polarity so that it is hum cancelling - just a thought.

David McCarroll · #8 02-07-2008, 08:31 PM

that'll do it - you are looking side on at a standard DPDT push pull pot as per StewMac, Dimarzio etc - they all seem to be identical, so just get the cheapest one.

Cheers

David

Dee · #9 02-07-2008, 08:59 PM

I removed the tone pot completely from one of my RG's. On another, I had a custom pickguard made, left the tone knob on 10 and hid it under the guard. Hate tone pots. They are no use to me, I like simplicity. 1 x volume, 1 x pickup selector.

albee1952 · #10 02-07-2008, 09:41 PM

I have a couple of guitars where I took the tone pot and wired it to roll off one coil of the bridge humbucker. Some nice tones in the sweep between full HB and single coil.

brothersnowgone · #11 02-07-2008, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albee1952

I have a couple of guitars where I took the tone pot and wired it to roll off one coil of the bridge humbucker. Some nice tones in the sweep between full HB and single coil.

That's a really sweet idea!

TMatt142 · #12 02-07-2008, 10:16 PM

Wow guys! Some truely great ideas for me to kick around....Thank you David for the quick schematic on the p/p pot, I really appreciate it. "Earth" I take to mean "ground"? Now I've got plenty to do while I wait for a 7-string neck to come up available. Before I started building this.....I found 7-string necks all over the place....Now that I need one...NONE....not anywhere. I'm holding off on placing an order with C.W until necessary. The only benefit to a custom neck is I'll get my maple fretboard I want so desperately.....

kotornut · #13 02-07-2008, 10:46 PM

I'm no fan of the tone knob either, since I don't use it and I always have a wah pedal which is the same function, just with more extremes.

But the pickup will be brighter without that 250k ohm resistance. That could be a really good thing or a slightly annoying thing. So I recommend that you test the pickups (if you can before it's too late in the guitars construction) without a tone knob and see if you still like the sound.

I'm going to try and build a RR V type Warmoth and I'm looking to omit the tone knob too.

I just need to get the cash.

BozTheK · #14 02-07-2008, 11:09 PM

I only ever really mess around with the tone knob. It's no problem that's there for me. I think I'd probably rather get rid of the volume knob, because I rarely use that.

But it looks and sounds fine to bypass one (judging by the amount of superstrats that don't have one) so go for it!

brothersnowgone · #15 02-07-2008, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BozTheK

I only ever really mess around with the tone knob. It's no problem that's there for me. I think I'd probably rather get rid of the volume knob, because I rarely use that.

But it looks and sounds fine to bypass one (judging by the amount of superstrats that don't have one) so go for it!

Really? I find i can change my tone more (for the better anyway) by messin' with the volume. Oh well, everyone's got's thier own methods.