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Going tone-knobless

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  • Going tone-knobless

    I just did a pickup swap in one of my guitars, but the new pickup just doesn't seem fat enough.

    I put in a dimebucker/jazz combo. The jazz sounds pretty sweet, but it almost sounds like there is some twang in the dime. I have it pretty much as close to strings as it will let me, thinking this may help alleviate it and get it meaner. Could I be wrong here?

    The biggest thing I did was go with a no tone knob wiring. I've never once used the tone knob, so I figured it could go. If you wire something with no tone knob, is it the same as wiring it with one but always keeping it full on? That is what I thought, but I dunno.

  • #2
    if you have a tone control, the higher resistance the pot will mean it will resist flow thru the tone cap. so signal will flow thru it and bleed off the highs if its a lower value resistance pot. most tone pots are 250K which is half the volume pot. with that in mind, you will have some signal flowing thru it all the time even if its rolled all the way "on". so hooking up your tone pot again may help you fatten it up. although, I would recommend my mothers raspberry pie ala mode, and her carrott cake to fatten anything up.

    try lowering the dime pickup. I find lowering them adds a fuller range of tone. I have heard that its because its picking up a larger frequency range of the string's vibration. that might be bullshit, I dont know. I just think it might help you. close to the strings isnt all that great IMO.
    "clean sounds are for pussies" - Axewielder

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    • #3
      Having the pickup too close to the strings can reduce the ability of the string to oscillate, only in high-output passive pickups, cos they got the larger magnets that can pull on the string, and the Dime is one of these. This may not impact the tone as much as taking off the tone knob cos of what was said above

      Personally, never tried the Dime, but heard it is up on the mids, for some reason "ice pick" to the ears come to mind. Maybe someone here used that term...
      "Your work is ingenius…it’s quality work….and there are simply too many notes…that’s all, just cut a few, and it’ll be perfect."

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      • #4
        There was a discussion about this recently in this thread. Disregard any posts by Twitch as they were highly inaccurate and misleading.

        _________________________________________________
        "Artists should be free to spend their days mastering their craft so that working people can toil away in a more beautiful world."
        - Ken M

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        • #5
          Hey, I admitted I had my series/parallel math backwards, give me a break. My schematic was 100% correct.
          Last edited by Twitch; 01-17-2011, 07:01 PM.
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          • #6
            Good discussion there. So it sounds like if I add a tone and just throw it in the cavity or something that it will bleed off a little of the highs.... that may be what I need. I'll try lowering the pickup first.

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            • #7
              My Jacksons have 250K tone pots. I don't like them in the circuit, so I clip the hot wire. Occasionally I re-wire the guitar with 2 volumes so I can do the switch-flipping tricks like you can do with a Les Paul but really I'm fine with just a volume.

              However, everyone is different and you might just not be one to like a guitar that doesn't have a tone knob rolling the highs off a little. Hell, the Tone Zone is supposed to be kind of dark and into a 500K pot and nothing else that thing just sizzles, and I love it. YMMV.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by thebigz View Post
                Good discussion there. So it sounds like if I add a tone and just throw it in the cavity or something that it will bleed off a little of the highs.... that may be what I need. I'll try lowering the pickup first.
                You can also just add a 500k or 250k resistor instead of the pot, if you wish. This would be just like having the tone pot turned all the way off.
                "It's hard to be enigmatic if you have to go around explaining yourself all the time"

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Twitch View Post
                  Hey, I admitted I had my series/parallel math backwards, give me a break. My schematic was 100% correct.
                  You also replaced a tone pot + cap with nothing. Correct is not the word I would use, but what do I know :think:
                  "It's hard to be enigmatic if you have to go around explaining yourself all the time"

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                  • #10
                    I do not like the sound without a tone pot in the circuit. I highly recommend 500k pots for both volume and tone.
                    Widow - "We have songs"

                    http://jameslugo.com/johnewooteniv.shtml

                    http://ultimateguitarsound.com

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                    • #11
                      Just thought I'd post a quick report....

                      First thing I did tonight was add a tone knob. I could hear that it took some of what I hated away, but not nearly enough.

                      I changed up the pickup and swapped the dimebucker for an old JB I had (yes, the dreaded JB). I can tell definite improvement. HUGE difference. I haven't had time to really play around and see if I like it all the way, but the JB has done a lot to help!

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by marcus View Post
                        You also replaced a tone pot + cap with nothing. Correct is not the word I would use, but what do I know :think:
                        Maybe not pertaining to the OP, but it was a suggestion. If its wrong than my Kelly came wired wrong from the factory, as well as my Predator. From the factory they have no tone circuit. I have also rewired my DKMGTFF to reflect exactly what I posted, because its the basis for the diagram. I guess theyre all wrong. Im sorry I missed the point of the OP about not wanting the extra high end, but fundamentally my diagram IS correct, just not relevant.

                        My apologies to the OP of this thread.
                        HTTP 404 - Signature Not Found

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                        • #13
                          There is little to no difference in output or tone whether or not you have a tone control or tone controls or not.
                          If you experience a HUGE difference you either have junk pots or the wrong values.

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                          • #14
                            sounds like you have the Dime wired wrong. The lack of a tone knob would not cause an issue.
                            shawnlutz.com

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                            • #15
                              If there was a bit of twang, any chance you wired it up as a single coil?

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