Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

[toejam]

If you've got a one humbucker guitar with only one volume control and you want to get a little more versatility out of it, what do you think would be the better option for it; add a push/pull pot to be able to get single coil tones, or add a concentric pot for a volume/tone control?

[MetalMedal II]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

That's a good question. I think it depends on what kind of pickup that's in there and what you actually want out of it.
I always thought it'd be cool to have a humbucker split to a single coil, so I had that done on a duncan distortion in the bridge of a guitar I made way back when. I thought it'd be cool for clean tones. Turns out I never really used it, as it just made everything sound thin, plus it adds the annoying 60 cycle hum. I think it may sound better if you split a humbucker in the neck position as mayber it'd be warmer (but this doesn't apply in your situation.)

If it were a high gain pu, I'd prefer a tone in there so I could turn down the highs, especially for a clean sound. I drilled another hole in my Model 2 when I installed an EMG81 in there, and I'm glad I did for the clean sound alone - it really smoothes out nice with the tone rolled back a bit!

[Hotrodder]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Concentric pot's are a pain to use, and I don't like bridge hums split.

How about a push pull pot that switches the coils to parallel instead of series.

[mudkicker]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

I have an Aria Pro II rs knight warrior that came stock with a push/pull pot that split the hum into a single. It was very easy to change mid song from single to hum and back again. Depending on sound you want and the type of pickup you use the push/pull pot would work out fine.

[toejam]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Originally posted by Hotrodder:
Concentric pot's are a pain to use, and I don't like bridge hums split.

How about a push pull pot that switches the coils to parallel instead of series.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's an idea... parallel to series push/pull! [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] I had a push/pull added to my Model 5A to split the J95 pup, and it sounds pretty good. The hotter the pickup, the better the single coil sound when split. And a concentric I've never used, but they look like they are a little small and might be a pain. I don't really want to drill another hole in the guitar for the tone pot, so that's out of the question.
I'm picking up another one humbucker guitar soon and just thinking of some things I could do to it. Thanks for the parallel/series idea. That may be just what I'll go for. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[VitaminG]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

what if the push/pull activated a preamp or boost? Maybe a variable mid-boost or something?

[Newc]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

You can wire it to turn on a boost/preamp/circuit thingy.
Concentrics aren't really that bad, though I've only used a Danelectro concentric setup (large knobs). I know StewMac has smaller Jackson-style concentric knobs, but I don't know how smooth they are to turn.

Newc

[toejam]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Originally posted by VitaminG:
what if the push/pull activated a preamp or boost? Maybe a variable mid-boost or something?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, I did kinda think of that, too. EMG's got some concentric VMC (variable mid control) bass circuit that I've heard a couple people say is really good for guitars, also. Maybe I could do something like that on a push/pull.

[toejam]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Originally posted by Newc:
You can wire it to turn on a boost/preamp/circuit thingy.
Concentrics aren't really that bad, though I've only used a Danelectro concentric setup (large knobs). I know StewMac has smaller Jackson-style concentric knobs, but I don't know how smooth they are to turn.

Newc

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I looked at StewMac briefly and saw the concentric they've got. I wasn't sure how big they were, but they looked like they were smaller than a regular Jackson knob for some reason. I guess maybe it was just the pic. If it's about the same size of a Jackson knob or maybe even bigger, that would be cool.

[SweetPete]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Toejam,

I recently installed one of those StewMac concentrics. The lower/outside knob is about the same size as a Jackson, but the inner knob is pretty small. I can post a pic if you'd like - let me know.

[toejam]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Originally posted by SweetPete:
Toejam,

I recently installed one of those StewMac concentrics. The lower/outside knob is about the same size as a Jackson, but the inner knob is pretty small. I can post a pic if you'd like - let me know.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you could post a pic, that would be great. Thanks, Pete! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[SweetPete]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

I'll do so this evening when I get home (EST).

[jgcable]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Push-Pull coil tap for me bro. I hate concentric pots. They are too hard to fiddle with when you are "under the gun".

[SweetPete]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Toejam,

Here's the pics. The 2nd includes a standard Jackson knob next to the concentric one.

[toejam]

Re: Opinions on push/pull or concentric pot for 1 vol/1 tone guitar

Oh, cool!! Thanks, Pete. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] It's a pretty decent size. Maybe I'll get one of those and have the outside as the volume and the inside as the tone.