Been working on tone-knob swells

[MN Punk]

And hot-damn if it isn't fun.

My playing had been in a rut recently, so I've made a pledge to myself to push myself out of the comfort zone a little by using techniques I never really deployed before. For me, the tone knob has always been just something I set for the song and forget about unless I find myself bugged by my sound being too bright or too dark. I knew a that a lot of players (especially Tele players) like to use it as an expression device, but for some reason I never really went there. Tonight I started monkeying with it, and found I couldn't stop. LOL.

It actually made me appreciate my wah pedal MORE, because working the tone knob and manipulating a wah are still very different sounds. I can tell already that I'm going to want to keep both types of weapons in my arsenal.

[spauldingrules]

Put a rubber band over the tone and volume knob, so they both turn when you turn one - that is fun, too.

[Good Iron]

Originally Posted by spauldingrules

Put a rubber band over the tone and volume knob, so they both turn when you turn one - that is fun, too.

Aw the Rubber Band... when they get hot they really stink!

Old joke but just in case someone hasn't heard that one...

Joe Stetson and his hat band... anybody? wow it got quiet. I'll keep the day gig!

[Turbogoon]

i've been practicing this too...

try using the BACK of your pinky, all the way up over your knuckle. That is a nifty trick.

However, I bought some new knobs and they don't have the same grippy-ness - they are less coarse. I think the official fender knobs are better.

[Newfie_J.]

MXR/Jazz bass knobs are one of my favorites and are very easy to get a quick grip.

[MN Punk]

Originally Posted by Turbogoon

i've been practicing this too...

try using the BACK of your pinky, all the way up over your knuckle. That is a nifty trick.

However, I bought some new knobs and they don't have the same grippy-ness - they are less coarse. I think the official fender knobs are better.

I use a reversed control plate so my tone knob is in the middle. I mostly finding it an easy reach to use side of my pinky/hand. I'll try your method though and see how I like it.

[missinglinkwray]

I have a question about tone swells, because I'm practicing them a little bit on my thinline (the knob is hard to reach on it as you can imagine, but I was born big-handed, and it works as long as I just pick with my thumb).

What is the effect of amp volume vs. guitar volume while swelling tone?

To me, it seems like the tone knob has more sweep (i.e. more effect on the sound) when the amp is turned up and the guitar volume is fairly low. I know Jim Campilongo plays this way always (believe he mentions it in his famous Princeton video posted to youtube by Fender), and he's the king of tone knob doodling.

But then, maybe the tone knob "wahs open" more slowly with the amp dimed?

Or, maybe it's that my amp (a super champ XD) gains brightness and definition as it's turned up, broadening the tonal palette, if you will...

What are your thoughts/experiences?