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Verne Bunsen · January 19th, 2009, 07:00 PM

I'm trying to make room for some switches on my control plate and am considering wiring it up with no tone pot, just a master volume pot. I always leave the tone pot wide open anyway, I do all my adjustments on an eq. Anyone ever done this? Hows it sound?

Chris Leger · January 19th, 2009, 07:04 PM

Yea. I have mostly always done it on my Teles. One of these days I'm going to treat myself to a custom plate so I'm not looking at a hole every time I pick it up.

It will sound about the same as a "no load," or a bit brighter than with a standard pot dimed.

JohnnyCrash · January 19th, 2009, 07:08 PM

It's a bit more open, especially on the top end.

I rarely use Tone controls either.

robt57 · January 19th, 2009, 07:10 PM

I pulled my tone in one Tele for a vari-tone. The volume tames it, I hardly ever run the vol wide open unless the vari-tone is in a non bypass position,

Guitfiddler · January 19th, 2009, 07:18 PM

I use my tone knob a lot. I always play with the volume all up, so it's a necessity for me to be able to darken the bridge/brighten the neck. You could bust out the router and put your extra switches under the pickguard.

PaperTiger · January 19th, 2009, 07:27 PM

i am interested in this mod too. Ive changed pickups and minor things like that but it might be over my head. Let us know how it goes.

Chris Leger · January 19th, 2009, 07:35 PM

It's as simple as tearing it out. All you need is something to cut the wires.

A soldering iron would be better, obviously.

PaperTiger · January 19th, 2009, 07:41 PM

gotcha, thanks for the heads up.

jefrs · January 19th, 2009, 07:48 PM

If you don't ever use the tone pot, go for it.

Me, I've had guitars with switches all over them, I now prefer one vol, one tone.

Verne Bunsen · January 19th, 2009, 10:20 PM

I've heard that from a number of folks, seems like there's a curve to it, you start screwing with your wiring and it gets weirder and weirder until you start going back the other way and end up relishing the simplicity of 2 pots and a 3 pos switch. Thats alright, I'm up for the ride

Thanks for all the input guys, it's been most helpful! I'm heading out of town for a couple weeks, but I think I'll give it a shot when I get back. Worst case, I change it back. I can handle that.

Rob DiStefano · January 20th, 2009, 04:59 AM

Depends on yer requirements - I prefer making a tone pot no-load and have the best of all worlds. Need to add a switch? Use a push-pull DPDT no-load tone pot.

Verne Bunsen · January 20th, 2009, 05:24 AM

Yeah, I've already got both pots as push/pulls. I'm looking to pull the tone pot, add a hole to the control plate and end up with 2 on/on/on switches and the volume pot. What I'm looking for is a way to get series/single/parallel switching for both pups without routing new holes. And, while I never touch the tone pot I do occasionally roll off the volume, so I'd prefer to keep that pot. I've never used a no-load pot, just seen them mentioned around here. Just allows you to run wide open with no treble bleed?

Rob DiStefano · January 20th, 2009, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Verne Bunsen

Yeah, I've already got both pots as push/pulls. I'm looking to pull the tone pot, add a hole to the control plate and end up with 2 on/on/on switches and the volume pot. What I'm looking for is a way to get series/single/parallel switching for both pups without routing new holes. And, while I never touch the tone pot I do occasionally roll off the volume, so I'd prefer to keep that pot. I've never used a no-load pot, just seen them mentioned around here. Just allows you to run wide open with no treble bleed?

A no-load pot totally removes the tone pot/cap from the circuit - this has nothing to do with "treble bleed", which is - at its simplest form - just a .001uf cap across the volume pot's input and wiper lugs.

For what you want to do, you need to add an on-on-on mini/micro switch.

FWIW, I don't like using those small push/pull pots for a guitar's volume control - not enuf sweep range to volume attenuation. It matters much less for tone pots, IMO.

octatonic · January 20th, 2009, 05:53 AM

I go for 1 vol, 1 tone with a momentary kill-switch between them.

I had a tele with EMG's and the midrange booster in place of the tone pot.
Ultimately I found it limiting.

Verne Bunsen · January 20th, 2009, 05:55 AM

Thanks for the clarification on that, Rob! And yeah, I have been disappointed with the sweep of this push/pull; if I can get the on/on/ons in there I could do away with it and get back to a "proper" pot, which would be nice.

GuloGulo · January 20th, 2009, 07:12 AM

I don't use a tone too much but I can't seem to get rid of it. Its the poor mans wah pedal, especially if you wire it right.

Doug Ferguson · January 20th, 2009, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

Depends on yer requirements - I prefer making a tone pot no-load and have the best of all worlds. Need to add a switch? Use a push-pull DPDT no-load tone pot.

+1. I'm getting ready to drop one in my #1. I rarely touch the tone, but occasionally I'll darken it a bit. The no-load will give me an Esquire bridge tone on a tele, but allow me to tweak it if needed. The best of all worlds indeed!

January 19th, 2009, 07:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
Verne Bunsen Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Anchorage, AK Age: 29 Posts: 287	No tone pot? Yea? Nay? I'm trying to make room for some switches on my control plate and am considering wiring it up with no tone pot, just a master volume pot. I always leave the tone pot wide open anyway, I do all my adjustments on an eq. Anyone ever done this? Hows it sound?

January 19th, 2009, 07:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 8,743	It's a bit more open, especially on the top end. I rarely use Tone controls either. __________________ -- I constantly have to remind myself I'm a grownup and it's just the internet.

January 19th, 2009, 07:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
robt57 Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lost Yankee in Nashville Age: 52 Posts: 5,862 22 Photos	I pulled my tone in one Tele for a vari-tone. The volume tames it, I hardly ever run the vol wide open unless the vari-tone is in a non bypass position, __________________ Leo's Great, Leo's Good, let us thank him for our... Twang!

January 19th, 2009, 07:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
Guitfiddler Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: IH-35, Texas Age: 26 Posts: 376	I use my tone knob a lot. I always play with the volume all up, so it's a necessity for me to be able to darken the bridge/brighten the neck. You could bust out the router and put your extra switches under the pickguard. __________________ http://myspace.com/colourwheelmusic

January 20th, 2009, 05:53 AM	#14 (permalink)
octatonic Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2007 Location: An Australian in London. Age: 37 Posts: 2,733	I go for 1 vol, 1 tone with a momentary kill-switch between them. I had a tele with EMG's and the midrange booster in place of the tone pot. Ultimately I found it limiting. __________________ "A jazz musician is a juggler who uses harmonies instead of oranges." Benny Green

January 19th, 2009, 07:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
Chris Leger Banned Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Hampshire Age: 44 Posts: 923 2 Photos	Yea. I have mostly always done it on my Teles. One of these days I'm going to treat myself to a custom plate so I'm not looking at a hole every time I pick it up. It will sound about the same as a "no load," or a bit brighter than with a standard pot dimed.

January 19th, 2009, 07:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
PaperTiger TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Six Flags) Age: 23 Posts: 25	i am interested in this mod too. Ive changed pickups and minor things like that but it might be over my head. Let us know how it goes.

January 19th, 2009, 07:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
Chris Leger Banned Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Hampshire Age: 44 Posts: 923 2 Photos	It's as simple as tearing it out. All you need is something to cut the wires. A soldering iron would be better, obviously.

January 19th, 2009, 07:41 PM	#8 (permalink)
PaperTiger TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Six Flags) Age: 23 Posts: 25	gotcha, thanks for the heads up.

January 19th, 2009, 07:48 PM	#9 (permalink)
jefrs Friend of Leo's Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Newbury, England Age: 54 Posts: 2,133	If you don't ever use the tone pot, go for it. Me, I've had guitars with switches all over them, I now prefer one vol, one tone.

January 19th, 2009, 10:20 PM	#10 (permalink)
Verne Bunsen Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Anchorage, AK Age: 29 Posts: 287	I've heard that from a number of folks, seems like there's a curve to it, you start screwing with your wiring and it gets weirder and weirder until you start going back the other way and end up relishing the simplicity of 2 pots and a 3 pos switch. Thats alright, I'm up for the ride Thanks for all the input guys, it's been most helpful! I'm heading out of town for a couple weeks, but I think I'll give it a shot when I get back. Worst case, I change it back. I can handle that.

January 20th, 2009, 04:59 AM	#11 (permalink)
Rob DiStefano Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Park Ridge, NJ Age: 63 Posts: 5,154	Depends on yer requirements - I prefer making a tone pot no-load and have the best of all worlds. Need to add a switch? Use a push-pull DPDT no-load tone pot.

January 20th, 2009, 05:24 AM	#12 (permalink)
Verne Bunsen Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Anchorage, AK Age: 29 Posts: 287	Yeah, I've already got both pots as push/pulls. I'm looking to pull the tone pot, add a hole to the control plate and end up with 2 on/on/on switches and the volume pot. What I'm looking for is a way to get series/single/parallel switching for both pups without routing new holes. And, while I never touch the tone pot I do occasionally roll off the volume, so I'd prefer to keep that pot. I've never used a no-load pot, just seen them mentioned around here. Just allows you to run wide open with no treble bleed?

January 20th, 2009, 05:55 AM	#15 (permalink)
Verne Bunsen Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Anchorage, AK Age: 29 Posts: 287	Thanks for the clarification on that, Rob! And yeah, I have been disappointed with the sweep of this push/pull; if I can get the on/on/ons in there I could do away with it and get back to a "proper" pot, which would be nice.

January 20th, 2009, 07:12 AM	#16 (permalink)
GuloGulo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Eastern US Posts: 274	I don't use a tone too much but I can't seem to get rid of it. Its the poor mans wah pedal, especially if you wire it right.

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