Zen and the Art of Telecaster Wiring

[normantrophy]

So, this might sound like an odd question, but if the (+) signal from the volume pot to the tone pot is disconnected in a Telecaster, "does it make a sound?"

I'm designing a circuit using an Allparts Superswitch which disables the tone pot in one setting only. To accomplish this, I'm running the (+) signal from the volume pot (which normally goes directly to the tone pot) in through lug 5 on one of the poles, then bridging to lug 4, then to lug 3, then skipping lug 2 and going directly from 3 to 1, then out through the common back to the tone pot. By doing this, the tone pot is intended to be active in positions 5, 4, 3, and 1, but not 2. However, it occurred to me that, since the negative lead off the guitar cord is grounded to the pot shell, this might interrupt the entire signal as it's presently designed (this thing currently exists only on paper, but the parts are on the way). Would I need to install a bridge off of lug 2 directly to ground in order to bypass the tone pot? Will either of these two ideas work? Anyone? Bueller?

[0le FUZZY]

So, this might sound like an odd question, but if the (+) signal from the volume pot to the tone pot is disconnected in a Telecaster, "does it make a sound?"

...Yup!

...Few turn the amp on and haffa cord makin connection and yer volume iss turnt up.

...Lectrics jes goin threw the pot from the hot connection (middow post) tew the post connected tew yer switch.








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[Deaf Eddie]

I had to take another pass at your text, saying you were running the + signal from the volume pot to the switch. I don't believe that I would have said it quite that way - I believe that what you mean is that you're just interupting the path between the tone pot and the + signal at the volume pot. The + signal from the volume pot still goes to the output jack, right?

As I re-read your statement, I assume that your intention is to interupt the jumper between the tone and volume pots to eliminate the tone pot from throw #2. To accomplish this, your first idea is correct.

You do not need a jumper to ground - or anywhere - on lug #2, just leave it open.

Taking the tone pot out of the circuit with the SuperSwitch is really no different than using a no-load tone pot on "10" - except, of course, that for you it's only out of the circuit in throw #2.

Remember, there are more than a few guitars out there that dispense with the tone pot entirely. You don't NEED a tone pot in the circuit to get sound out of your guitar.

[normantrophy]

I had to take another pass at your text, saying you were running the + signal from the volume pot to the switch. I don't believe that I would have said it quite that way - I believe that what you mean is that you're just interupting the path between the tone pot and the + signal at the volume pot. The + signal from the volume pot still goes to the output jack, right?

As I re-read your statement, I assume that your intention is to interupt the jumper between the tone and volume pots to eliminate the tone pot from throw #2. To accomplish this, your first idea is correct.


I suppose I probably did express the idea in somewhat crude terms, but yes, you've grasped the gist of what I was trying to express -- I've come up with a circuit which incorporates your idea of having the original "pre-set bassy sound" available on one of the settings, but I wanted to un-link it somehow from the conventional tone knob. Say, you've got the tone rolled partially-off in some other setting, and you flip to this setting -- I was afraid the combination of the two would result in an unusably muddy tone (the .05uF cap is pretty muddy to begin with). By bypassing the tone control when the circuit is fed through the .05 cap (okay, probably a .047!), I can essentially have two different tone pre-sets, without one impacting the other or necessitating rolling the tone back up to compensate for it. My concern was whether the tone control was crucial to the overall signal path. Thinking about it, I would figure that, you've got stuff grounded to the pot shells, so there must be another signal path, so I can see how it might be possible to simply "unplug" the tone pot and have everything else work. Maybe it's the (-) connection from the jack (I hesitate to call it a "ground") that put this thought in my head. I'm still somewhat new to electronics, so please bear with me -- I can muddle my way through things with enough thought, but I don't always express things in ways that make sense to those properly schooled in electronics.

Thanks for the advice, though!