Rewiring for just tone control on bridge pickup, not neck

gillibi · July 5th, 2008, 05:47 PM

I'd like to get a bit more presence out of my neck pickup and was wondering if there is a way to bypass the tone control on just the neck pickup, leaving it just for the bridge. Just trying to even out the two pickups tones. Please let me know if there is a way, thanks!!!

tjalla · July 5th, 2008, 06:27 PM

Yep... I do this mod often. Super simple... see the wire that goes from the tone pot to the vol pot? Unsolder it from the volume pot and resolder right where the bridge hot wire joins the switch.

Works a treat. Keep the neck PU nice and chimey, preset the bridge PU to the sweet spot - its almost 'set and forget'

The tone knob still works in the middle position, and IMO that's a good thing.

Good luck!

Trevor

dijos · July 5th, 2008, 06:31 PM

i did the exact oppostite of this mod; tone on neck only, never the bridge. Tdowns posted a schematic for me to work off of in tele-tech. (thanks, terry)

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech...-neck-pup.html
hope this helps.

tjalla · July 6th, 2008, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dijos

i did the exact oppostite of this mod; tone on neck only, never the bridge. Tdowns posted a schematic for me to work off of in tele-tech. (thanks, terry)

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech...-neck-pup.html
hope this helps.

...interesting - going for a 'balanced' tele to a 'wide-range' tele... might have to try that sometime!

gillibi · July 6th, 2008, 12:53 PM

Thanks for all the help, it sounds great now!

TG · July 6th, 2008, 01:10 PM

I wire my teles that way too.

Another idea for you...

If you replace the tone pot with a 500k one and change the capacitor to something like a .015 orange drop you might find the tone control to be much more user-friendly.
I tend to never use most guitars' tone controls because IMO it generally just turns a nice electric guitar sound to varying shades of muddy. The first few millimeters of turn is usable but after that...mush.
With the 500k pot and a smaller cap I find almost the entire sweep of the pot clear and usable. It's a slow and subtle change as you turn it, and the top end only gets cut right off at the end of the knob's turn.

tjalla · July 6th, 2008, 01:44 PM

Another cool idea to try - I've used smaller caps before, but not with a 500k. Thanks TG!

kingofdogs1950 · July 6th, 2008, 08:32 PM

I changed the Muddy-caster to no tone control on the neck PU and like it a lot. I realized that I usually have the tone control all the way up for the neck PU. I am surprised at how much more volume I get from the neck PU and how open and clear it sounds. I had to lower the neck PU a little to balance it with the bridge PU. Its a very nice setup.

Mark

scoots · July 7th, 2008, 03:13 AM

my am dlx has what i think they call the "delta tone" pot. this when cranked all the way open kind of locks into place and this is a bypass. this would give you the no load option on both your pups. when using the bridge pup, for the most part i back the volume and the tone down about 1/3 but for distortion i run the volume wide open and the tone wide open (to bypass the tone circut). also bypass the tone circut on the neck pup as well. kinda cool option

July 5th, 2008, 05:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
gillibi TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Dayton, OH Age: 26 Posts: 85	Rewiring for just tone control on bridge pickup, not neck I'd like to get a bit more presence out of my neck pickup and was wondering if there is a way to bypass the tone control on just the neck pickup, leaving it just for the bridge. Just trying to even out the two pickups tones. Please let me know if there is a way, thanks!!! __________________ Strats, Teles, LPs, 335>Rangemaster clone, custom overdrive, Echoplex clone, Leslie clone>modded Fender combos

July 5th, 2008, 06:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
dijos Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: St. Pete Age: 34 Posts: 246	i did the exact oppostite of this mod; tone on neck only, never the bridge. Tdowns posted a schematic for me to work off of in tele-tech. (thanks, terry) http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech...-neck-pup.html hope this helps. __________________ "Kid, it takes a long time"-Danny Kalb to me in NYC, 1992

July 6th, 2008, 12:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
gillibi TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Dayton, OH Age: 26 Posts: 85	Thanks for all the help, it sounds great now! __________________ Strats, Teles, LPs, 335>Rangemaster clone, custom overdrive, Echoplex clone, Leslie clone>modded Fender combos

July 6th, 2008, 08:32 PM	#8 (permalink)
kingofdogs1950 Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Austin Age: 58 Posts: 101	No tone control on the neck PU I changed the Muddy-caster to no tone control on the neck PU and like it a lot. I realized that I usually have the tone control all the way up for the neck PU. I am surprised at how much more volume I get from the neck PU and how open and clear it sounds. I had to lower the neck PU a little to balance it with the bridge PU. Its a very nice setup. Mark

July 7th, 2008, 03:13 AM	#9 (permalink)
scoots Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: sandstone,mn Posts: 258	my am dlx has what i think they call the "delta tone" pot. this when cranked all the way open kind of locks into place and this is a bypass. this would give you the no load option on both your pups. when using the bridge pup, for the most part i back the volume and the tone down about 1/3 but for distortion i run the volume wide open and the tone wide open (to bypass the tone circut). also bypass the tone circut on the neck pup as well. kinda cool option __________________ ...took the tube out of the v1 spot and replaced it with a dilithium crystal (like on star trek)...

July 5th, 2008, 06:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
tjalla Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,891 7 Photos	Yep... I do this mod often. Super simple... see the wire that goes from the tone pot to the vol pot? Unsolder it from the volume pot and resolder right where the bridge hot wire joins the switch. Works a treat. Keep the neck PU nice and chimey, preset the bridge PU to the sweet spot - its almost 'set and forget' The tone knob still works in the middle position, and IMO that's a good thing. Good luck! Trevor

July 6th, 2008, 01:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
TG Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Beside a bog in the west of Ireland Age: 47 Posts: 4,486 7 Photos	I wire my teles that way too. Another idea for you... If you replace the tone pot with a 500k one and change the capacitor to something like a .015 orange drop you might find the tone control to be much more user-friendly. I tend to never use most guitars' tone controls because IMO it generally just turns a nice electric guitar sound to varying shades of muddy. The first few millimeters of turn is usable but after that...mush. With the 500k pot and a smaller cap I find almost the entire sweep of the pot clear and usable. It's a slow and subtle change as you turn it, and the top end only gets cut right off at the end of the knob's turn.

July 6th, 2008, 01:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
tjalla Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,891 7 Photos	Another cool idea to try - I've used smaller caps before, but not with a 500k. Thanks TG!