Master Tone-What to do with the 2nd pot?

[Fender_Player90]

I added a 5B5 10 way Freeway Switch to my Strat and after playing with various tone pot setups (neck/middle/bridge no tone and then neck/middle no tone/bridge)....I settled on wiring the 1st tone pot as a master tone and wired it 50s style to the center lug of the Volume pot. I like it best this way. With the 2 tone controls, some weird things happened in the series settings and I just didint care for it. Master tone gives all three pickups a tone control through one quick easy adjustment and I think it sounds better since its simpler wiring and there is no double loading of pots in any position.

That being said currently my second tone pot is hooked to nothing and id like to use it for something. Its a no load pot I was originally using for the blender mod prior to breaking down and buying the 10 way switch. But would like to use it as an extra feature for something I can turn off and remove from the circuit. Is it possible to do the blender mod with the 10 way switch? I know I have the neck and bridge setting but I would be doing this to get the neck partially blended in with the bridge? Another thought is a master treble and master bass cut. Isnt the master tone basically a treble cut so I could add that no load pot as a bass cut and then turn it off when I dont want to use it (turn it up to 10) and have a normal master tone so to speak?

 

[ruger9]

Bass rolloff. Reverend does this on some of their guitars. I've had amps that had alot of bass, and it can't be rolled off anymore on the amp (or there is no bass control)... it would be nice to be able to shave off a little bass at the guitar itself in those cases.

Reverend bass contour wiring diagram?

I was curious if any body might know how to wire the tone control similar to the Reverend guitars bass contour. Here's an example around the 1:20 mark.

www.tdpri.com

 

[nickmsmith]

I just leave mine as a dummy pot. A bass cut is certainly an idea. Wouldn’t get a lot of use from me, but it might be a cool option.

Master tone is the best on any guitar, imo.

 

[bgmacaw]

If I don't replace the pickguard with a two hole one, with the volume knob moved down to the "1 1/2" position, I put in a mini-switch that a can engage the bridge pickup separate from the main 5 way selector. Examples...

 

[NoTeleBob]

Bass rolloff. Reverend does this on some of their guitars. I've had amps that had alot of bass, and it can't be rolled off anymore on the amp (or there is no bass control)... it would be nice to be able to shave off a little bass at the guitar itself in those cases.

Reverend bass contour wiring diagram?

I was curious if any body might know how to wire the tone control similar to the Reverend guitars bass contour. Here's an example around the 1:20 mark.

www.tdpri.com

I like this idea although the pot should probably be a 1 Meg for a bass control.

You could still do a neck-bridge blender. You'd set it up like they normally do to bring in bridge when you're in neck only position. Obviously it would be defeated if you used the 10 way for full neck and bridge.

 

[Fender_Player90]

Bass rolloff. Reverend does this on some of their guitars. I've had amps that had alot of bass, and it can't be rolled off anymore on the amp (or there is no bass control)... it would be nice to be able to shave off a little bass at the guitar itself in those cases.

Reverend bass contour wiring diagram?

I was curious if any body might know how to wire the tone control similar to the Reverend guitars bass contour. Here's an example around the 1:20 mark.

www.tdpri.com

So is the bass cut just a add on feature? Isnt the master tone basically already a treble cut? Then use the no load pot there to bypass when you want normal 1 pot master tone functioning?

 

[ruger9]

So is the bass cut just a add on feature? Isnt the master tone basically already a treble cut? Then use the no load pot there to bypass when you want normal 1 pot master tone functioning?

I've never done the mod, so I don't know. I just know Reverend guitars have it, and alot of people think it's a very useful feature.

 

[Fender_Player90]

I like this idea although the pot should probably be a 1 Meg for a bass control.

You could still do a neck-bridge blender. You'd set it up like they normally do to bring in bridge when you're in neck only position. Obviously it would be defeated if you used the 10 way for full neck and bridge.

More or less would want to bring in the neck in the bridge only position to make that position more usable. A tone control of the bridge with the master tone helps but turning it down too much it goes to mud. Bring in the neck like a 1/4 fills it in some but its still mostly bridge sound with a little something going on.

Another idea im contemplating but would defeat the purpose of a bass cut but on the master tone control doing a partial greasebucket mod. I think the greasebucket mod basically does two things...it basically keeps you turning the tone all the way down by adding a resistor in series with the capacitor and then adds some bass cut so it dosent goto mud and I assume thats the second capactor between the 2nd and 3rd lug of the pot. What if I did this without the resistor and just the two capacitors?

I guess a master bass cut would do something similar but add adjustment to it?

 

[SixStringSlinger]

Bass cut pot 100% (look up the G&L PTB if searching for the Reverend is coming up short; they’re the same thing).

I use it (along with a master, no-lord treble cut) in my American Deluxe Strat (the S1 switch provides series tones) and I love it. Even in the “normal” (single-pickup or parallel) settings, playing with the balance between bass cut and treble cut (and the untouched middle frequencies) is super useful.

I recommend a 1meg reverse audio pot (G&L sells one on their website), but you can use others. My understanding is that a lower-value pot has a more immediate effect as you turn it down. Then just okay with the cap value till you like how it cuts.

 

[Swirling Snow]

It's not a "bass cut" with the sharp cut-off of the treble cut that a standard tone control has. It's more of a slope control, so rather than bass cut, it seems like treble boost. There can be a lot of signal lost cutting both ends, so a compressor or high gain amp is helpful.

 

[Blues Twanger]

I like the bass cut of the PTB on my Legacy but if you want an alternate idea you could right up a 5 or 6 potion rotary with different cap values so that the effect of your master tone can be altered on the fly. It's niche but for some folks who run a lot of pedals it can be mildy useful in finding sweet spots in signal frequency for particular boost, gains, ODs etc etc etc.

 

[birdawesome]

Can’t believe no one has suggested a half-blender! Ability to roll the bridge or neck pickup in for combos like all three pickups at once, or neck + bridge.

 

[schmee]

Add the mid boost!
or
put a switch in to bypass the tone pot completely when using the neck pickup.

 

[Jay Jernigan]

Mid range cut. It's a (very small) coil and a cap. IDK the values; Torres Engineering sold the kits for about six bucks back in the day. Excellent for mitigating excess mid range with extra hot pickups. Leaves the top and bottom, so your mileage Will vary.

 

[ruger9]

Mid range cut. It's a (very small) coil and a cap. IDK the values; Torres Engineering sold the kits for about six bucks back in the day. Excellent for mitigating excess mid range with extra hot pickups. Leaves the top and bottom, so your mileage Will vary.

wow... Torres Engineering, that's a blast from the past! I bought a few amp mod kits from them back in the day