Tone knob altenative?

[Fatty]

I have the tone knob disconnected in two of my guitars.. Anyone know of anything cool I could put in place of the tone pot? (ex. Mid boost, etc) I'm not really looking for anything specific, just need ideas.

[southadc]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

I've just removed the tone pot from one of my guitars (never use it), and replaced it with an EMG-SPC (Strat Presence Control, active mid-boost on a pot).

This is actually quite cool - with it rolled off, the pickup sounds as normal (to my ears), but cranking it up dials in more mids, fattning the sound up nicely and making pinch harmonics a bit more accessible. The only minor gripe I have is that removing the tone pot increased the highs on my sound a little, but I'll probably tame them by changing out the 500k volume pot for a 250k volume pot.

There are other circuits about, the EMG-RPC (resonant peak control) is another one. I think this is supposed to make a humbucker behave a little more like a single coil (?), with the SPC designed to make a single coil more like a humbucker. Try this link:

http://www.emginc.com/displayproducts.asp?section=Accessories&categoryid=32

I think Kent Armstrong may do something to, but don't hold me to that

[ArtieToo]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

Make it a "personality" control. Perhaps more useful than a tone control.
Take whatever your present volume control is, and double it. Lets say, its a 500k. Make it a 1 meg. Get another 1 meg just like it. Mount it in the tone hole with a 100k resistor in series.

Wire it up like this:



If your old volume pot was 500k, now, you'll vary the load from approximately 525k to 90k. If your old pot was a 250, you'll very from about 285k to 85k.

It should have a very nice effect on the guitar. If it works, I'll try it on mine.

(J/K . . . I'm getting close to wiring this into mine now.)

[some_dude]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

The EMG-SPC has already been covered.

The EMG-RPC boosts your highs while simultaniously dropping your lows. It's already been said, but it's supposed to make a HB sound more like a single coil.

EMG-EXG (Guitar Expander), or scoop control, boosts your highs and lows while reducing your mids.

EMG-AB2 (Afterburner preamp booster) this provides upto 20db of clean boost activated by a push-pull pot and is adjustable by rotating the knob. Great for those who rely on riding the volume for gain control and for those who want to saturate their tubes for compressed and screaming leads.

[southadc]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

The EMG-SPC has already been covered.

The EMG-RPC boosts your highs while simultaniously dropping your lows. It's already been said, but it's supposed to make a HB sound more like a single coil.

EMG-EXG (Guitar Expander), or scoop control, boosts your highs and lows while reducing your mids.

EMG-AB2 (Afterburner preamp booster) this provides upto 20db of clean boost activated by a push-pull pot and is adjustable by rotating the knob. Great for those who rely on riding the volume for gain control and for those who want to saturate their tubes for compressed and screaming leads.

I don't think you can use the EMG-EXG with passive pickups, but I may be mistaken.

[some_dude]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

I don't think you can use the EMG-EXG with passive pickups, but I may be mistaken.

Your right. I got a little carried away there .

[southadc]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

Your right. I got a little carried away there .

Fair play - the only reason I spotted it is because I wish I could! I did once wonder about fitting an EXG and an SPC to a guitar, so I could scoop the sound for rhythms, and get a midboost for leads. Alas, it'll only work if I fit EMG pickups too

[ArtieToo]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

I'm pretty sure that you can convert passive p'ups to active, if you really want to, by using the D-TAR Eclipse on-board mixer/preamp.

I haven't actually used it myself, but you can pop over the D-TAR Forum and someone could answer better than I.

Or, maybe Evan will pop in.

[some_dude]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

Fair play - the only reason I spotted it is because I wish I could! I did once wonder about fitting an EXG and an SPC to a guitar, so I could scoop the sound for rhythms, and get a midboost for leads. Alas, it'll only work if I fit EMG pickups too

I'm seriously looking into the EMG-KH21 (2x81s) loaded pickguard for my Strat. I'd love to drop an EXG and SPC in it as well (plus a PA2 and Pi2 )

[southadc]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

I'm seriously looking into the EMG-KH21 (2x81s) loaded pickguard for my Strat. I'd love to drop an EXG and SPC in it as well (plus a PA2 and Pi2 )

Sounds good!

[southadc]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

I'm pretty sure that you can convert passive p'ups to active, if you really want to, by using the D-TAR Eclipse on-board mixer/preamp.

I haven't actually used it myself, but you can pop over the D-TAR Forum and someone could answer better than I.

Or, maybe Evan will pop in.

Yeah? That would be cool. Taking a quick look at the link, do you reckon that could be used to mix an EMG with a Livewire? Just an idea I had while I was glancing over it. I've fancied the idea of an EMG 85 neck, Seymour Duncan LiveWire Metal Bridge for ages now, but there seem to be too many practical difficulties.

[Stratoplayer]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

I think everything has been covered except for the Clapton circuit, the TBX tone control, or the Spin-a-Split.

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

You could rock the G&L PTB (passive treble bass) but you need two tone controls for that...one pot for bass and one for treble. Basically it's just a normal tone pot but one of 'em is used to turn the bass down and one is used to turn down the treble -- like having a vintage amp's controls right at your fingertips.

[ArtieToo]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

Yeah? That would be cool. Taking a quick look at the link, do you reckon that could be used to mix an EMG with a Livewire? Just an idea I had while I was glancing over it. I've fancied the idea of an EMG 85 neck, Seymour Duncan LiveWire Metal Bridge for ages now, but there seem to be too many practical difficulties.

I'm almost positive that you could do that. In fact, that device was created precisely for the function of mixing an acoustic pickup, with an electric pickup.

I'll post this question over at the D-Tar forum, and see what comes up.

[Fatty]

Re: Tone knob altenative?

Wow, thanks for all the info guys. I'll have to read it over more thouroughly tomorrow.. little late tonight.

Any more suggestions?