TBX tone control?

[rspst14]

Hey guys, has anyone tried a Fender TBX tone control? Do you like it better than a standard tone control, and can I use it as a master tone control for all three pickups? I'm thinking about wiring up my Strat project with master volume and tone controls, and then using the third knob to control a Fishman TSV piezo pickup. It sounds like the TBX pot gives you more control over the tone than a standard tone pot, but I've never played a guitar that had one of these installed. Thanks.

Ryan

[Benjy_26]

Re: TBX tone control?

AS I heard it, the TBX tone control works as a normal tone control from 1-8, at the end of the rotation, it goes off the circuit (no high going to ground) so that it sounds like there is no pot in the circuit, giving you a brighter tone.

[adrian]

Re: TBX tone control?

Hm, that sounds more like Fenders Delta system? For me a TBX is a staggered tone pot, which means a normal tonepot (250k) from 1 to 5, but from 5 to 10 it goes over to 1 meg tonepot. It means that it can be used a normal tonepot, putting it at 5. Sometimes there is a need for more treble, especially the 2 and 4 positions some treble will help up the quacks, so one can pull it up to 7 or 8. At 10 it gives a ice pick tone. I never use that much treble.

[adrian]

Re: TBX tone control?

Sorry, I always miss some words. I try again:

Hm, that sounds more like Fenders Delta system? For me a TBX is a staggered tone pot, which means a normal tonepot (250k) from 1 to 5, but from 5 to 10 it goes over to 1 meg tonepot. It means that it can be used as a normal tonepot, when putting it at 5. Sometimes there is a need for more treble, especially in the 2 and 4 positions some treble will help up the quacks, so one can pull it up to 7 or 8. At 10 it gives a ice pick tone. I never use that much treble.

[some_dude]

Re: TBX tone control?

I have TBX pots in my Strat. From 1-4 they act as a normal tone pot, at 5 there's a notch and the pots are somehow turned off, so there's no bleed to ground, and from 6-10 they somehow effect the resonant peak which gives it more of a trebly sound.

Atleast, that's how it was explained to me.

I generally run my at 5 all of the time. On the odd occasion that I find my tone isn't punchy enough, I'll turn it up to around 7-8.

[mrid]

Re: TBX tone control?

Honestly, the stock wiring of the TBX control made little difference to me. You might want to try this wiring mod...

http://www.blueguitar.org/new/schem/_gtr/tbx_mod.gif

(Copy and paste link into browser)

[Benjy_26]

Re: TBX tone control?

You're right. Brain fart!

I got my systems mixed up.

[Fresh_Start]

Re: TBX tone control?

IRRC Steve Aloha did a mod using a TBX pot that from 5 down to 1 cut treble ("normal" tone), and from 5 up to 10 cut bass. Kent S. has worked with these circuits a lot and hopefully will stop by.

This site has some useful info on TBX controls. Probably worth while to chase down that thread "TBX Tone Control Mods" on the FDP so that you can chase the links there.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I really like the G&L ASAT style layout with separate treble cut & bass cut knobs (instead of 2 tone knobs) on a strat-style guitar. Maybe you could use concentric pots for that so it only uses one hole in the pickguard?

Chip

[some_dude]

Re: TBX tone control?

That reminds me, I owe Kent S a pick of my control cavity.......

[kmcguitars]

Re: TBX tone control?

Maybe with a mod the TBX pot could be useful ?? But i find the one
I installed in my Strat to be totally useless. Turn it to the right i get
total shrillness. To bright for even playing funk like chords. Turn it
all the way to the left I get complete Mud. If that's suposed to sound
like woman Tone....THAN THAT'S ONE BIG WOMAN!!

[jeremy]

Re: TBX tone control?

i have one guitar with a tbx tone pot, yes you can use it for a master tone.

it is a stacked pot, 250k from 1-5 and 1 meg from 6-10. which means that at 5 its where a normal strat tone would be, turn it up more and you get more top end. it can get overly bright but i think it has its applications.
i use it with the clapton boost and especially on the neck pup with lots of boost its nice to open up the top end some.

[Kent S.]

Re: TBX tone control?

IRRC Steve Aloha did a mod using a TBX pot that from 5 down to 1 cut treble ("normal" tone), and from 5 up to 10 cut bass. Kent S. has worked with these circuits a lot and hopefully will stop by.

Chip

Yeah, Steve's site is where I got his and doc's mod (whoever doc is ...), to answer Ryan's query though, yeah they do offer a bit more control over your tone ...the 250k-A section goes no-load at 5 and up; and the 1Meg-L section is a straight jumper from the CCW to W up to 5 and then starts to increase it's resistance up to a it's maximum (1Meg). I like Ahola's version better than Fender's variable load design, as with the stock tbx you are really putting a load on your pups and then reducing it with the control at max. (Figure 82k in parallel with whatever volume pot you are using as your worst case load; then 1Meg+82k in parallel with that pot as the best case scenario).
The LPF/HPF is a much better way to go (IMO), you pick whatever value cap you want from the LPF side, and then whatever you want for the HPF side, Peavey used the same type of layout (although not the same control) on their Impact I & II guitars that they made briefly, worked very well.
There are of course other options that you can explore with it as well, as it does give you a bit more flexiblity.

[Kent S.]

Re: TBX tone control?

That reminds me, I owe Kent S a pick of my control cavity.......

......Yes, ...you do ....