JB, 1 vol, no tone!

[UCSDBoy]

Hey guys,

I'm going to take the invader out of this all mahogany set neck I have (esquire gt) and throw in a JB... Usually people pair this up with 250k tone pots to help with the highs but in my case I only have 1 volume - should it be 500k or 250k? Should I throw in a resistor to simulate a tone pot?

[mjsever]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

Is it a one or two-pickup guitar?

[ArtieToo]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

Should I throw in a resistor to simulate a tone pot?

You can do this with no problem, just make sure you include the cap also.
Put the resistor and cap in series, (in line), with one another from across the output jack.

[UCSDBoy]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

thanks artie! =)

hey mjsever - it's a one pickup guitar - sorry I don't have a picture - it's basically shaped like a tele, except it's an all mahogany, set neck guitar. The electronics are setup like a Stink182 guitar, one invader and an a volume knob. I dig the invader in an alder body, but you know it doesn't sound that good to me in a mahogany body. I'm not into the high gain pickups too much anyway... I think I'll be way more happy with a JB in this thing than an Invader... my only qualm with the whole thing is I won't have a tone knob - which might be a disservice to the jb...

[Benjy_26]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

You can wire up the resistor and the cap using a push/pull pot to take them in and out of the circuit, kinda like PRS's old "sweet switch". I'm not sure of the schematics, but it can't be that hard. I'll try to figure it out.

[mjsever]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

Should I throw in a resistor to simulate a tone pot?

You can also do this without even opening the electronics panel- just unscrew one of the ends of your guitar cord, and bridge those connections with a resistor (and capacitor, I guess... I've never tried that).

Here's a great tutorial on what resistor values to use:

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/potm.htm

[ArtieToo]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

You can also do this without even opening the electronics panel- just unscrew one of the ends of your guitar cord, and bridge those connections with a resistor (and capacitor, I guess... I've never tried that).

Here's a great tutorial on what resistor values to use:

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/potm.htm

That link, while a good one, is for something completely different, that may only confuse UCSDBoy. With a JB, he should just use a 500k resistor.

[Kent S.]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

You can wire up the resistor and the cap using a push/pull pot to take them in and out of the circuit, kinda like PRS's old "sweet switch". I'm not sure of the schematics, but it can't be that hard. I'll try to figure it out.

Just so you know the sweet switch did not work off any of the normal principles of a tone control ... and switching a cap and resistor simulating a tone knob at ten wouldn't be hardly worth it.

[Kent S.]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

You can also do this without even opening the electronics panel- just unscrew one of the ends of your guitar cord, and bridge those connections with a resistor (and capacitor, I guess... I've never tried that).

Two things here, not that much room one, and then that cable can only be used with that guitar two ... if you see what I'm saying.

[Kent S.]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

That link, while a good one, is for something completely different, that may only confuse UCSDBoy. With a JB, he should just use a 500k resistor.

You know Art, this would be a great place for a concentric pot ... with a 500k/250k he could pick which half he wanted to use ... say the 250k on volume and a 500k on tone; or a 500k on volume and a 250k on tone. Of course that's if you aren't picky about which part of the knob you want.
Personally I'd go for the 500k volume and 250k tone. The JB is most often preferred with a 250k volume, that might work out well by itself, as without a tone it would bit a bit brighter.

[mjsever]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

Two things here, not that much room one, and then that cable can only be used with that guitar two ... if you see what I'm saying.

correct... please allow me to clarify

What I meant to say was, you can bridge your guitar cord with a resistor to simulate the switch to 250k pots and see if like the sound before going through all the trouble of soldering, rewiring, etc. It's definitely not the permanent solution..

[ArtieToo]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

You know Art, this would be a great place for a concentric pot ... with a 500k/250k he could pick which half he wanted to use ... say the 250k on volume and a 500k on tone; or a 500k on volume and a 250k on tone. Of course that's if you aren't picky about which part of the knob you want.
Personally I'd go for the 500k volume and 250k tone. The JB is most often preferred with a 250k volume, that might work out well by itself, as without a tone it would bit a bit brighter.

Yup . . . I shoulda thought of that.

This is the perfect application for a concentric pot.

[Benjy_26]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

Just so you know the sweet switch did not work off any of the normal principles of a tone control ... and switching a cap and resistor simulating a tone knob at ten wouldn't be hardly worth it.

I thought the Sweet Switch was just a way of taking caps and resistors in and out of the circuit. How did the PRS system work?

I spent all night trying to figure ot a way of ding it with a push/pull pot.

Oh well, I don't need sleep that much.

[Kent S.]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

correct... please allow me to clarify

What I meant to say was, you can bridge your guitar cord with a resistor to simulate the switch to 250k pots and see if like the sound before going through all the trouble of soldering, rewiring, etc. It's definitely not the permanent solution..

Ah, okay ... Ya know the SD amps did something similar with passive R and RC loads applied to the input jacks in the form of small plug over thingies.

[Kent S.]

Re: JB, 1 vol, no tone!

I thought the Sweet Switch was just a way of taking caps and resistors in and out of the circuit. How did the PRS system work?

I spent all night trying to figure ot a way of ding it with a push/pull pot.

Oh well, I don't need sleep that much.

Since PRS still offers the sweetness switch component (ACC-4113 I believe is the PRS part number, if you want I'll verify that for you ...I've got it written down in my notes), I won't go into any technical details as to what it is or how it works (sorry). It does have a similar effect of rolling off some highs, but does other things as well. There were later versions of a push/pull tone knob that either put the sweetness switch in or out along with the tone control, this may be what you are more specifically referring too.
The original PRS's like mine (circa '83 or there abouts) has what were called PRS Standard treble and bass pups .. later on they outfitted them with the HFS treble and Vintage bass pups; the standards were ideal for playing thru pedal boards etc. (kinda like the DMZ Paf Pro is as well), but they were a bit to bright into an amp direct; Hence the only way to get them to scream was thru the switchness switch. I shouldn't have said that the principles weren't remotely the same, but the manner in which it does what it does is different. And not related to the way a tone control works.