Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

[DTrane Ultimate Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close DTrane]

Something that explains how tone circuits work and why tone changes with different size volume pots.

Any books that you guys recommend?

thnx

[Myaccount876 Amira-Maker Find all posts View Profile Close Myaccount876]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

It is simple enough that you don't really need an entire book; something more like a website and an article or two would suffice. Passive guitar wirings simply just manipulate where the flow of electrons leads to/ends up, and passive tone controls simply shunt any frequencies above or below a threshold (low-pass filters and high-pass filters respectively) to ground.

Your standard tone control on guitars shunts higher frequencies to ground, making it a low-pass filter (frequencies below the threshold make it through the circuit unaltered, while frequencies above the threshold get sent to ground). The potentiometers are variable resistors that do exactly that: Allow you to easily variate how much resistance is on the component. The tone control in the case of passive guitars is an RC circuit - so you can look into that if you'd like, and mess around with the formula with different values in order to know which frequency becomes the threshold.

Here's two pretty self-explanatory images on how potentiometers/a.k.a variable resistors work:





Here is a website more on manipulating where electrons flow via switches, potentiometers, etc. It covers series/parallel connections, a bit on pickups (which are inductors), phase, shunting, and types of switches along with how those switches work via continuity. Great website for a beginner: http://www.1728.org/guitar.htm

[AlexR Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close AlexR]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

Both the volume circuit and the tone circuit are setup in parallel......as in the signal from your pickup can (and is) sent to either toward the output jack, or to the ground (which means no signal).

Volume - the signal has 2 paths. At 10, the resistance to ground is the designated full rating of the pot. Less resistance means more signal flows that way. It seems that in the guitar wiring, that it is the highs that travel down the ground path first. So a lower K rated pot will sound darker than a higher rated one.

Tone - This is a tuned circuit, with a cap and a pot. The value of each will determine what you get at '10'. Once again, with more resistance to ground, the higher rated pot will roll off the upper frequencies slower...and will tend to give brighter tone at 10. The cap determines the rolloff frequency and how quickly this happens.

Combination - as there is always some leakage, the way the tone circuit is attached to the volume pot matters.
Attached to the input of the vol pot there is a loading added to the signal (I think thats how it works anyhow). The result is a slight loss of highs. As you turn the volume down this gets worse, which makes the pickup darker as the volume is turned down - this is how the 'modern wiring' works.
If you attach the tone circuit to the output of the vol pot, it is somehow disconnected to the loading effect, and your tone regains some clarity. Also, as you wind your volume down the highs aren't sucked away like before. This is also called 50's wiring, as it was how the 50's Les Pauls were wired. The loading as you turn your tone down however tends to drop your volume a bit.

You can also swap the way that the volume pot works....as in the input is connected to the middle lug, and the output to the outer. This is particularly useful in 2 pickup guitars like Les Pauls if you use the middle position a lot, or on any guitar with out of phase switching. This mod makes the volume pots operate independently of each other....meaning in the middle position you can dial one pickup completely out without the whole signal of both going to ground.

[DTrane Ultimate Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close DTrane]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

I have an easier time grasping concepts in print vs computer screen.

I am still trying to understand why different value volume pots affect tone. Or is there no difference in tone with volume only circuits? (EVH style wiring)

I just want to figure everything out once and for all, so I don't ask any more noob questions

[DTrane Ultimate Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close DTrane]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

thnks for the link guys

[AlexR Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close AlexR]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

I have an easier time grasping concepts in print vs computer screen.

I am still trying to understand why different value volume pots affect tone. Or is there no difference in tone with volume only circuits? (EVH style wiring)

I just want to figure everything out once and for all, so I don't ask any more noob questions

Well, as said in my last post, not all your signal will go through to the output the moment you put a resistor into the circuit (any pot) with a path to ground. The more resistance the you have in the volume pot, the less signal goes through to ground.

[DTrane Ultimate Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close DTrane]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

how does a killswitch instead of volume pot affect the tone? Someone said its like taking the muffler off a car, giving pup more prescense

[AlexR Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close AlexR]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

That was probably me.

The killswitch works by turning on or off the hot wire to the jack, there is either an open circuit or short circuit. As there is no parallel path to ground like with a volume pot you hear the full sound of the pickup.

[DTrane Ultimate Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close DTrane]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

yes it was was you Alex.

A long long time ago, I wired the pickup straight to the jack and thought it sounded cool. Didn't realize the tone wouldn't be different than using a pot. Im surprised its not popular.

[IMENATOR Ultimate Tone Slacker Find all posts View Profile Close IMENATOR]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

Here is this an article from SD blog, it has links for several wiring related articles as well. It may be helpful but I am like you about I prefer reading a book than a screen.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/th...iploma-course/

[DTrane Ultimate Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close DTrane]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

thnx for the link. I could always print it

[LtKojak Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close LtKojak]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

Any books that you guys recommend?

Here's everything you need to know to make your guitar sound and play great at all times. Not only wiring, mind you.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_p...ay_Great!.html

HTH,

[hermetico Super Toneologist Find all posts View Profile Close hermetico]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

well, my own "Wiring DIY" section can be of help. IT'S FOR FREE!. No support. It's as is.

http://hermeticoguitar.blogspot.com....iring-diy.html

[orpheo Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close orpheo]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

some guys of the blog are working on writing a book about this. Very comprehensive. I'll check in on how its progressing.

[EliasBolton Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close EliasBolton]

Re: Looking For a Book on Basic Guitar Wiring

well, my own "Wiring DIY" section can be of help. IT'S FOR FREE!. No support. It's as is.

http://hermeticoguitar.blogspot.com....iring-diy.html

Thank you!