Anybody NOT prefer treble bleed?

[alex1fly]

Let's discuss.

I've always had treble bleed in my guitars. Whether it was factory wiring or luthier work, I just took it for granted that my highs would stay as I rolled the volume down.

Got my SG back from a re-wire (to remove the PCB) and there's no treble bleed. I'm trying to take the opportunity to play with it as is... definitely different, though, having volume and high end linked together like this.

Who uses a non treble bleed setup? What do you like it for?

[zizyphus]

I'm a die hard treble bleeder myself

I actually use a rather weak resistor in my treble bleed circuits so that the tone brightens a little as I roll it off, because I'm usually trying to clean up a dirty sound when i'm playing with my knob (eewwwww)

[beaubrummels]

I've only had them in a couple guitars. It's a patch to solve a problem. Not every guitar has that problem.

I've had one where it didn't sound right at all. Basically, instead of preserving treble while rolling the volume down smoothly, it just removed bass for the whole travel of the volume knob and then suddenly rolled the volume down and shut off in the last couple numbers on the dial.

There are some guitars where I actually found it useful having it darken a touch by rolling the volume down, for certain kinds of music with certain kinds of amps. Gives me rhythm tone and lead tone with barely an 1/8 of a turn on the volume.

[Mincer]

Not for me. I dig the darker sound.

[Strat1127]

I have treble bleeds in both my Gibson LP Custom and Classic. I have to admit..I can't tell much difference and I often use my neck pickup for clean tones dialed down to about 1 or 2. My Epiphone LP Modern has it built in and does seem to make a difference. Also, I just purchased a Toneman Guitars wiring harness for my SG Deluxe. He doesn't use them in any harness he makes. He wires everything 50's style which has been said doesn't need a treble bleed but that is subjective.

[ErikH]

I don't care for it. Tried it multiple times with may different values. There was one set of values (cap and resistor) that worked great with a set of DiMarzios. That was about it.

[alex1fly]

Interesting takes, thanks!

I'm just so used to volume knob doing volume and tone knob doing high end. One knob, one function. It's a mind**** to have volume do two functions. But I can see the wisdom in the rhythm/lead back and forth. Maybe I need to dial in more treble to the amp to have on tap... I just find myself wanting more high end but the tone knob only reduces highs.

[jeremy]

i dont usually like em, though you can dial them in if you take the time to do so. even then, i usually prefer it without

[Mincer]

I love the fact the volume gets slightly darker as you turn it down. To me, that is a bonus!

[JB_From_Hell]

I like it on my PRS, but don’t like it on a Strat.

[AlexR]

Treble bleed sound hideous to me - as in artificial.

I have many guitars, so wasting a lot of time trying to tune a lot of guitars with a more complicated system is wholly unappealing.
Also, I tend to set up my tone with the neck pickup, meaning you are always removing treble from the bridge slot. In that scenario you simply don't need to worry about an overly dark tone when rolling the bridge down.
So the 50's wiring works well. I'm mostly vintage strength and vintage control type setup too.

[eclecticsynergy]

I don't have a preference that applies globally; for me it varies by guitar type.

Love 'em in my PRSs. Back in the 80s, my first PRS was also my first experience with a treble bleed.
I was blown away by the sparkly clarity of its cleanup. At the time I thought it was due simply to the pickups.

Don't generally see any need for them in Strats or Teles, though my HSH and HSS guitars mostly do have 'em.

With Gibsons, I'm long accustomed the rolloff when dialing back. It feels natural, simply the way they should behave.
Still, a number of my Les Pauls use 50s wiring so the treble loss is far less pronounced.
In certain cases I have used a bleed cap or 1MΩ pot on the neck humbucker in a dark sounding guitar.

[Mr. 80's]

I prefer my volume to roll off a little high end when I bump it down. I like it better than using the tone knob.

[Ayrton]

None here

[BluesIsBlood12]

It's pretty essential for me. That or 50s wiring.