Should I Kill My Tone Control?

[7th Hell Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close 7th Hell]

Hello!

I just wanted to ask for your opinion on Tone Controls on a guitar. I recently bought a Schecter Omen 7 guitar, and will be replacing the stock pickups with Seymour Duncan's. I'm thinking of the Custom for the bridge, and a '59 for the neck (both 7 string versions). Here's my question- the guitar came with 1 vol and 1 tone control, with a 3-way toggle switch. I had heard in magazines from EVH and George Lynch that the tone pot robs a pickup of some serious tone. That's why their signature guitars have only 1 vol control. Is there any truth to their statements? When I pop in the Seymours, I'm considering re-wiring it so that I end up with a 3-way switch and 1 vol pot. The old tone knob and pot will be dummies, controling nothing. Feel free to recommend other pickup choices too!

Thanks for your valuable opinions!
7th Hell

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

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

without tone control you have a bit more highs. The tone control "sucks" high end...
I have my tone control disconnected, too.

[STRATDELUXER97 Stratoblaster Tone Meister Find all posts View Profile Close STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

Hello!

I just wanted to ask for your opinion on Tone Controls on a guitar. I recently bought a Schecter Omen 7 guitar, and will be replacing the stock pickups with Seymour Duncan's. I'm thinking of the Custom for the bridge, and a '59 for the neck (both 7 string versions). Here's my question- the guitar came with 1 vol and 1 tone control, with a 3-way toggle switch. I had heard in magazines from EVH and George Lynch that the tone pot robs a pickup of some serious tone. That's why their signature guitars have only 1 vol control. Is there any truth to their statements? When I pop in the Seymours, I'm considering re-wiring it so that I end up with a 3-way switch and 1 vol pot. The old tone knob and pot will be dummies, controling nothing. Feel free to recommend other pickup choices too!

Thanks for your valuable opinions!
7th Hell

The tone control does take some of your highs away.Moreso with 250k pots..Why not install a No load Tone pot that you can make yourself? That way you can have the best of both worlds...Check out my "How To" on how to do this....I Like to keep my tone pots in the event I need to remove too much highend on the fly..

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

John

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

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

I had the lead pup on my Dean Z (Invader) rerouted to bypass the tone control. That thing screams now. I never used it on that instrument anyway, though I did leave the neck pup hooked up through it, so I can get that woman tone when I want, which isn't often, but I get in the mood for it every once in awhile.

[Sequanselar Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sequanselar]

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

now, here's a question, If if a 2 vol. 2 tone , guitar, If I disconnected the one for the bridge I'd gain more treble, but still have my tone control for the neck and be able to add more darkness when I have both pups on.

right?

[TwilightOdyssey Darkness on the edge of Tone Find all posts View Profile Close TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

Welcome to the board, 7th!

I have 2 George Lynch guitars, and one Wayne ... all of 'em are without tone controls. I simply don't use 'em. The only guitar I have w/a tone control is my Strat, and I keep it dimed, anyway.

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

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

The tone control does take some of your highs away.Moreso with 250k pots..Why not install a No load Tone pot that you can make yourself? That way you can have the best of both worlds...Check out my "How To" on how to do this....I Like to keep my tone pots in the event I need to remove too much highend on the fly..

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

John

Dude, you rule...!

I've been trying to buy no load Fender pots for awhile, but can't find them anywhere. I'm thinking about modding my strat so that I can dial in the volume of one coil of a humbucker, as opposed to complete coil splitting...but I did want the ability to have the bucker full on and I think I need the 'no load' to do it right.

Thanks for all the great info, bro!

Farkus

[STRATDELUXER97 Stratoblaster Tone Meister Find all posts View Profile Close STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

Dude, you rule...!

I've been trying to buy no load Fender pots for awhile, but can't find them anywhere. I'm thinking about modding my strat so that I can dial in the volume of one coil of a humbucker, as opposed to complete coil splitting...but I did want the ability to have the bucker full on and I think I need the 'no load' to do it right.

Thanks for all the great info, bro!

Farkus

You're welcome buddy....Contact me if I can help you further in any way..Thanks for the compliment also...

John

[ArtieToo Peaveyologist Find all posts View Profile Close ArtieToo]

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

now, here's a question, If if a 2 vol. 2 tone , guitar, If I disconnected the one for the bridge I'd gain more treble, but still have my tone control for the neck and be able to add more darkness when I have both pups on.

right?

That is correct. If the tone control is wired pre-3/5-way, you'll only have it in the positions that are "selected".

BTW - I disabled the tone control on both my SD equiped guitars once. It was way to bright, and piercing. Now, they're back in, even though I almost never use them.

[TwilightOdyssey Darkness on the edge of Tone Find all posts View Profile Close TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

BTW - I disabled the tone control on both my SD equiped guitars once. It was way to bright, and piercing. Now, they're back in, even though I almost never use them.

All of my SD-equiped guitars have no tone control, and I don't think they're overly bright at all. Of course, I roll the treble way down, too ...

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

Re: Should I Kill My Tone Control?

I took the tone pot out of my schecter avenger 7, and replaced it with an EMG-SPC (the 'fat' control) to give a variable mid-boost. Very pleased with it.

The pickups did brighten up a bit - I'm gonna change them out to a Jazz/JB set soon, and experiment with changing the volume pot out for a 250k pot. If it's too bright then, I'll just use a resistor in series with the old capacitor.

If you're going to leave that slot empty, have you thought about a second volume pot? I put an EMG 707 set in my other seven string, with 2 volume pots and no tone, and I liked the results there too.