50’s vs Modern wiring

[Chistopher]

Re: 50’s vs Modern wiring

Re: 50’s vs Modern wiring

"Decoupled volume controls have much greater output impedance making them darker when you turn down the volume control".

So are you saying that greater impedance in a vol pot (or as in two independent vol pots in the circuit) makes the tone darker?!

Wow! I just learned something new. Teach me more. I want to know.

"Decoupled volume controls", the wiring scheme, leads to the pickups having higher output impedance. The higher output impedance of the pickups reacts with the increasing resistance of the volume pot as you turn it down, making the tone darker. It's pretty straightforward.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: 50’s vs Modern wiring

Re: 50’s vs Modern wiring

OK, hold on guys. This is getting out of hand, and I think it is because you have been assuming that I have been speaking in absolutes. Certainly your responses would imply that. I am talking about the effects of 50's wiring relative to the effects of modern wiring. That is what this thread is all about (reread the title, reread the OP's first post/question).

Will turning down the volume in 50's wiring affect the tone? Yes. But not nearly as much as in modern wiring. That is the main difference between these two wiring schemes (not the ONLY difference). Will turning down the tone pot in 50's wiring reduce the volume? Well, yes, but indirectly, and it depends largely on the value of the capacitor. Turning down the vol pot reduces the amplitude of the signal, making it quieter. Turning down the tone pot reduces the number of different frequencies in the signal without affecting the amplitude of the remaining frequencies, thus making the overall signal "sound" quieter. (Just a side note...I have 4 dozen guitars wired 50's, and none of them totally cut the volume when the tone pot is turned down).

50's and modern wiring have nothing to do with dependent or independent wiring.
.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: 50’s vs Modern wiring

Re: 50’s vs Modern wiring

OK, hold on guys. This is getting out of hand, and I think it is because you have been assuming that I have been speaking in absolutes. Certainly your responses would imply that. I am talking about the effects of 50's wiring relative to the effects of modern wiring. That is what this thread is all about (reread the title, reread the OP's first post/question).

Will turning down the volume in 50's wiring affect the tone? Yes. But not nearly as much as in modern wiring. That is the main difference between these two wiring schemes (not the ONLY difference). Will turning down the tone pot in 50's wiring reduce the volume? Well, yes, but indirectly, and it depends largely on the value of the capacitor. Turning down the vol pot reduces the amplitude of the signal, making it quieter. Turning down the tone pot reduces the number of different frequencies in the signal without affecting the amplitude of the remaining frequencies, thus making the overall signal "sound" quieter. (Just a side note...I have 4 dozen guitars wired 50's, and none of them totally cut the volume when the tone pot is turned down).

50's and modern wiring have nothing to do with dependent or independent wiring.
.

Modern wiring will cut treble while you roll back the volume. But this problem can be solved with a treble bleed. This gives you the best of both worlds . . . No confusing overlap between volume/tone functions, and no loss of highs when rolling back the volume. The problem/difficulty is that you've got to play around with some component values to get the treble bleed tuned just right.