Correct and/or Best Wiring Method?

[zozoe]

Greetings~ Over the last 2 years, I finally learned how to DIY my Strat pickguards from scratch, & with great success & satisfaction.
But I'd like some clarity and thoughts about the handful of variations of:wiring my single Tone to my single volume, & then out to the output jack....
Typically, I take the Middle tone lug to the middle Volume lug, them from there on to the + output jack...
I've also seen schemes of Middle Tone lug to the left Vol lug, then from the middle Volume lug to the output jack.
FWIW, 99% of my pickguards have a single master Tone, master Volume, & a Blender control pot.
So, what might be the pros, but cons, or attributes for each writing options?
Many thanks~

 

[beaubrummels]

I believe the pickups will see more of the load from the tone when tapped off the outside lug of the volume, before it goes through the resistor track of the volume pot, than when the tone is tapped off the center output of the volume to the jack. The impact is how the tone interacts with the volume. I believe the tone would behave fairly linearly when it's interacting directly with the pickup before going through the volume resistor track. Tapped off the center output of the volume, I would expect the tone is now dependent on the level of signal coming out of the volume pot, so might have a slightly different rolloff or darkness depending on the volume setting? I'm sure some electronics genius will be along to correct me.

 

[zozoe]

Cool, but which is the better way to go, if there even is a 'better' 'best' for these alternatives?

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

There isn't a better or best way, it's a case of what you prefer.

This is a good description of the options and the effects:

https://www.fralinpickups.com/2020/09/01/6-powerful-ways-to-wire-up-a-tone-pot/

 

[Artie]

There isn't a better or best way, it's a case of what you prefer.

This is a good description of the options and the effects:

https://www.fralinpickups.com/2020/0...up-a-tone-pot/

That's a nice paper, but I think it adds a bit of confusion. The first three are electrically, and tonally, identical. You pick the one that's most convenient for the control cavity. Since a tone control is a rheostat and cap in series, it doesn't matter the order. The connection point does have some impact, as beau eluded to. The two labeled "50's wiring" are also identical to each other. Again, just a matter of convenience. The "oddball" is the last one labeled "60's wiring." It's identical to the first three. I don't know where that guy is getting the "signal-to-noise ratio" idea from. SNR isn't a factor here. The signal doesn't care which way it goes through the carbon track, since it's AC. (It wouldn't matter if it was DC either.)

Hope I didn't make things more confusing.

 

[Artie]

Here's a diagram I did a long time ago showing eight different ways to wire a tone control that are electrically, and sonically, identical:
The little "circle" can be connected to either the input or output of the volume pot.

 

[zozoe]

Thanks guys, but ARTIETOO, it sounds like you're saying there's no audible difference after all this toiling,,, if I'm hearing you right?....

 

[Artie]

Thanks guys, but ARTIETOO, it sounds like you're saying there's no audible difference after all this toiling,,, if I'm hearing you right?....

There is an audible difference, (albeit subtle), depending on whether you connect to the input or output of the volume pot. "Output" being the middle lug, and "input" being the lug opposite of ground. But there is no difference on which of those eight scenarios you use illustrated above. It only depends on where you connect the "little circle" to the volume pot. Sorry if I made that more confusing then helpful.

I'll post, (a little later), my favorite tone connection technique, (lower left, in that diagram), to those two different connections on the volume pot.

 

[Artie]

Like this. Connecting to A or B will have a subtle tonal impact. Which of those eight tone circuits you use, won't.