Greasebucket clips?
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freefrog
Well-known member
Fender Greasebucket:
https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/image.png?id=27534202&width=377&quality=80
Distant memories tell me that it was meant to reproduce the behavior of a tone pot + a very old paper in wax cap, whose capacitance would have drifted and ESR rised.
To me, the most important part of this circuit is the 4,7k resistor to ground, preventing the pot to actually reach 0/10.
Practically, a Greasebucket circuit @ 0/10 is like a tone pot with a 18nF cap and set a wee bit above 0/10.
To the OP: I've no reliable sample to share but the circuit can be emulated externally with two resistors, two caps and some alligator clips.
It requires the original tone pot of the test guitar to stay @ 10/10 and to use a guitar cable with one of its male jack shells unscrewed, giving access to hot and ground. Then the components can be wired like below, with twisted legs and alligator clips instead of solder blobs for a temporary attempt:
FWIW, a 18nF cap in series with a 4,7k resistor would make the sound very similar. Same thing for a 22nF in series with a 4,7k. In fact, a normal tone pot separated from ground by a 4,7k would mimic what makes the singularity of Greasebucket circuits IMO / IME. YMMV.
FWIW.
https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/image.png?id=27534202&width=377&quality=80
Distant memories tell me that it was meant to reproduce the behavior of a tone pot + a very old paper in wax cap, whose capacitance would have drifted and ESR rised.
To me, the most important part of this circuit is the 4,7k resistor to ground, preventing the pot to actually reach 0/10.
Practically, a Greasebucket circuit @ 0/10 is like a tone pot with a 18nF cap and set a wee bit above 0/10.
To the OP: I've no reliable sample to share but the circuit can be emulated externally with two resistors, two caps and some alligator clips.
It requires the original tone pot of the test guitar to stay @ 10/10 and to use a guitar cable with one of its male jack shells unscrewed, giving access to hot and ground. Then the components can be wired like below, with twisted legs and alligator clips instead of solder blobs for a temporary attempt:
FWIW, a 18nF cap in series with a 4,7k resistor would make the sound very similar. Same thing for a 22nF in series with a 4,7k. In fact, a normal tone pot separated from ground by a 4,7k would mimic what makes the singularity of Greasebucket circuits IMO / IME. YMMV.
FWIW.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Greasebucket is just a single pot being used for a bass cut and a treble cut. This was invented to combat how as the tone control goes down the bass gets a bit overbearing. The resistor is, as stated, intended to stop the tone control from effectively going to 0. This was designed to prevent the irregular behavior that tone controls have roughly between 1.5 and 0.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Looks similar to the original Esquire dark circuit, but adding a pot.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Also bear in mind that it messes with impedence if you want to use a fuzz face
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