I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

[Artie]

Every once in awhile, someone asks a question that gets my little gears turning. Like this thread where Andre asks about a pup that goes from a single to a humbucker as you raise the volume.

So how about if we just build that function into the volume control. We just need a bonafide blend pot, not a no-load pot. This is the kind that has two pots on it with a center detent. In the center, both pots are full-on. Of course, you can connect them to be full-off, or opposite each other.

So, we wire it like this:

As we bring the volume up, the pup is split. We hit center and volume is at full. As we keep turning, the pup "morphs" into a humbucker, adding girth and low-end. The wiring starts to get a little more complicated as you get into twin-'buckers, but it could be cool in a guitar that had a single bridge humbucker.

I'm going to try this out this weekend, and I'll report back on how well it works - in reality.

Artie

Edit: btw - It only takes a couple wires swapped to have it come up to full volume as a 'bucker, then morph onto a single.

 

[aerial7]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

Artie, that is a really kewel idea!!!! I wonder, though, if it's as practical as the on-off you get with a push-pull pot? When you try it, it'll be interesting to see if there's a range of useful positions, and whether those can be quickly and accurately selected with the pot....

 

[Tux789]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

hey do you have a website with all your mods?

 

[TRESSLE]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

ok, sorry to go a little off subject here but y'all sound like y'all know what your doing, and i'm beginning into customing out pickups and i'm looking for an answer....

i want to put a Jazz and a JB pick up in a Schector C1 Exotic and i have two quick questions...is it very hard to put new pickups in...or would it be easier to take them to a guitar shop?...and if i put those two pick ups in, would the "tap" function still work?

Thank you soo much.. i just need these two answers

 

[Willis]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

Would it be possible on a guitar with a single bridge humbucker to wire it so when the volume is on 10, it's a full humbucker, and on 0 it's one coil split?

 

[Artie]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

hey do you have a website with all your mods?

Yes, I have a website - no, I don't have my mods up yet. I still need to get a round-tuit.

Would it be possible on a guitar with a single bridge humbucker to wire it so when the volume is on 10, it's a full humbucker, and on 0 it's one coil split?

Sure. Just swap the wires on the "split" half of the control so that they rotate in sync. Of course, then, you wouldn't need or want a blend pot, but a "ganged" pot. Peavey does something similar to this on the T-60, only they use the tone control instead.

Artie

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

Maybe you should call it the Mighty Morphin Power Arranger.

I want to know how this turns out. I'm looking for something to give my brother some versatility in his single-hum Frankenstrat. This sounds like a cool option.

 

[Artie]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

Maybe you should call it the Mighty Morphin Power Arranger.

I thought my pun was bad!

I'm going to do it this weekend. I'm just not sure on which guitar/pickup yet. I'll probably do my bridge 59.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

I can't decide if it's a gift or a curse. Luke punched me last night for a particularly creative one while we were at the mall.

My brother will probably have a Custom Custom in the bridge, but your results on the 59 will probably be sufficient.

 

[Artie]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

I can't decide if it's a gift or a curse.

Its purely a question of the company you keep.

I'd be interested to hear how a CC sounds split, since it's already somewhat low output.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

Its purely a question of the company you keep.

I'd be interested to hear how a CC sounds split, since it's already somewhat low output.

I should try to post a clip of it soon. I'm planning on replacing it soon (not because I don't like it, I just think I'd like it better in a different guitar) but I should record some clips while I've got it. I posted one before using it split, but it was with the hot rails. I really like the split sound of it and I'll definitely be splitting it when I get another one.

 

[Artie]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

I did a C5 split and parallel. As much as I like that pup full on, I didn't care for it in either of those modes. The DD, on the other hand, I like both ways. Its like two different pups - both good. I'll try the 59's split this weekend.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

Would it be possible on a guitar with a single bridge humbucker to wire it so when the volume is on 10, it's a full humbucker, and on 0 it's one coil split?

Yes. This is the Spin-A-Split mod. About the easiest mod there is, the one drawback being that you have to give up one of your pots to devote it to this function.

In my case I have a Les Paul and I gave up one of the volume pots. I wanted to keep separate tone pots so now I have a master volume.

 

[ParameterMan]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

This is one of those ideas that sparks my juices. I love funky wiring of all kinds and this right up there in the coolness department.

 

[Artie]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

As Zhangliqun pointed out, its really nothing more than the spin-a-split mod, but its piggy-backed on to a volume or tone control. It would also have very limited applications. I was thinkin mainly about a guitar that has a single bridge 'bucker, with a single volume control. That might be cool.

I may try it before this weekend.

Artie

 

[André Ramaciotti]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

Did you tried it, Artie?

 

[Children of Bodom]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

^YA YA^ I wanna know so bad this would be so cool!

 

[Artie]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

I haven't gotten to it yet, but I'm going to try to get it done today.

 

[JarickL]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

How about some kind of pickup mod that goes from single-coil to humbucker, but has a resistor wired in to prevent the dramatic increase in volume? I don't really know if it's possible, as the "Spin-A-Split" just keeps one coil on and adjusts the volume of the other coil, but maybe if you had a pot that had one coil on full-volume all the time, then one coil and a resistor on the entire pickup that both blended in as you turned the pot up...

BTW, I never liked the Spin-A-Split mod. I always ended up either playing 95% of the time full humbucker and 5% full single-coil. I ended up wiring it Bridge Volume / Neck Volume / Master Tone / Both Humbucker/Both Split (On/On). Some kind of resistor where it knocks down the volume of the hum/hum versus single/single with that switch might be cool...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I just can't stop: Mighty-Morphin Volume control.

Artie, you should buy a ton of wire and pots, and start making custom wiring harnesses, attached to cardboard, and sell them on Ebay. Crazy wiring scares a lot of people, including me, so there's definitely a market for it. If I knew as much as you about wiring, I'd do it......actually, I should start practicing and learning more about it.