Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

[metalchurch79]

I'm working on my Kramer V and I'm probably going to make it a KK Downing style guitar. I'm using a newer banana Kramer MusicYo neck that I scalloped, Original Floyd and an EMG-'58 (like he used prior to 1981 when the EMG 81 was released)....8-38's in Eb most likely..
I also have an '81 just in case I don't like the 58...

Anyways, KK's touring guitars were wired with simply an on/off switch only. No other pots or switches aside from the selector switch for his 2pup guitars.. I read that online from his guitar tech years ago, and his reasoning was for less stuff to go wrong, which makes sense. Plus you get the purest tone from the pickup going that route, which we all know that much...

So finally, my question... does anyone here run a similar set-up, or have they used that in the past? Does it make a popping sound when you turn it off or on?
For some reason I'm thinking it might.

Either way I'm going to do that, I was just wondering if what I'm thinking is true and if so, is there anything I can do to help alleviate that? Like wire in a pile of resistors to bottle neck it down to near nothing then to the off position? Like a 3-way mini where it's On-trimmed down-Off.
Follow me?
Clint55 posted a lot of good info concerning wiring and stacking capacitors and resistors, so Clint, if you're out there.....

Thanks guys

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

I have on/offs but pots as well...no pops.

If your going to do a three position with resistors (to simulate rolled down volume?) your better off just having a pot imo. and you wouldn't need a pile of resistors...just one of the right value.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

If your doing just an on/off switch. Wire it between output jack lugs so it connects ground to hot when off. No pop sounds should ensue.

Or did I misunderstood the question?

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

Many times I've wired my instruments and those of my clients with no pots at all - just switches.
Never a problem.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

Right on, thanks guys.
For some reason I was thinking it was going to pop when the pickup was either turn off or on.
I remember doing a 9v/18v mini toggle for an EMG-85 I had in the bridge of a superstrat and it would make a pop, especially on the clean side of my amp.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

Let us know how it goes. Humbuckers for rock sound good pickups straight to (switch to) jack and probably won't be too brittle. If you decide you want to dial back the treble, you can put a resistor (100k - 500k for example) across the hot and ground of the output jack. Or for more bass a resistor in series with a cap across the jack (50k and 22nf for example).

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

This is a but unrelated, but how does a 9v/18v affect tone? I've been considering it on my Firebird with Dualities.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

Thanks for the info Clint, i really appreciate that. I still have to get some things situated on the body before i spray it, but ill be sure to report back once this is completed. I may just throw it together first to get a more accurate mockup to see if its what i really want to do because ill have to plug the hole for the volume pot and drill a smaller hole for the mini toggle...

As far as the 9v/18v it does make a slight difference in tone, but nothing too drastic to where id want to do it to all of them.
Basically with 18v or even 27v, it will give you more headroom before it breaks up, but im actually prefering them with 9v lately, as opposed to making them all 18v.
If anyone else has a better explanation or something to add, please by all means go ahead i wont mind what so ever.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

Thanks, seems like a 9v/27v would be interesting. But in response to your question, I think it can be useful. I had a bass back in the day that had a 3 way switch that went from full power, to half, to off. I didn't really care for it, because there was always the risk that you would get overzealous with it and accidentally cut it off when you want to play at half volume.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Is anyone running just an on/off switch and no other pots?

I understand that, but also it only takes a split second to correct that mistake. It would suck during recording, especially when everything is going great then.....click...