Lonestar diagram question

[Bigguy1305]

Hello gang,

I've been looking into the Fender Lonestar diagram and I also found a version in which it uses resistors. I know the Fender version does not have resistors. So are the resistors necessary for the hole thing to work? I have a HSS that I like to do it this was but don't know if I need the small buggers. The setup so far is going to be Fender HN in the neck & middle & a JB in the bridge. Now the vol and tone pots are going to be 250k, even the JB tone pot is going to be a 250k. I know this setup is so the humbuckers sees a 500k and the single coils a 250k but will the resistors be necessary if I'm going 250k all around? I also would like to go this route because I will have control over the tone on both pickups in position #4. Which will be nice knowing I can lower the tone a bit for the bridge and raise it for the middle or vise versa.

This is the diagram with the resistors. Like I said before, the Fender version does not have them.


Also, this just hit me. The 470k resistors are for the 500k pots. If I'm going for the 250k pots will I need maybe a different resistor and not the 470k.

 

[beaubrummels]

Lonestar diagram question

If you want 250k pots all the way around and want the Humbucker to see the same 250k load as the single coils, you don’t need the resistors in the diagram.

The resistors in the diagram make it so the single coils are seeing 250k load in positions 2-5, despite the 500k volume control.

 

[Bigguy1305]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

okay, and lets say the hummy will see a 300k. will it still need a 470k resistor or a different value one because of the 300k pot?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

No. The resistor is in parallel to the pot resistance. So the total resistance (Rt) is 1/Rt = 1/300 + 1/470; which came out to 183.11k when I calculated it.

 

[Bigguy1305]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

Does it have to be exactly 183.11k or a value close to it?

 

[Artie]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

You don't need a 183k resistor. He's saying that that would be the "load" your JB would see. You really don't need any resistors with the value of pots that you're going to use. A JB could be nicely tamed with a 250k or 300k pot.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

If your heart is set on 250k pots all around, I'd leave the resistors out of the circuit.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

okay, and lets say the hummy will see a 300k. will it still need a 470k resistor or a different value one because of the 300k pot?

My point was that an additional resistor will not make the Humbucker see 300k, it would make the Humbucker see 183k, which is way darker; the implication being you should not use any resistors at all if you want 300k all around for all the pickups.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

With 250k pots all around, I am thinking it would actually sound better without the resistors. If it wasn't a JB, I might think differently.

 

[Bigguy1305]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

Just finished setting everything. Plugged it in and it seems none of my tone pots work. Everything seems to be in the same tone. I double checked my connections and everything is where it’s supposed to go. No resistors were installed. So don’t know what it could be. Any thoughts?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

Just finished setting everything. Plugged it in and it seems none of my tone pots work. Everything seems to be in the same tone. I double checked my connections and everything is where it’s supposed to go. No resistors were installed. So don’t know what it could be. Any thoughts?

Take a pic of your wiring.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

Hmm, could you take some pics of the wiring? We might be able to see something.

 

[beaubrummels]

Lonestar diagram question

My guess is on the tone quadrant of the switch you might have bridged too many lugs together, but that’s a blind guess based on the description.

 

[Bigguy1305]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

Hmm, could you take some pics of the wiring? We might be able to see something.

Take a pic of your wiring.

I'll take them and post them tomorrow.

My guess is on the tone quadrant of the switch you might have bridged too many lugs together, but that’s a blind guess based on the description.

On the diagram, tone-1 gets soldered to 4 lugs on the switch

 

[Bigguy1305]

Re: Lonestar diagram question

Okay, fixed the problem. First off, had to swap the green and black wire on the humbucker because it was out of phase in pos #4 with my middle Fender Noiseless. Re-did all my connections on the switch. Changed where the tone pots will work. I used to have tone-1 in position #1-#2-#3-#4 and tone-2 in #5. Now tone-1 will work in 1-2-3 and tone-2 in 4-5. Now I can hear the tone pots working. I don’t know if it’s because the caps being .022uf or the pot 250k but the change in tone is very subtle but noticeable in high vol. the JB pairs very well with the Noiseless pickups. Position #2 sounds beefy, like a humbucker. As well as pos #4 with my JB coiled taped with my middle. All in all I’m very happy with how it sounds.

Thanks to all for your help. Long journey but worth the wait.