Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

Megagwar

Megagwar

New member
A guitar with no Tone Knob, just One Volume Knob. I'm not much of tone knob user, just set it to 10 and forget about it. I use the volume more. Does this affect the sound of pickups? (Meaning is the pickup "darker" sounding like when a tone knob is set to 0. Or does it sound like when the tone knob is set to 10?) I haven't played a guitar without a tone knob before....

I'm thinking about do this to a project I have.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

Having no tone circuit will be a bit brighter than a tone knob on 10.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

You get a bit more high end out. I've got a few guitars like this, and love it. I never use the tone knob.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

Wiring without a tone pot will give you slightly more presence which can be a pro and a con.

Wiring with a tone pot will give you a wider spectrum of tone which is more a pro than a con since this is the standard.

You can have both using a push-pull pot in order to cut the tone pot out of the wiring OR you can use the push-pull pot to have tone pot operation (e.g. down position of pot) and pickup directly to output jack operation witch will give you slightly more output and presence (e.g. up position of pot). I like this combo in Les Paul type guitars for bridge pickups.
 
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Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

I had a few volume-only guitars in my 20s and once I got back into LPs, I got into tone controls. A little more high end, to me, isn't worth the flexiblity you lose by not having it at your fingertips. Wire up a bypass or something, if you need to!

I stuck a set of Phat Staples into a custom Firebird with 1 vol/3 way switch that's a bit of a carryover from that time and let me tell you, I REALLY miss that tone pot. Thankfully, it's got a big control cavity and I'll eventually get one wired up in there, if not a 2 vol/2 tone setup.
 
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Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

You can simulate the tone pot at 10 by putting a resistor and a capacitor in series. Inside the cavity.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

The obvious exemplar of the difference between tone control and no tone control is the Fender Esquire.

If you want the option of switching the tone control in and out of circuit, consider the Fender No-Load pot.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

Solution = No load pot

Normal tone function 1 to 9,
completely out of the circuit at 10.

Cheers:friday:
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

I don't use my tone pots often, but I don't own any volume-only guitars, nor do they seem that appealing. The only real use for tone pots is on the bridge PU anyways.

To a guy who prefers 1950's guitar designs, it looks like something's missing with only one knob. But from a practical standpoint, a lot of players would get along fine like that. Whatever you're comfortable with.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

Thanks guys. I was thinking about doing this on my Epi '89 Flying V. It has a tight, and I mean TIGHT, cavity. I was thinking of just doing a volume, 3 way switch, and a killswitch. But I might just have to squeeze in that tone. (Better safe than sorry) but I might try out that No Load Pot. Sound interesting.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

Like others said, they are a tad brighter, but I am with Fusion... it's not really worth it in the end. You lose control.

I tend to put my amps fairly bright and roll off just to what I need. It seems to work well and I can always get darker/brighter sounds if needed. I have had my neck tone down to 3 and still had it sound nice.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

I don't really use a tone knob on humbuckers (just put it at 10). I met Paul Gilbert one time at a NAMM show, and he said that playing through his Ibanez Fireman, the tone knob is really good for single coils. I've started to mess with mine on my LP Jr's.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

I have a Fender Esquire. Even with stock 250KOhm pots, there is no audible difference between the back position, which bypasses the tone pot entirely, and the middle position with the tone control all the way up. I've tested this many times just to make sure; I can't hear the difference at all. Therefore I always roll back my tone knob; not doing so would give me redundancy in positions 1 and 2. I treat position one as my "treble on 10" position, and set the tone knob down a bit, which affects the tone when I switch to position 2. Position 3 also bypasses the tone pot, but it sends the whole signal through a capacitor. That is the equivalent of running a tone knob on 0 (though with a different value cap in this particular case). So, basically, the guitar has a switch that gives you 0 on the tone knob, 10 on the tone knob, or any in between value on the tone knob.

In other words, having a tone knob on 10 is the same as having no tone knob IME. That said, I wouldn't eliminate a tone knob just because I keep it on 10 most of the time. What harm does it do to have it? You might use it some time, and having it there on 10 takes away nothing over not having it at all.

If you can hear a difference between tone on 10 and no tone at all, I'd just install a no load tone pot.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

Another vote here for the No Load tone pot. That way you have the best of both worlds. You may not want a tone control now, but one day you may change your mind. The No Load pot provides it all, no need to have to go back into the guitar with a soldering iron if you change your mind. Plus, it allows you to hear the differences without the time lag involved with soldering surgery.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

I'll add on here with the no load tone pot idea...

I just put one in my Telecaster and while I don't use it all the time bypassed it is a nice option to have in some situations!
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

tonello said:
I don't really use a tone knob on humbuckers (just put it at 10). I met Paul Gilbert one time at a NAMM show, and he said that playing through his Ibanez Fireman, the tone knob is really good for single coils. I've started to mess with mine on my LP Jr's.
Click to expand...

Agree. I take them out of 'buckered guitars, but leave them if I've got singles, where they're much more useful. A less dark sounding cap too (like .018µf) helps too.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

On my Ibby with the JB Jazz set I use the tone a lot. But on the V with moderate out put pickups it is hardly ever used. The JB Jazz combo does have more "lively brighter tone".
I think the NO Load tone pot is a great idea.
 
Re: Pros and Cons for No Tone Knob

Honestly... you guys are overthinking this way too much. I used to remove the tone pots on my guitars JUST because I never use them and ended up putting it back on just because I felt like an idiot with an extra hole in the control plate.

Then again, I come and go like a mother bugger, I'm pretty manic when it comes to my guitar, I could snap and remove the tone pot later. you never know.

the difference isn't that audible.

WHY DONT YOU PRACTICE INSTEAD, IT DOES WONDERS FOR TONE.
 
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