Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

[AniML]

Why do these guitars lack a tone control and only (if at all) have a volume control?

I am thinking about building one, but want to have a better understanding of the design.

Mine will not be true to the original anyway. I'm not looking for a shredder I just like the raw no BS barebones design - same reason I love my Melody Maker.

I dislike floyds, so it will either be a vintage type hardtail or possibly a wraparound - and unless I am otherwise swayed it will have both volume and tone controls.

Any useful info is appreciated. Thanks

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

I think you answered the question yourself, with the "no bs barebones" thing.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

Very simple answer. Because at the time when they hit the market, that is how EVH had his guitars and every kid in the neighborhood who played guitar wanted one like him. What a better way to sell a bunch of guitars than to configure them just like the biggest guitar hero of the time.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

why do strats have two tone controls yet none work one the bridge pickup?


there's no need for tone knobs.

-Mike

 

[AniML]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

why do strats have two tone controls yet none work one the bridge pickup?


there's no need for tone knobs.

-Mike

Yeah. That's why I rewired my strat with master volume and tone for all 3 pups...

Is it blasphemous to put a tone knob on a charvel / EVH-esque design guitar?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

why do strats have two tone controls yet none work one the bridge pickup?


there's no need for tone knobs.

-Mike

Coz it's one of the few areas Leo screwed up

If all you play is rock music, then yeah, there's no need for a tone knob. If you play anything else, they start getting kind of handy.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

FWIW, since the American Standard Strat was introduced in 1986, they've had the lower tone control wired to the middle and bridge pickups. Just thought I'd mention that.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

Is it blasphemous to put a tone knob on a charvel / EVH-esque design guitar?

more of a sin than coveting your neighbors wife.

-Mike

 

[MikeS]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

why do strats have two tone controls yet none work one the bridge pickup?

Yeah, and that makes absolutely zero sense whatsoever.... it's the one pickup that needs a tone control more than any other. :smack:

------

I see it as the Charvels and Kramers being very specialized guitars. Not that they could not be used for any form of music, but they certainly were marketed and made to appeal to a particular group of guitar players whose style of music only necessitated a volume control so they could back off for those tender hair ballad verses.Speaking in general terms, but they are one-trick ponies and make no aspirations towards being any more than that.

I'm happiest with master volume and master tone, and H-S is quickly becoming my favorite pickup configuration.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

when i need that hollow tone of a rolled back tone knob i just turn on my wah and leave it with the pedal up....or i pick up another guitar lol.

they are specialized guitars i guess you could say. just like a D'Angelico or D'Aquisto is a jazz guitar and you wouldn't see/hear a metal player using one. although i've played some RATT and such on some high dollar vintage D'As and even a few old Gibson L5s it's still wrong...i just do it for the laughs whenever i get my hands on one. just like someone playing Jazz on my hot rod flame painted Charvel would be quite odd and pretty much wrong.

-Mike

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

oh and i vote build it with no tone knob. you can always drill a hole and add one later if you decided you miss it too much. it's a lot harder to take that hole go away than it is to add it.

-Mike

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

In regards to the original question, here's the way I see it....

With a tone knob, you can get tones that you can't get without one. It only makes the guitar more versatile, and that can only help a 1-pickup setup. An open wah sounds nothing like a rolled back tone, so if you like what you get from a tone knob, you should use one.

Without a tone knob, you have one less knob. That's about all you "gain".

 

[AniML]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

oh and i vote build it with no tone knob. you can always drill a hole and add one later if you decided you miss it too much. it's a lot harder to take that hole go away than it is to add it.

-Mike

In regards to the original question, here's the way I see it....

With a tone knob, you can get tones that you can't get without one. It only makes the guitar more versatile, and that can only help a 1-pickup setup. An open wah sounds nothing like a rolled back tone, so if you like what you get from a tone knob, you should use one.

Without a tone knob, you have one less knob. That's about all you "gain".

Thanks for clarifying that for me, guys

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

Thanks for clarifying that for me, guys

:laugh2:

What kind of music do you play?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

I think I'm more drawn to the look of no pickguard than the lack of pickups and controls. (Although I hope a very special guitar is sitting at home right now )

I think the ultimate of this type of guitar for me is HH, 3 way toggle, V+T.

Keep in mind that the typical Charvel volume knob placement is different than a strat placement, right Mike? Therefore a little planning is needed placing the tone so it doesn't look wrong.

 

[AniML]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

:laugh2:

What kind of music do you play?

Mainstream classic rock to blues. Nothing heavier than VH or Black Sabbath.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

Do you like having the option of a smooth, singing lead tone? If so, go with a tone knob. If not, don't.

Or, we could say.... If you want to purposefully limit what the guitar will do, and get no benefit from doing so, don't use a tone knob.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

And if you don't like the tone knob, then you can make it in to a spin-a-split for the humbucker.

 

[AniML]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

You guys are making sense.

So here's where I am with this:

I am probably going with one of this guy's bodies; either the San D or the 51 Fifty with

Vintage hardtail bridge
Volume AND tone controls
single bucker routing (winding my own pickup)

Here is the San D body, but trem routed

Since I do not have facilities or skill to spray finish, I am probably going to go with an ebony stain such as this:

with a birds eye maple neck / fretboard


Should be fun!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Question about single pickup (humbucker) Kramers, Charvels, etc

That should be pretty cool.... how about using a push/pull tone knob to do series/split or series/parallel?