Tone control bypass

[Gstring]

Am currently looking to rewire 2 vol 2 tone P90 guitar

Will use 2 push pulls giving OOP and tone controls bypass

Thinking independent vol controls probably best to allow blending especially of OOP... Probably with 50s wiring

Was doodling and it seems to me that tone pots can also be "bypassed" by disconnecting tone ground connection and there might be an opportunity to try using only one tone cap. although not sure if this would actually work in practice due to the direct connection with the other tone pot

Excuse somewhat scribbled and simplified diagram below, .

 

[hamerfan]

Works! I prefer to hook off the tone pot in the neck and give the bridge in most situation a small attentuation in volume and tone.

 

[GuitarDoc]

That should work. I prefer to put the switch on the "hot" wire to the tone pot rather than on the ground wire...like the wall switch in your home that turns your lights on and off. That way it takes the tone pot completely out of the circuit rather than grounding it out. I don't think it matters electrically either way, but taking it out of the circuit just seems a bit cleaner to me.

 

[Gstring]

hamerfan and GuitarDoc

Thanks for the positive feedback. Very Much appreciated

Comments valid but sometimes I just like to try something different.

 

[ErikH]

Why not use no-load pots for the tone pots?

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I agree taking the pots completely out of the circuit might be a better arrangement.
One cap for two controls works fine - Fender's done it that way for ages.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

That should work. I prefer to put the switch on the "hot" wire to the tone pot rather than on the ground wire...like the wall switch in your home that turns your lights on and off. That way it takes the tone pot completely out of the circuit rather than grounding it out. I don't think it matters electrically either way, but taking it out of the circuit just seems a bit cleaner to me.

What he said. If you cut the input to the tone pot with the push-pull you don't need to, in fact should not, ground it.

Note also you only need to use one half, or one set of three contacts on the push-pull. Connect the "input" wire from the volume pot to the common contact on one side of the push pull and connect to push=connected contact to the tone pot "input" lug. Leave the pull=connected contact bare. No grounds needed.

In fact you could use one push-pull to deactivate both tones simultaneously, leaving the other spare for something else. Just wire up the two pickups to the two separate sets of three contacts as above. The two tone "inputs" go to separate common contacts on the same push-pull, then each push= connected contact gets wired to its respective tone pot input lug. Don't cross connect any of the three contacts in the two sets of three.

 

[Gstring]

ErikH

Thanks for your suggestion

I actually quite like no load tone pots and have used them quite a bit in the past but for me it was cost effective to use a push pull this time.

Here in the UK two 500k no loads costs around 21 pounds ($28) shipped but I bought a bargain "batch" of CTS push pulls a while back and still have several in my spares ...so.no brainer.

Was quite lucky as company sent me 250s instead of 500s in error . Correct ones subsequently sent and was allowed to keep 250s!

In the past I have tried doctoring a stock pot to be no load but my attempt was far from successful.


ThreeChord Wonder

Am a bit puzzled by your post..My diagram clearly shows .I am using a single push pull to by pass both tone pots. Am I missing something?

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

^ No. MY bad, but you've drawn it cutting the ground sides and a single tone cap. My suggestion was to cut the hots between the volume pots and the tone pots.