Why does guitar has a volume pot?

[Jacew]

Stupid question? Or is it?

My recent guitar mod made me wonder this. In my experience, volume pot serves two purposes: 1) Changing volume while playing and 2) Silencing the guitar.

For both uses, the volume pedal is much better and easier to use. So if you throw out volume pot from your guitar, you get brighter, more transparent and attacking sound you can use. And you can add passive volume pedal to get the same sound and workability, than with guitar with onboard volume control without losing your tone.

Removing volume pot from guitar seems like complete win/win trade. So why every factory, modder and custom builder has volume in their guitars?

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

Pot in guitar or pot on the floor...or both. Doesn't really make that much of a difference

 

[thebingopete]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

It's a standard since before volume pedals. Not all players like them or have the budget to require one. Jerry Garcia had pre and post effects volume controls on his guitar. It's known as the "Jerry Loop". Concept is the regular volume from the guitar when adjusting affects the effects, OD for example, loose pregain when turning down. So he decided to add a post effect volume for overall volume control without changing the dynamic of his effects.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

Hard to move around and use a pedal.

 

[thebingopete]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

Oh yeah, a pedal is little use if on the wrong side of the stage if you need it.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

Pot in guitar or pot on the floor...or both. Doesn't really make that much of a difference

Except that more pots in passive circuit eats tone no matter how you try to work around it.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

If you don't know,I can't explain...

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

Oh yeah, a pedal is little use if on the wrong side of the stage if you need it.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Good point, but really applies to every effects pedal. Do many players use volume that much it should always be at hand?

"It's a standard since before volume pedals. Not all players like them or have the budget to require one."

I was wondering why there really isn't any guitars without volume onboard. Not why it's standard feature. Sorry, if thread name was a bit misleading...

 

[thebingopete]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

A lot of players use the volume and tone pots for tonal variances. Part of why Jimi actually preferred the right hand Strats. The controls were under his forearm and he could keep picking while adjusting volume/tone/pup select, with his arm. I get part of your questions. Somehow it would make sense for companies to offer zero pot models. It might take the next over the top guitar hero that rolls without pots to influence and encourage a major brand to make production model.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

A lot of players use the volume and tone pots for tonal variances. Part of why Jimi actually preferred the right hand Strats. The controls were under his forearm and he could keep picking while adjusting volume/tone/pup select, with his arm. I get part of your questions. Somehow it would make sense for companies to offer zero pot models. It might take the next over the top guitar hero that rolls without pots to influence and encourage a major brand to make production model.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

I'm not questioning the importance of tone pots in guitar. My strat has three tone pots. (That also affect the volume; so I can use small adjustment to change tone of single pup, and freely adjust balance between pickups in 2 and 4 positions.)

I also use volume while playing. It's just easier with pedal. And passive pedal with onboard volume is not good if you're after best possible tone from your guitar.

 

[thebingopete]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

As with many aspects of playing the guitar, it really boils down to preference for your personal style.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

Do many players use volume that much it should always be at hand?

...

When I played out "a lot" I did. At least enough so that being tied to the board for it would have sucked. Hell, even now playing at home or messing around with friends I still use it. Half the time I don't even plug into the board.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

On my Les Paul, I have it wired for 50's wiring where the two volume knobs are independent of each other (modern wiring makes it so that in the middle position, when you roll down the volume on one pickup, the whole circuit is reduced). This allows me to blend in certain amounts of the pickups in the middle positoon.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

When I played out "a lot" I did. At least enough so that being tied to the board for it would have sucked. Hell, even now playing at home or messing around with friends I still use it. Half the time I don't even plug into the board.

How do you use it so much? Clean sound, tonal variety, volume swells?

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

On my Les Paul, I have it wired for 50's wiring where the two volume knobs are independent of each other (modern wiring makes it so that in the middle position, when you roll down the volume on one pickup, the whole circuit is reduced). This allows me to blend in certain amounts of the pickups in the middle positoon.

Basically it's same I did with my strat. I just added the tone control into same pot to reduce overall load of circuit. Result was even better than I expected, possibly because low frequencies benefit more from blending, while most of drawbacks of two pickups in parallel are caused by higher frequencies. Or this is how I interpreted it.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

Dial in a dirty tone, then back off the volume to clean it up when you want. If you're playing metal all the time, it's probably no use. If you're into blues, fusion, prog, country, funk, or anything else, it's pretty handy.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

I mean, if one really only wants to use a volume as a kill switch, you could replace the volume with a simple toggle.

I understand your concern, every passive component between your pickup and the first stage of amplification affects the tone. In fact, I am not happy with my current volume pedal (EB VP jr) because before a buffer it sucks tone and after a buffer the sweep is wrong. (I think I need an active volume pedal, after overdrives/fuzzes/compressor)

I still prefer to control breakup and tone with my guitar volume pot and only use the pedal for swells.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

I use mine a lot. And I use the tone just as much. The volume changes the tone a bit, fades from clean/dirt, and great volume swells from anywhere onstage. I am not constantly switching pedals on and off so I don't always have to be by a pedalboard.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

How do you use it so much? Clean sound, tonal variety, volume swells?

Yes,& more!

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Why does guitar has a volume pot?

I use it a lot, especially during gigs. The volume pedal is nice to have but I prefer to have it at my fingertips. Also, I really miss having a kill switch.