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Post by 0wnyourtone on May 8, 2014 14:56:21 GMT -5
Guys, I'm struggling to find a pot I like for blender wiring. All the blending appears to happen in a short distance of travel on A250Ks. Tried a C50K, which had the right "ramp" to the blend, nice and smooth, but not quite enough total resistance.
I've heard folks say they're using no load A250Ks. I assume you're wiring the pots so that as you turn the pot down, you're blending in the extra pickup? Then the no-load disconnects the supplementary pickup at the top of the dial?
I'm trying to get the smooth blend going with the pot turning up, so I'm thinking of trying a lefty 250K no loaded at the bottom, rather than the top.
Any suggestions?
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Post by JohnH on May 8, 2014 16:13:01 GMT -5
I havent any better suggestions, except to agree with your findings. Ive only wired this once, on a Strat, with an audio taper 250k no-load pot. I was accepting of anticlockwise being full blend. As you note, most of the action is low on the dial, between say 0 and 2. A bit more reduction of blend up to 5 and a tiny bit left up to 10. But as it goes to no load, there was a small extra increment to restore the full clarity of a single pickup. The difference between 250k and no-load positions was not really a noticeable contribtion from the other pup, it was more like the slight dulling of treble due to loading.
So I think no-load is an essential feature, but there's nothing very interesting happening between there and about 100k, or even 50k as you described. So Id say a no-load audio-taper at 50k or 100k would be ideal, reverse taper if preffered.
This was on my HSS strat. After trying it for a while, I found the in-between sounds to be uninteresting. The pot is now a series blender, bypassing one coil in a number of combos. With this, I find the tonal journey much more interesting, Turning up is like a mid boost and I often stop along the way.
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Post by b4nj0 on May 8, 2014 17:25:05 GMT -5
I used one of these blender pots on an S type bitza project. It seems to work just fine and supports what John has written. It may be considered expensive and I am very slightly wary of its small physical size. No connection with manufacturer etc. www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/neck_adder.htmle&oe
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Post by 0wnyourtone on May 8, 2014 22:41:19 GMT -5
b4nj0,
Sounds like the maker of the "neck adder" is supporting my findings, with the reverse taper.
John, your series wiring thing sounds cool. I had to open my #1 partscaster up to replace a pickup that died and decided to give this blender thing a go again. Meanwhile, due to impatience and distraction, I accidentally wired the pickup leads to the wrong switch lugs and ended up loving the new combos, especially with the blender, it's much more useful and unique. It doesn't hurt that it's a Twangbanger pickup I put as the replacement bridge pup either, giving me a more full, twangy compliment to the other 57/62s.
Switch positions as follows:
Middle (blend bridge) Middle/Neck (blend bridge) Neck Neck/Bridge (blend middle) Bridge (blend middle)
This wiring makes no logical sense as far as order, but has been my favorite wiring ever!
Just need to get the blender pot figured out.
Next step is probably a C100K no-loaded at "0."
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Post by 0wnyourtone on May 9, 2014 15:51:02 GMT -5
Ended up using an A100K wired "backwards." Works like a charm, very good. I no-loaded the pot at the top also and it "steps out" of the signal just when your ears expect.
Only thing now is, it's heightened my awareness of how slowly the master tone decreases the treble - might have to give it the A100K no-load treatment as well!
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Post by JohnH on May 9, 2014 16:52:19 GMT -5
Ended up using an A100K wired "backwards." Works like a charm, very good. I no-loaded the pot at the top also and it "steps out" of the signal just when your ears expect. Only thing now is, it's heightened my awareness of how slowly the master tone decreases the treble - might have to give it the A100K no-load treatment as well! Do you mean its full blend at anticlockwise? makes total sense if so. On the tone pots, another similar case is, I now think that any humbucker where you think you might want a 500k tone pot, is better off with a no-load 250k pot. Better range and more control.
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Post by 0wnyourtone on May 10, 2014 0:30:39 GMT -5
Right John,
Backwards meaning, the supplementary pickup is blended in as the pot is turned down.
I thought I would dislike the pot working backwards, but it's kind of nice in a way that when all pots are dimed, you are in normal strat mode soundwise - except for my goofy switch wiring of course. Works great now!
I totally agree on the A250Ks no-loaded for humbuggies now. I've put them in three humbucker guitars thus far, all with positive results. I'm honestly curious what all 100K pots in my strat would sound like now, especially for the tone control at least.
The guitar currently goes way brighter than I ever use and can get quite offensive if I'm not careful. Seems like 100Ks could be just the ticket.
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Post by sumgai on May 10, 2014 12:39:55 GMT -5
0wny,
Just remember, the composition of your strings contributes no small amount to your overall tone. Perhaps you're using extremely bright-sounding strings just now, hmmmm? And if you change over to something else later in life, something a bit "darker" (more like what most of us use), then perhaps you'll be changing that pot again.
Just a thought, lonely as it was.
sumgai
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Post by 0wnyourtone on May 10, 2014 21:59:33 GMT -5
0wny, Just remember, the composition of your strings contributes no small amount to your overall tone. Perhaps you're using extremely bright-sounding strings just now, hmmmm? And if you change over to something else later in life, something a bit "darker" (more like what most of us use), then perhaps you'll be changing that pot again. Just a thought, lonely as it was. sumgai Sumgai, I was just thinking about that today and had read an article the other day on pure nickel strings - I might give those a go first.
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Post by ozboomer on May 13, 2014 2:44:43 GMT -5
Just remember, the composition of your strings contributes no small amount to your overall tone. Perhaps you're using extremely bright-sounding strings just now, hmmmm? To plug my own recent findings on 'tone'... The other thing to keep in mind is the pick you're using (if you're using one, that is).. Lately, I've taken to using a lightweight pick (extra bright sound) instead of the normal "Jazz II" pick... as well as some stiffer material picks (than the plain nylon). You'll have issues to deal with in terms of the ringing and such... but I was kinda amazed at the difference in tone you can get by varying the weight (thickness) of the pick. Another thought to help cloud the issue...(!) John
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Post by 0wnyourtone on May 13, 2014 22:58:36 GMT -5
That's the thing that's so hard about music and sound, there are so many variables and they all contribute to a result. Yet, we can also take comfort that there are many ways of getting a similar result and there are no hard and fast rules as to what is good or bad, only what inspires.
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Post by sumgai on May 14, 2014 13:11:15 GMT -5
That's the thing that's so hard about music and sound, there are so many variables and they all contribute to a result. Yet, we can also take comfort that there are many ways of getting a similar result and [T]here are no hard and fast rules as to what is good or bad, only what inspires.Signature worthy right there! About sums up the whole GuitarNuts2 philosophy, nice and tidy.
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