|
|
Post by JohnH on May 4, 2007 3:33:04 GMT -5
I’d like to show you this idea for extending the use of a standard tone control on a humbucker guitar. It uses the top range of the tone control to progressively cut to a brighter single coil sound. Here's two versions:  Has anyone tried something similar? On the left diagram, C1 is the usual tone cap, such as 22nF, 33NF or 47nF etc according to taste. With tone control at zero, it is full Hb with max treble cut. From 0 –about 7 (on a linear pot), the treble cut reduces, to develop the usual full humbucker sound. From 8 to 10, the lower coil is progressively bypassed via C2, to give the brightest, single coil sound at 10. C2 is optional. As shown, it can bypass most of the blue coil, but leaving a little of the low registers to keep a bit more weight and hum suppression, with the brightness of the sound being characterised by the red coil. But C2 can also be changed to just a wire link as on the right, for a simple coil cut. This tone control gives a smooth transition from single coil, to Hb to Hb with treble cut. An extra trick would be to remove a section of carbon track from the pot (and easy scraping job), in the region corresponding to 7 to 8 on the dial. This creates a ‘no-load’ section of the pot, to give maximum Hb output, with single coil-cut engaged from 8 to 10, and Hb with treble cut, from 7 to 0. I’ve got this mocked up on my LPmax (hanging out the back on wires), and it works pretty well. The main benefit is to add a coil cut feature to any Hb guitar with tone controls for each pup, without having to change to different pots or to add switches. All it needs is four-conductor pups. I could see this being an easy and reversible first-stage mod for an LP, without needing push/pull switches to get the essential additional coil cut sounds. I’m tempted to try a ‘Jimmy Page’ version of it, with just two extra p/p controls (instead of the usual four) for system series and phase reversal. cheers John |
|
|
|
Post by michaelcbell on May 4, 2007 11:28:47 GMT -5
looks cool! I'd love to hear what this does, both with and without C2. Nice thought - I'd be tempted to figure out if there was a way to have the full humbucker land at a center detent...
|
|
|
|
Post by michaelcbell on May 4, 2007 11:31:02 GMT -5
...maybe a cut 1000KOhm pot?
|
|
|
|
Post by JohnH on May 4, 2007 16:37:12 GMT -5
Thanks for the comments. A centre detent would be nice - I find them very hard to track down to buy however.
The other thing Ive notuced with this idea is that the single/Hb transition happens audibly quite quickly, within less than 100k on the pot turn. That's why I note that Hb tends to be achieved at about 8, whereas, I agree that mid position 5 would be better. 1M pots would work but tend to push all the tone-change action to the ends of the travel.
With the values shown, the C2 makes just a small addition to the single-coil bass sound. You'd hardly know, except in an A/B test, Its a bit heavier (and so a bit better). Smaller C2 will leave more bass.
cheers
John
|
|
|
|
Post by sumgai on May 4, 2007 23:40:32 GMT -5
John,
I'm not finding it right now, but didn't we have a discussion sometime last year about how to change the taper of a pot by adding a resistor from the wiper to the ground leg? Or was that an offsite link, and I've gone completely forgetful? ;D
That might work as michael describes....... I agree that 1 meg pots don't do much for most pickups (although Leo used them extensively in the very early years), regardless of the taper.
sumgai
|
|
|
|
Post by JohnH on May 5, 2007 0:41:37 GMT -5
Sumgai - yes we did, and I was thinking about that. But in this case I cant see how to add resistors to make the taper more effective than without. To go with Michaels excellent suggestion however, the best would be an antilog pot, with central section removed and a detent. The lower resistance side would be towards the sc/Hb transisition, and the higher resistance side would do the treble cut. Second choice would be a normal log pot, wired to opposite hand, and get used to operating it in reverse. I think 500k is OK.
John
|
|
|
|
Post by ChrisK on May 7, 2007 19:45:08 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by JohnH on May 8, 2007 6:40:45 GMT -5
Thats Ok Chris. Its too simple an idea to be new. But handy though, free coil cuts with your tone controls!
John
|
|
|
|
Post by wolf on May 8, 2007 15:39:00 GMT -5
I was thinking of adding something like this to my site:  I remember DiMarzio used to show this diagram in the instructions that came with their humbuckers. They don't anymore. Could it just have been because of legal reasons? I can't believe something this simple would be granted a patent. |
|
|
|
Post by ChrisK on May 8, 2007 19:48:20 GMT -5
The Rhodes patent expired in 1996, so copy and sell its use as you please.
It's completely legal and moral to do so.
|
|
|
|
Post by simes on Dec 21, 2009 17:55:48 GMT -5
Hello.
I've just come across this most interesting mod, and I have a couple of questions:
1. As the lower coil is progressively bypassed, is the humcancelling aspect of the PU reduced, or is an HB always either fully humcancelling or not-at-all humcancelling?
2. Is this mod being dependent on having a volume pot for each PU? Or would it be compatible with an SSH Strat with a common volume pot after the superswitch?
3. Why isn't this mod more famous?
Cheers,
Simes
|
|
|
|
Post by JohnH on Dec 22, 2009 6:35:34 GMT -5
Hi simes - thanks for resurrecting this old thread. Ive got a version of this arrangement on three of my guitars now, including my most recent LP rewire, and wouldn't be without it.
In answer to your questions - the humcancelling is in proportion to the extent of coil cut, so as it fades towards a single coil, so the slight SC hum comes in. Actually, with a log pot, its all quite quick, its at full HB up to above 9, then quickly transitions to SC - you can get nice waa effects by twisting the tone knob slightly from 9 to 10.
Using the tone control like this is not dependent on having individual tone or volume controls, so I think it would work fine on an SSH set up.
I don't know why this is not common!!
John
|
|
|
|
Post by newey on Dec 22, 2009 7:09:36 GMT -5
If one used a log taper, where would the transition be? Between this mod and the similar "neck on" from Chris, we now have 2 uses for the other lug on a tone pot! We Nutz can't stand to leave any lugs unwired!  |
|
|
|
Post by JohnH on Dec 22, 2009 14:28:16 GMT -5
If one used a log taper, where would the transition be? Out of 10 = max treble, I find that the transition happens at about 9.5 on a log tone pot and from about 8.5 on a linear pot |
|
|
|
Post by ChristoMephisto on Dec 30, 2009 4:58:34 GMT -5
If you wired up a phase switch between the pup and tone pot, would it cut out the red coil instead?
Saw in the JPLP wiring that the neck s/c switch gives north s/c and when in OoP, its the south s/c.
Could this be achieved the same way?
|
|
|
|
Post by JohnH on Dec 30, 2009 6:16:48 GMT -5
If you wired up a phase switch between the pup and tone pot, would it cut out the red coil instead? Saw in the JPLP wiring that the neck s/c switch gives north s/c and when in OoP, its the south s/c. Could this be achieved the same way? Yes indeed - that would all work fine John |
|
|
|
Post by ChristoMephisto on Jan 8, 2010 18:21:53 GMT -5
Figured out a way to get a coil/treble cut and local series/parallel all from one push/pull pot. Wire up your humbucker to the dpdt switch in the regular s/p wiring, the one with wire joining the two outer lugs. scroll down a bit www.1728.com/guitar.htm Wire the tone pot normally, the extra lug connects to the wire that joins the pup when in series mode instead of the middle of the pup. So at 10 will you get a coil cut, and as you roll it back you get hum/treble cut. Pull the knob and the pup is local parallel, the tone pot is removed from the middle of the humbucker and functions as a normal tone pot. |
|
|
|
Post by sumgai on Jan 8, 2010 19:01:41 GMT -5
CM, Aw c'mon man, that's a story problem, and I don't deal those too well!  Howzabout a diagram of what you did? Please?? Otherwise, glad to know that you met your goals!  sumgai |
|
