renard
Apprentice Shielder
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Post by renard on Jul 14, 2018 9:43:32 GMT -5
Anyone ever try using resistors to ground out pickups to create pre set volume levels instead of using a potentiometer? Something similar to a gibson varitone but with volume instead. I feel like the only loss is not being able to do swells. I would prefer to have a set lead volume and a set rhythm volume. Another idea is I could just set a resistor on the volume pot that is controlled with an on/off switch. It would act as a boost without wiring in an preamp. Anyone try this? Cant find any info online.
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Post by sumgai on Jul 14, 2018 11:25:23 GMT -5
Paging ashcatlt, paging Doctor ashcatlt - response needed in Aisle 5, please.
renard, Hello and  to The NutzHouse!  ashcatlt (ash for short) has done this very thing, you should be able to use our search function and find his postings on the topic. But while you're doing that, let's see if he has his ears on, and chimes in with a short treatise on what to do and how to do it. If he's on vacation somewhere, then one of our other contributors/members will step in to fill the bill. Though probably not with the experience that ash has under his belt.  HTH sumgai
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renard
Apprentice Shielder
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
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Post by renard on Jul 14, 2018 11:46:20 GMT -5
I looked through his posts but couldnt find one on that topic Hopefully he chimes in.
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Post by sumgai on Jul 14, 2018 19:30:57 GMT -5
I looked through his posts but couldnt find one on that topic Hopefully he chimes in. Try this one for starters, it's ash's very first post in The NutzHouse! ashcatlt's fixed resistor volume control projectOver the years, he has occasionally mentioned the project in passing. IIRC, it does what he wants, so the thread seems like it should give you a leg up in your quest. HTH sumgai |
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renard
Apprentice Shielder
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
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Post by renard on Jul 15, 2018 9:02:08 GMT -5
Ended up wiring a switch that adds a 18k resistor to ground. It cuts the sound down to approx to 8 on my vol knob. It mostly cuts some highs out. If I use the switch with a crunch tone the volume drop/boost is barely noticeable. Works best as a clean boost. I need to try this out in a live band situation to see how practical it is.
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Post by ashcatlt on Jul 18, 2018 16:31:18 GMT -5
Sorry I missed this. I could make excuses... I never did end up with a stepped attenuator in the HHH thing that started as a Behringer then moved to a Squier and eventually ended up (with some modification) in my Xavier offset/tele hybrid thing. Instead, I used the 5-way as a Kill/Tone Kill switch. All the way toward the bridge, it's on, the three middle positions short the jack, and the "neck" position puts a cap across the jack just like a Master T pot turned all the way down. This is even better on a Tele 3-way because there is less redundancy and a little more positive action and that's what's in there now, but it was a 5 way when it was in the strats. There is no actual Volume control on that guitar at all. With the switch in the "on" position, it's completely no load all out straight wire to the jack. I did put stepped V and T on rotary switches in my Rickenbacker. Unfortunately, my pictures are all broken. I'm not completely confident that I even have copies anymore, but I can maybe look one of these days. All four of those controls have a "No Load" position, which is something you can't actually do with a normal V pot. Now... 18K to ground without added series resistance is much more like a Tone control than a Volume. You probably will have some broadband attenuation, but the treble response should take a complete nosedive. If you're happy with what you've got, go with it, but a V pot is wired as a voltage divider for a reason. Edit - Here's a really good schematic of a simple stepped attenuator compared to a volume pot.  |
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