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Post by frets on Oct 21, 2019 16:58:00 GMT -5
Hey folks,
I am doing a guitar and want to do a bright switch. I’ve seen a few schematics on the internet but I want to know the best resistor value or cap resistor combination that will really brighten and be a true treble enhancer. I’m sure you guys have talked about this one. As always, I could not find what I was looking for. Thank you!!
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Post by sumgai on Oct 22, 2019 0:07:59 GMT -5
frets, I am doing a guitar and want to do a bright switch. I’ve seen a few schematics on the internet but I want to know the best resistor value or cap resistor combination that will really brighten and be a true treble enhancer. There are only three ways to make this happen:
a) Install a "strangle" cap, ala the Fender Jaguar. This simply curtails the bass and low-mids range of frequencies, so the resulting tone sounds "brighter". It is, by comparison to the fullbodied tone, but I wouldn't call it a screamer of a mod. The chief benefit here is that you can use this "feature" when the volume is turned down below max, and it will still cut some amount of bass frequencies.
b) Bypass all other loading components. Other pickups, pots, and even resistors and caps can all cause loss of high frequencies. If your rig as a coil or two, outside of the pickup coils, those are in the same boat - they are loading the signal, and thus reducing the highs. This bypass option gives you full volume, and the most full tone possible, but it means that you can't use it a (desired) lower volume level - it's all or nuttin', baby!
c) Go active. Install a battery and a genuine treble boosting amplifier, and be done with it. Obvious drawbacks here are the necessity of using a battery, and having a spare on hand at all times. Like a), this will allow you to degrade the bass frequencies at a lower overall volume level. It's not for the faint of heart, to be sure. but once you have a battery in your axe, you can do all kinds of things.* Trade-offs aboond. 
d) Combine any two, or even all three.
No, seriously, you probably don't need to combine them all, but if you don't want to use a bypass switch of some kind (to remove as much loading as possible), then an onboard amp might be worthy of consideration. And if you've gone that far, then a strangle switch is also pretty much moot as well. So it's a), b), a) and b) combined, or c) - those are the two main paths you can take to achieve your goal.
Oh, and I need to mention.... if you remove the load with a bypass switch, then you've also just constructed a so-called Blower switch, aka a Blaster switch. That's where you get the maximum volume that the pickups can give out, and it's kinda handy for those who need to go back and forth for volume levels (lead versus rhythm, etc.). Gettting a full tone is a benefit for those folks, but for you..... 
As an afterthought, this is not a "fourth" option, but if you are truly tired of a muddy tone, then you might consider changing your cable to a better one. And I don't mean anything made by Monster, either, I mean a George L, or something similar. Ask JohnH about his previous testing of low-capacitance cables. **
HTH
sumgai
* We Nutz had a discussion several years ago about repurposing used cell-phone batteries into one's kit. These can be recharged to a sufficient level long after they don't work so hot in a cell phone. The Search function (in the menu above) should prove productive.
** And here I usually insert a plug for an RF cable. That's shorthand for using a Radio to get your signal out, and into the amp/pedals/etc. Here you are guaranteed to get a full tone, with no loss of high frequencies at all. But it's not cheap, and its still got a battery thing going on.... a single-purpose battery you can't adapt to power other onboard toys. Probably limited to the big boys who need that kind of thing on stage, most nights of the week. But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it.
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Post by frets on Oct 22, 2019 0:30:28 GMT -5
Aha!! I completely failed to think of a blower switch, that will work absolutely to brighten my tone. I’m going to do the Blower option. Thank you Sumgai for the very well thought out and explanatory response. I know it must have taken a bit of time to write it and I truly appreciate it.
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