planish
Joined: Jan 09, 2008
Posts: 473
Sackville, New Brunswick
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Posted on Jan 08 2010 02:53 AM
When I was using flatwound strings, I pretty much stayed on the bridge pickup.
Now, with roundwounds, I'm more likely to switch to the mid or neck pickup now and again.
So, it might depend on your choice of strings too, as much as anything else.
Either way, I leave the tone knobs at 10 unless I'm trying for something unusual.
It's like what James Cameron said when talking about filming a scene in "Dark Angel" that had Jessica Alba in a slinky red evening dress, climbing out of a swimming pool: "I shoot what I like to watch."
Use whatever settings you like to hear.
— I'm not a complete idiot. Some parts are missing.
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4502
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Jan 08 2010 05:15 PM
planish
When I was using flatwound strings, I pretty much stayed on the bridge pickup.
Now, with roundwounds, I'm more likely to switch to the mid or neck pickup now and again.
So, it might depend on your choice of strings too, as much as anything else.
Either way, I leave the tone knobs at 10 unless I'm trying for something unusual.
It's like what James Cameron said when talking about filming a scene in "Dark Angel" that had Jessica Alba in a slinky red evening dress, climbing out of a swimming pool: "I shoot what I like to watch."
Use whatever settings you like to hear.
Good advice. I tend to like the sound of a middle pickup (Strat) or both pickups (Jag, Jazz, Tele, Duo Jet, etc.) for most Surf. Occasionally I'll use the bridge alone if I want to really get a bright sound but not all that often.
Another thing I've learned is to make use of the controls fully. I usually run the guitar wide open and the amp fairly flat but there's no law that say you can't roll the tone down at the guitar or tweak the amp if the sound suits you.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
Last edited: Jan 20, 2010 19:02:59
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SGF
Joined: Jul 08, 2007
Posts: 106
Brittany
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Posted on Jan 18 2010 08:54 PM
IvanP
morphball
I'm just not a wiring expert at all, and have concerns that removing a couple 250K pots would brighten the signal too much.
It worked for DD.
I read somewhere (though I can't remember where exactly) that the tone pots are still connected but they're hidden under the pickguard.
A couple years ago I decided to yank all volume and tone pots from my guitars. It does brighten up the sound, depending on what you're looking for, you may or may not like it. Especially with a spring reverb unit (wich is very sensitive to high frequencies), it makes quite a difference if you use: guitar with pots -> reverb tank -> amp -versus- guitar with no pots -> reverb tank -> roll back treble on the amp.
— Matter is just energy waiting to happen.
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Jan 19 2010 11:58 AM
SGF
IvanP
morphball
I'm just not a wiring expert at all, and have concerns that removing a couple 250K pots would brighten the signal too much.
It worked for DD.
I read somewhere (though I can't remember where exactly) that the tone pots are still connected but they're hidden under the pickguard.
That'd be interesting to find out. Anybody know for sure?
A couple years ago I decided to yank all volume and tone pots from my guitars. It does brighten up the sound, depending on what you're looking for, you may or may not like it. Especially with a spring reverb unit (wich is very sensitive to high frequencies), it makes quite a difference if you use: guitar with pots -> reverb tank -> amp -versus- guitar with no pots -> reverb tank -> roll back treble on the amp.
I had the tone controls disconnected on one of my Strats recently (the volume control is still connected), and played that guitar all weekend practicing with the Madeira. It sounded great. Given that the bridge pickup on a Strat is not connected to tone controls, and usually too trebly for most people, it makes some sense to remove the tone controls from the middle and neck pickups - they will be closer to their natural tone and more balanced with respect to the bridge pickup. Anyway, after this weekend I'd say the experiment was successful - but I also did wear earplugs for most of the practice time! Not really the best way to judge the tone... 
— Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
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morphball
Joined: Dec 23, 2008
Posts: 3324
Pittsboro, NC
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Posted on Jan 19 2010 02:47 PM
Cool, Ivan! I'm thinking if the sound were too trebly, one could always swap the volume for a 300K or even higher.
SGV, that's a brave idea of going straight to the output jack; I guess you just have a volume pedal in the chain then?
— Mike
http://www.youtube.com/morphballio
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4502
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Jan 20 2010 07:08 PM
SGF
IvanP
morphball
I'm just not a wiring expert at all, and have concerns that removing a couple 250K pots would brighten the signal too much.
It worked for DD.
I read somewhere (though I can't remember where exactly) that the tone pots are still connected but they're hidden under the pickguard.
A couple years ago I decided to yank all volume and tone pots from my guitars. It does brighten up the sound, depending on what you're looking for, you may or may not like it. Especially with a spring reverb unit (wich is very sensitive to high frequencies), it makes quite a difference if you use: guitar with pots -> reverb tank -> amp -versus- guitar with no pots -> reverb tank -> roll back treble on the amp.
I used to have a Tele wired so that when you pulled up on the tone knob it bypassed all the wiring and sent the bridge pickup directly to the output jack, no volume control, no tone control. It sounded exceptionally bright, sort of like a steel guitar. I eventually added a third pickup and went with a conventional 5-position switch arrangement. If I ever had it to do over again I would have kept the volume control in the circuit but kept the tone-control out of the circuit.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
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SGF
Joined: Jul 08, 2007
Posts: 106
Brittany
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Posted on Jan 23 2010 03:53 PM
morphball
SGV, that's a brave idea of going straight to the output jack; I guess you just have a volume pedal in the chain then?
Yes, I use Ernie ball volume pedals wich also have a tuner out. Very convenient because I don't like to have a tuner in my signal chain. I use both versions of the volume pedal, the 250k version for pre-preamp and the 25k version for active signals (FX loop).
That said, of the hundreds of "250k" pots I've had in my shop not one measured EXACTLY 250k, some being as low as 200k and as high as 280k. Customers sometimes on the brink of going nuts trying to figure out why their guitar sounded so different from a nearly identical guitar. A good multimeter is often all it takes to find out.
— Matter is just energy waiting to happen.
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Joelman
Joined: Sep 07, 2006
Posts: 1503
Redlands, CA
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Posted on Jan 24 2010 12:38 AM
I like the middle switch position best. But, I keep both tone knobs turned full on always. Like Danny I use the amp settings the most for sound changes.
Joel
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