Treble Bleed Volume and No Load Tone Control - thoughts?

smitty_p said:
You do make a very worthwhile point...but do you really think that was all wasted time? Perhaps you feel you took it too far? But, did you learn anything in the process? Did you gain insights?

I think all of us could probably say we’re guilty at times of tweaking more than practicing! But, I‘m not sure you should just dismiss your personal research so quickly.
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Robert, I agree that "pissing around" is a learning experience, and is good - we all do it on here.

To turn it 180 degrees: a couple of old stories, often told, so I'll be brief... I had a couple of mates who were very good players in bands, had loads of fun, practised and played, that was it. One had a strat, a nice '57 MIJ, that he hadn't played for years although it was his favourite guitar because it didn't work, so he gave it to me. All it needed was a shim to fix it, so I gave it back... The other fella heard about this and gave me his 80s LP Custom that hadn't worked for years, I tried to work out what was wrong (actually the old timer Biddlin helped me out, along with others over at the other place because it was a few years back), and it turned out the strings were on the back of the bridge and had bent the bridge in the middle - replaced the bridge and it worked perfectly again. So, this "pissing around" and sharing threads with you fellas, etc, does get players playing with their number 1 guitars again. Kinda shocked me that these fellas had no knowledge at all and just left their favourite guitars to rot when an issue arose. So, I suppose this is the opposite side of the coin.
 
smitty_p said:
You do make a very worthwhile point...but do you really think that was all wasted time? Perhaps you feel you took it too far? But, did you learn anything in the process? Did you gain insights?

I think all of us could probably say we’re guilty at times of tweaking more than practicing! But, I‘m not sure you should just dismiss your personal research so quickly.
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Looking back, i realized that every nuance i agonized over was just not tangible in a live performance. I can't help but feel as though i could have taken my playing so much further had i not been so focused on the superfluous.
 
Mr Grumpy said:
Robert, I agree that "pissing around" is a learning experience, and is good - we all do it on here.

To turn it 180 degrees: a couple of old stories, often told, so I'll be brief... I had a couple of mates who were very good players in bands, had loads of fun, practised and played, that was it. One had a strat, a nice '57 MIJ, that he hadn't played for years although it was his favourite guitar because it didn't work, so he gave it to me. All it needed was a shim to fix it, so I gave it back... The other fella heard about this and gave me his 80s LP Custom that hadn't worked for years, I tried to work out what was wrong (actually the old timer Biddlin helped me out, along with others over at the other place because it was a few years back), and it turned out the strings were on the back of the bridge and had bent the bridge in the middle - replaced the bridge and it worked perfectly again. So, this "pissing around" and sharing threads with you fellas, etc, does get players playing with their number 1 guitars again. Kinda shocked me that these fellas had no knowledge at all and just left their favourite guitars to rot when an issue arose. So, I suppose this is the opposite side of the coin.
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I certainly agree in the context of working on guitars and fixing problems...
 
smitty_p said:
That‘s fine for him.

I‘m not him!

Playing wide open all the time isn’t my thing.

Again...we ain’t all the same. Music is an individual thing. Each of us has our own approach to how we execute our personal genres and styles. Like I always say...that’s the beauty of music!
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Not trying to change you, just can't get my head around what you are saying.

I get a kick out of watching players, who are always on the knobs, like SRV, and you never hear their tone change...maybe they hear something???

Energy. I thrive on it. I thrive on dishing it out. I think perhaps that i am so wrapped up in my performance that i don't have time to focus on minute detail.

I've discovered a couple of things....

I used to do all this practicing...i would rehearse at home several days, then rehearse right up to the time to load gear up and go.

Now, i have a different perspective and i rehearse a bit, then let several days pass where all i do is listen to the songs i will be performing. I may even embark on a motorcycle ride just before a performance, and my technique and performance are actually better than when doing marathon practice sessions.

TBTH, if i couldn't play flat out, i would sell my gear and just quit. Its the only thing i can do thats not controlled and regulated....

When i roll off tone and volume, bite and presence are killed...my sonic balls are cut off...if i play something mellow, i just change my attack and the tone "fits."

When i go to a performance, i want to see somebody taking heads...and i hope that i give that same level of the experience to our audience...
 
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Chubbles said:
Sometimes I think my love of the gear is as big as my desire to use the gear. I'd love to quit my job and open a repair shop (too much money involved). But the use of a good graphic EQ makes most of these tone changes moot.
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I must admit that i love performing, and i also enjoy setups too. My favorite aspect of a setup is achieving intonation nirvana.

But, while i do enjoy these things greatly, i am finding myself gravitating more and more towards those long days on the motorcycle out in the desert.

I think that now, i play more because i am needed by others, than because i need to play. I was asked to step in and support two music projects, which i did and i am enjoying being a part of those projects.

I once thought of myself as a musician who wad searching for what it was that he could prove to the world, that thing that might set him apart from everyone else.

When i listen to some of my recordings, i realize that im not at all a great guitarist, but i am a good supporting musician, and perhaps, at least to some extent, what EVH is to tapping, i am to punctuality and teamwork within a band.

I don't desire new or even more guitars, but rather one more opportunity to help someone make a musical dream come true....
 
Yes I've tried treble bleed setups. Just the little cap, and also the cap & resistor in series and in parallel.
Tried different values etc. To my ears, not worth the effort or clutter.
If my tone darkens a tad when rolling down volume, so be it.
Tried to make no load tone pots by scraping carbon. Also tried the nail polish method.
Both failed miserably and I never re attempted it.
If I get a pleasing vowel like reaction from my tone pot when turned, I'm happy with it.
From bright to dark with out getting muffled or muddy.
 
Since Mr Grumpy is curious about treble bleeds and no-load tone pots, maybe he should try and decide for himself if these mods are of any use to him. Some of the greatest guitarists that have existed use these features, and some dont.

It would be real simple to experiment with treble bleed mods by using a pair of jumper wires and various cap values and/or resistor values too. Don't need to solder to the guitar's circuitry just to try it.

Experimenting with a no-load tone pot would probably involve lifting one end of the connection between the vol pot and tone pot.
 
Hackmaster said:
Yes I've tried treble bleed setups. Just the little cap, and also the cap & resistor in series and in parallel.
Tried different values etc. To my ears, not worth the effort or clutter.
If my tone darkens a tad when rolling down volume, so be it.
Tried to make no load tone pots by scraping carbon. Also tried the nail polish method.
Both failed miserably and I never re attempted it.
If I get a pleasing vowel like reaction from my tone pot when turned, I'm happy with it.
From bright to dark with out getting muffled or muddy.
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The ONLY tone control modification i have ever seen that yields resukts and makes sense is the addition of the 0.01uf capacitor. This gives you tone control across the full range of the knob's rotation and never gets muddy, even at zero.

@IVANH understands what im sayin....
 
eSGEe said:
TONE is in the fingers.........:hide:
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Is that why they call you chicken fingers Ferengi...

Chicken fingers. Plate of crispy chicken fingers and dip on white background stock photo
 
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