Ilia Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Ok, I have a question for those who know their stuff. I recently purchased a complete pre-wired strat set and want to remove the tone pots from it. Yes, both of them and yes I don't do Tone pots. My question is can I just desolder all the wires that go to each tone pot and short circuit them all - would that work? Just to clarify I don't mean short circuit them all together but do that at 2 clusters, each where the tone pots were originaly. ilia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 I'm not familiar with strat wiring but with other guitars, just clipping the cap (removing it) is enough. Maybe someone more familiar with strat wiring can verify this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 just forget about the wiring thats there, and run two new wires straight from the volume pot to the jack. much neater job..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilia Posted March 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Thank you - I'll do that. I'll probably completely remove the tone pots if that can be done as I had a custom pickguard cut with only room for a volume pot on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theQuestioneer Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 just forget about the wiring thats there, and run two new wires straight from the volume pot to the jack. much neater job..... that wouldn't work. it's not like the signal goes through the tone pot so you can't go around it. you see? cut the tone pots off of the pickup selector so that there is no wire between the two, and the tone pots aren't connected to anything, besides eachother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilia Posted March 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Can I just bridge the 2 "ears" from where the tone pots are originating and cut them off completely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Just disconnect the wires that go from the 5 way switch to the tone pots. Then remove any grounding to the casing to free the pots, making sure that you haven't interrupted the ground to other important components. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Just disconnect the wires that go from the 5 way switch to the tone pots. Then remove any grounding to the casing to free the pots, making sure that you haven't interrupted the ground to other important components. Yeah, just clip the wires going from the 5-way switch to the tone pots. I don't like the vol/tone/tone setup on strats either. They seem redundant. I typically rewire mine for vol. and master tone (used just for clean jazz work). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilia Posted March 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2004 OK, but looking at that diagram the chain seem to be flowing through the tone pots so If I cut them off completely, wouldn't that break the signal path? What I'm asking is should I bridge the ears where the tone chain flows or just leave it disconected? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHowell Posted March 19, 2004 Report Share Posted March 19, 2004 The "output" of the switch are the two lugs which are strapped together you can see the "hot' wire goes from there to your volume pot. Cutting the two wires to the tone pots will take them out of circuit. The diagram above I think has an earth missing from the tone pots. I don't like diagrams like these, it's far to difficult to work out the signal path, proper symbolic circuit diagrams are much easier! Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted March 19, 2004 Report Share Posted March 19, 2004 Just disconnect the wires that go from the 5 way switch to the tone pots. Then remove any grounding to the casing to free the pots, making sure that you haven't interrupted the ground to other important components. Yeah, just clip the wires going from the 5-way switch to the tone pots. I don't like the vol/tone/tone setup on strats either. They seem redundant. I typically rewire mine for vol. and master tone (used just for clean jazz work). Got a diagram of that dude? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilia Posted March 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2004 OK it was a loooong time since I took Electrical Engeneering but I seem to remember the the signal always selects the path of least resistance. What that means to me is that if the output is hotwired to begin with the signal path would never make it through the tone circuit because the hotwiring will provide less resistance and the electricity will flow through there making the tone chain completely redundant. Before you answer think carefully what I'm asking and have a look at the diagram above. Do I have to bridge the two prongs after I cut off the Tone cluster? Those of you who say "No", please explain then why does the signal go through there if it is already hotwired to bypass it??? What about the least resistance thing? ilia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHowell Posted March 19, 2004 Report Share Posted March 19, 2004 No you don't need to bridge anything. If you look at the switch on the left it has the inputs from the 3 pickups, the 4th pin is the "mixed" output from the switch. ie the switch connects the pickups together in the various strat combinations, bridge, bridge and middle, etc. The other half of the switch connects the output across the tone controls, which one being dependant on which position the switch is in. Cutting the two wires from the switch to the tone pots takes them out of circuit, the wire from the switch to the Volume pot stays. There is definitely an error on the diagram above: The case of the tone pots should also be connected to ground, notice the one leg of the capacitor is soldered to the pot case. Tone pots are connected between "hot" and ground with a capacitor in series thereby shunting the highs to ground depending on the pot setting. See the pinned item on tone pots and capacitors at the top of this section. Have a look at Mr Gearhead the Fender tech site for more diagrams. Still the horrible diagrammatic form and not schematic unfotunately. Does anybody know where schematics can be found? Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted March 19, 2004 Report Share Posted March 19, 2004 Look here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilia Posted March 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2004 Cool thanx for all the help guys. I just couldn't get my head around the fact that the tone cluster is run in parallel rather than in series but just stared at the diagram for a bit and totally understand what's going on. Thanx guys. ilia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ansil Posted March 20, 2004 Report Share Posted March 20, 2004 lift the ground on the caps. plain and simple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted March 20, 2004 Report Share Posted March 20, 2004 The diagram above I think has an earth missing from the tone pots. I don't like diagrams like these, it's far to difficult to work out the signal path, proper symbolic circuit diagrams are much easier! Unless you don't know how to read them. ;-) You're right, of course-- to someone with the knowledge, a schematic is laid out with the proper 'logic'. Any pointers on good websites for teaching myself how to read one? Cheers, Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHowell Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Any pointers on good websites for teaching myself how to read one? I've never looked for a site! I'll see what I can find. I don't ever remember actually doing a course in schematic reading, we just picked it up as the electronics courses proceeded starting with a very simple switch, power source and lamp and then getting more and more complex circuits with resistors, capacitors coils etc. and then adding tubes and transistors In schematics the elements are represented by symbols and straight lines drawn between elements, usually keeping your ground line at the bottom of the drawing. Circuits are read generally left to right. ie Inputs an the left outputs on the right. The trick is really to understand the component symbols and what it can do eg a switch, the rest is quite simple and logical. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHowell Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 A quick google showed this site: Schematics Have a look and post any questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer. Have a look at GeoFex R.G has some links to beginners sites. (Look under electronics in the left menu frame) Here's a nice tutorial with a symbol reference:How to and Symbols Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Just disconnect the wires that go from the 5 way switch to the tone pots. Then remove any grounding to the casing to free the pots, making sure that you haven't interrupted the ground to other important components. thats what i meant..... ie: get rid of all the tone circuitry and start fresh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 If in doubt, rip it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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