Guitar Volume Control Improvements for High Gain Wrecks

[RJ Guitars]

Adjusting to the Trainwreck Express or Liverpool amp requires learning to embrace continuous adjustment of the volume control on your guitar. In the pre-Trainwreck days for me, I almost always played Gibson's with humbucker's and the tone basically went away as you turned down the volume... so I rarely ever turned it down (unless I wanted some sort of flat sounding jazz tone). So, I was hesitant to embrace this Trainwreck requirement and was skeptical that the amps were good for anything aside from peeling paint off the walls on max volume. Since neither I nor anybody I know typically runs back to their amp on stage when they need a volume change, it was hard for me to want to use the amp for more than loud and dirty stuff.

In time I sorta got used to the idea especially when I started playing my Strat more (tone loss was not as obvious) and grew more comfortable with what was happening with the Wreck amp... but it wasn't overnight. This week in the weekly note that came to me from Stewart Mcdonald there was a nice little tech tip... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0SLdOWvz3c

I shared it with a few guys locally and Zippy told me that he used to do that back when is a guitar tech in the stone ages... Just something I thought might help a few other guys as well.

[RCGPNY1]

actually I've been doing the .001uf across the volume control since the
seventies...What does the addition of the 150k resistor do? Make the action more smooth?

[RCGPNY1]

actually I've been doing the .001uf across the volume control since the
seventies...What does the addition of the 150k resistor do? Make the action more smooth?

[redshark]

But....isn't that what you avoid when you use Gibson's 50's wiring? That is how my guitar is wired and I don't need to add any components to get the same effect.

[RJ Guitars]

I've seen it in varying degrees in the various Gibson's and other humbucker I've owned... not that many 50's vintage guitars and most of them unmodified from whatever they came with. I think my ES-339 had something they called "Memphis" wiring which was supposed to be good for no tone loss on volume roll off.

If you don't have this phenomenon then all is well and you can save the $4 and the hassle of putting it in...

[Mark]

I thought Ken Fischer was against this mod for Gibson LP/SG guitars as it had the opposite effect. I think it was the first Gerald Weber book, though I could be wrong.

[pablogt]

I've used that mod in all my guitars for twenty years.... until I started using an Express. Since there is no tone loss when you dial guitar volume down using an Express, the treble bleed circuit gets in the way by making clean tones too trebly. To the point that I made the treble bleed circuit in my main guitar switchable so I can take it off when using the Express (it's a Tom Anderson strat type guitar that has a small cover in the back that comes in handy for the switch).

So, I think it's great for all varieties of Rocket, but not good for the Express or Liverpool. By the way, I use 1nf with no resistor for humbackers, 680pf and a 150k resistor in parallel for single coils. For splitable humbackers, I use the same as for single coils, since I tend to use them splitted for cleans.

P.

[Zippy]

I thought Ken Fischer was against this mod for Gibson LP/SG guitars as it had the opposite effect. I think it was the first Gerald Weber book, though I could be wrong.

It can have the "opposite" effect if you use the wrong values of RC for the given pickup impedance. 150K/.001 is a good ballpark value for most single coil pickups.

[billyz]

I don't care for it. Tried it 30 yrs ago. The resistor changes the taper , which might help some pots. The cap is more and more effective the more you roll down the volume. I would describe it as Hifi sounding but not in a good way. I guess I got to liking what happens when I roll down the volume. Use the vintage wiring scheme on a Gibson and good pots like the Gibson pat-59 historic and a good cap.

[billyz]

Oops

[Gibsonman63]

I think that it is a bit of an advantage that some treble rolls off with the volume. It helps the guitar fit in the mix for rhythm and makes it cut through more for solos.

[geetarpicker]

With my original '59 Les Paul w/PAFs the highs roll off slightly when backed off a little (which can be useful), then when backed down more to 3-5 (for cleans on an Express) the highs actually ramp back up nicely. I find this gives me plenty of variety, along with the mid scoop effect (and a little more volume reduction) with the tone control c/o the 50s wiring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc3Xi6aAG80

I haven't found treble bleeds needed with my Gibsons or Fenders, though I had a Gretsch that worked well with some wiring changes and treble bleeds on both the pickup volumes and master volume.

GK

[Hogy]

Ken didn't like any kind of treble bleed mod to the guitar. I've discussed this with him many times, I don't like them either.

Trainwreck amps are voiced around the response of a regular, non-compensated guitar volume pot. It's part of the design.

[jjman]

I learned that I cannot predict where it will be needed or what cap value. I just put it there if treble is lost when turning down.

[sepulchre]

I've found treble bleeds useful for many years, but it depends a Lot on the guitar and amp to be used. I don't have an Express (maybe one day) but with my Marshall 2204 style a little works a treat. My main axe, a Strat Deluxe, has a slight bleed on it - less than the usual values.

I do have a Strat that has a bit more, don't recall the values off hand but it's more than the usual. It worked well with an amp I had back when I got it but it's a bit too much for the amps I use now. Its volume pot needs a squirt of Deoxit Fader Lube or to be replaced. When I do that the bleed is coming out, or at least adjusted to be pretty minimal. It has the EC preamp in it and the treble loss is very noticeable when rolled off.