Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: tomjackson on May 05, 2010, 08:55:28 AM

Title: Treble Bleed mods
Post by: tomjackson on May 05, 2010, 08:55:28 AM

My Strat sounds really muddy when the volume is turned down, I use the volume a lot and need to retain some high frequencies when it's turned down.  What is the best method for treble bleed as I've seen a few?
What cap values etc?

Title: Re: Treble Bleed mods
Post by: Ratrod on May 05, 2010, 11:54:55 AM

There are several methods. Some only have a cap. Others have a cap with a resistor. Sometimes the resistror is wired paralel, sometimes in series.

Results vary with different pickups, amps or even player's tastes.

Best way to find out what works for you is by experimenting. I would advise a metal film cap instead of a ceramic disc.

On my Gretsch Power Jet I installed a WIMA 0.001 uF cap without a resistor on the master volume.

The resistor ruined the volume taper so I took that out.

Title: Re: Treble Bleed mods
Post by: BigB on May 05, 2010, 12:58:59 PM

All my guitars had a cheap (capa only) treble-bleed stock, and all had the same problem: they tend to loose bottom freqs when rolling down the volume put.

I removed the treble-bleed and rewired them 50's style, which yields better results IMHO - you still loose a bit of treble but way less, and you don't loose bottom ends.

There's a paper on 50's style wiring for strats here:
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2009/Jul/Gibson_50s_wiring_on_a_Stratocaster.aspx

Might not work for you, but well, it's worth giving it a try IMHO.