location of cap on tone knob?

[the_bleeding]

Hey guys, random question coming up.

I see that seymour duncan places their tone cap differently than bareknuckle. For example, SD says to put the cap between the centre lug of the tone knob, and a ground. However bareknuckle says to put it between the hot lug of the volume knob, and the centre lug of the tone knob. Anybody know if they yeidl any differences?

[Twinfan]

I would say it does, yes.  Not sure what though!

The BKP way is more vintage correct, and is how Gibson/PRS etc do it.  I think Fender do it the Seymour Duncan way on Strats?

[Philly Q]

I guess there must be some difference (if you're Eric Johnson), but I have guitars wired both ways and the tone controls seem to work just as effectively either way.

I guess, if you're the experimenting type, you could try both and see if you hear any difference.  Personally, once I've got a guitar wired up and working, the last thing I want to do is take it apart again!  :lol:

If I'm replacing pickups, I usually leave the guitar wired the same way the manufacturer did it.  If I'm wiring from scratch, I usually use the cap to connect the volume and tone pots - it's one less wire to solder. 

[Fourth Feline]

As I understand it ( if my electronics is not too rusty )  the B.K.P way retains a more treble - and makes the tone knob the only 'drain' on the tone .

When you take the cap straight off the 'hot tag' ( i,e where the pickup wire first connects ) - but then leave the tone pot full on , effectively nothing is happening ; as the tone cap / pot link is NOT ( potentially ) going through part of the volume track first. 

The deciding factor not being whether the cap connects the tone and volume knobs - or whether you run a straight lead from the hot / pickup in tag of the volume to the middle tag of the tone pot , and then run the cap from the ( correct ) outer tag and the tone control casing ;  - the big issue is to run the tone circuit straight off of the volume control's ' hot' tag straight off the pickup wire - and not off the centre of the volume pot, where it would be merely adjusting what is left after the potential from the pickup has already been attenuated by the volume control's slider position. 

It's not 'night and day' - but putting a minimum of components / amount of circuitry in the tone 'drain' is meant to preserve even more of that B.K.P. 'open' character on the way to the amp.

[Philly Q]

The deciding factor not being whether the cap connects the tone and volume knobs - or whether you run a straight lead from the hot / pickup in tag of the volume to the middle tag of the tone pot , and then run the cap from the ( correct ) outer tag and the tone control casing ;  - the big issue is to run the tone circuit straight off of the volume control's ' hot' tag straight off the pickup wire - and not off the centre of the volume pot, where it would be merely adjusting what is left after the potential from the pickup has already been attenuated by the volume control's slider position. 

Yes, good point.  I was only commenting about the way the tone pot is wired, and not thinking about which volume pot tag is used. 

[hunter]

For me it depends what I want from a guitar or where the better match is. I do experiment with both ways. Often I end up with the neck tone wired to hot and bridge tone to middle in case there are 2 volumes.

But no rules here, the ear and circumstances decide.