Single tone control?

Amplifiers, effects, pickups, electronic components, wiring, etc.

Moderator: Dave Mudgett

User avatar
Tim Whitlock
Posts: 2042
Joined: 3 Jan 2001 1:01 am
Location: Colorado, USA
State/Province: Colorado
Country: United States

Single tone control?

Post by Tim Whitlock »

I have a lap steel with a single volume control. I always run the volume full on and use my volume pedal to control the volume. But I do like an on board tone control for doo wahs and Jerry Byrd effects.

Is it possible to convert the volume control into a tone control by wiring a cap between the lugs?
User avatar
Raybob Bowman
Posts: 374
Joined: 10 Jan 2006 1:01 am
Location: S. Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
State/Province: -
Country: United States

Post by Raybob Bowman »

Yes, rewire the pot so hot stays connected. Use one leg of pot connected to hot, center leg through cap to ground. Try different value caps, probably .1mF would do.
Last edited by Raybob Bowman on 7 Aug 2023 9:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mullen S10 Dmaj9 uni / Sierra U12 4+5 / 1933 Dobro / homemade Tele B-bender
User avatar
Jack Hanson
Posts: 5572
Joined: 19 Jun 2012 3:42 pm
Location: San Luis Valley, USA
State/Province: -
Country: United States

Post by Jack Hanson »

As an alternative you could install a dual concentric pot for both tone and volume controls. I've done it on a coupla Carolyn Wonderland model Kalamazoos with excellent results:
Image

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