Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on April 22, 2016 at 3:18pm

It works Bob,but,their is a problem with the signal returning to the turned down pup,it's hard to explain,so i'll just paste a link from Eric[badfinger] from a year or 2 ago

Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on May 11, 2015 at 8:37am

This is a big problem with dual volume controls on a piezo and mag setup.  You have two options, only one of which I have done, but the other I trust.

First option is to get a couple diodes and put them inline with the output of each pot.  This prevents signal from going through the pot to ground and not to the jack.  Check this thread and about the 6th reply down to see a link and wiring diagram example.

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/piezo-or-mag-pickups-whi...

http://www.strat-talk.com/forum/stratocaster-discussion-forum/13405...

I have done this and it works very well.  Diodes are cheap too.

The other option comes by the way of The Phrygian Kid and he suggests just connecting the 3rd tab of the pot to ground.  This makes it simple variable resistor.  I did not know this before putting diodes on my guitars and so I have not tried it.  He's more than a trustworthy source of info though.

The last thing to check is to ensure you have a single point of grounding connections.  Only one.  Like, one.  Multiple points of ground can cause huge headaches.  Ground everything to one single point and then to the jack.

I have found the rod piezo/mag dual volume combo to be among the most frustrating to wire up.  Keep at it.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on April 23, 2016 at 2:32am

Without the diodes,going with just the 2 volume knobs,that circuit will send the signal from 1 pup out of it's pot and back to the other pot,meaning you can't wind one pup down without winding the other down,you either need a switch to seperate them,or 2 vols with diodes if you want to blend pups

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on April 23, 2016 at 2:54am

You can wind one all the way down,which will close or near close that pup,but as soon as you open it,you allow the pups to inter mingle,with no separation,they'll blend,but not very controlled

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on April 23, 2016 at 9:56am

No credit to me ,i'm just re telling Badfinger's [Eric's]post from a while back.Also,google 'Stracciatella guitar mod' ,it explains it deeper

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on April 23, 2016 at 11:22am

At the time of Eric's original post,i was finishing a solid body,with a homemade humbucker wired for pole splitting,so thought i'd try it,the poles have a slightly different sound,[maybe winding pattern/tension or something],with the diodes on 2 pots,it was noticeably variable,as it's an easy task,i'd recommend it.By memory,the recommended diode was a schottky 1A400V

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on April 24, 2016 at 9:14pm

That mod is also good if you want to use two different value pots, it keeps the higher pot from taking over the whole circuit.

Some people like a 500k for a humbucker and a lower 250k or less for a Piezo, without the diodes the 500k takes over as a master volume. The reason why Fender Bass guitars used 2 - 250k volumes and 1 - 250k master tone to equal everything out.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Payton on April 25, 2016 at 1:43pm

Thanks Paul

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Payton on April 23, 2016 at 8:07am

Thanks, I appreciate the advice.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Payton on April 23, 2016 at 8:06am

Thanks, this is great!

• ▶ Reply