AXIS GUITARS: TONE CONTROL, NECESSARY OR NOT? Opinions and experiences please

[bhull]

Funny you ask this since the same subject has been kicking around the back of my head ever since picking up a circa 2000 Axis a while back.

I never ever use the tone knob. Ever.

I take that back. Sometimes, when I'm playing a guitar with a tone knob, it doesn't sound right. Then I realize it's because the tone knob has rolled off from its zero position.

 

[beej]

In guitars with really bright single coils I'll use a tone control. Humbuckers, almost never.

In most of my guitars I've replaced the tone control with a fixed resistor (to keep the same load on the pickups) and used the tone control for something else- coil split, blend pot, etc.

 

[Stratty316]

I replaced the "volume" knob with a "tone" knob on both of my standard Axis guitars... problem solved, "tone" control.

 

[danielbravo]

In guitars with really bright single coils I'll use a tone control. Humbuckers, almost never.

In most of my guitars I've replaced the tone control with a fixed resistor (to keep the same load on the pickups) and used the tone control for something else- coil split, blend pot, etc.

And how about the result? interesting because I had never thought about it

 

[xjbebop]

I replaced the "volume" knob with a "tone" knob on both of my standard Axis guitars... problem solved, "tone" control.

Proper 'fix'...

 

[beej]

And how about the result? interesting because I had never thought about it

With a resistor instead of the pot the sound is the same (as a tone pot on 10). And having a variable coil split is easier than drilling holes for additional switches.

 

[dean701]

a tone control simply makes it more versatile. If you are looking for a dull tone, you can't get it without one. Adding a resistor from lug 1 to 3 on the volume pot does simulate the load of a tone pot but not the capacitance part. Even when the tone pot is wide open it is still a resistor (500k/300k/250k) and the cap leads to ground so whether it is audible or not, it is running though the capacitor to get to ground. When the tone pot is reduced from 10 downward more flow goes to ground as the resistance gets smaller but it is always flowing even on 10.

 

[jayjayjay]

I have an Axis, among a number of other guitars. Only my Axis lacks a tone control. On my other guitars, I *sometimes* mess with the tone control. Usually this is on my Strat, which has separate tone controls for the neck and middle pickup; I can cut the treble from one of the pickups in positions 2 or 4 to achieve a slightly different tonal balance. There is no tone control for the bridge pickup which, ironically enough, is probably the one pup where I wouldn't mind one. My other guitars, it depends on whether I want a slightly darker tone or if I'm playing through my Vox amp, but usually I just keep them all dimed - I like the clarity. In terms of useful functionality, really only the Strat makes sense, as the independent tone controls allow actual shaping of combo pickup sounds. All my other guitars, it's just a master tone control.

So, horses for courses. That said, if you have an EQ pedal or similar device, I don't know that you need a tone control, at least for guitars where the tone is just a master tone control. You can pretty much get the same effect on your effects board - I also note that nearly every OD/distortion pedal I've seen already has a tone control. That's to say nothing of the amp, which likely has yet more tone controls. About the only reason you'd need, strike that, want, a tone control on the guitar is if you wanted the convenience of having it literally at your fingertips, rather than having to stomp a pedal or adjust an amp.

 

[beej]

a tone control simply makes it more versatile. If you are looking for a dull tone, you can't get it without one. Adding a resistor from lug 1 to 3 on the volume pot does simulate the load of a tone pot but not the capacitance part. Even when the tone pot is wide open it is still a resistor (500k/300k/250k) and the cap leads to ground so whether it is audible or not, it is running though the capacitor to get to ground. When the tone pot is reduced from 10 downward more flow goes to ground as the resistance gets smaller but it is always flowing even on 10.

Holy thread resurrection.

Ok, the whole tone knob on 10 thing- the capacitor doesn't have any effect when the pot is wide open, or for most of it's sweep for that matter (that is to say, it's not affecting audible frequencies). I know this is a hot topic on every guitar forum, but I wonder how many people have really tried it themselves.

As you turn down your tone pot, most of the effect you hear is from the decreased resistance (in parallel with the volume pot) on the pickups, reducing the resonant peak of the pickups, making them sound darker. When you get to the lower end of the pot's sweep you finally start to hear the capacitor come into play.

Here's an easy experiment- get two alligator clips. Connect one to the middle lug of the tone control where the capacitor is soldered. Connect another one to a ground point on the guitar. Now experiment playing with the tone pot in various parts of its sweep, connecting and disconnecting the alligator clips as you go.

With the alligator clips connected the tone cap is grounded out (easier than unsoldering it). You'll notice that the tone control still functions as a tone control for most of it's sweep (though, when you get down to the low end of the sweep it'll cut the volume). Disconnect the clips and hear it with the tone cap in the circuit. See what you think.

This is obviously easier with rear-loaded electronics rather than having to take off a pickguard

 

[dibart77]

I can honestly say I have never, ever thought, "Damn, I wish I had a tone control on this Axis." The pickup selector and volume knob always did it for me.

 

[racerx]

I can honestly say I have never, ever thought, "Damn, I wish I had a tone control on this Axis." The pickup selector and volume knob always did it for me.

Well, you certainly have no shortage of pickup selectors or volume knobs

 

[scottcentilli]

My tone control(s) are often used.

 

[JoeTam]

I've got a couple guitars without them, and don't really feel the need to have them, but I do have them as push/pull for coil splitting.

If you really like a tone control and only have one pot, you could always put in a concentric pot so you can have the volume and tone in just one place.

 

[Jamie M]

My tone knob has probably seized up, it never gets used.

 

[tbonesullivan]

I almost never use the tone knob on humbucker guitars. The end result is just too muddy for me to use.

On a telecaster with the bridge pickup on, tone knob gets used all the time.

 

[fbecir]

And now you know how to use your volume knob and your tone knob

 

[headcrash]

I have the tone controls on my Axis Sports and SuperSport disconnected.
I have this trauma of having unintentionally turned the tone knob once at a gig.
Plus, I have never used tone controls.