tech talk/treble response

[soencoe]

So, I've got a Silhouette Special, maple neck. I like its shiny, tinkle sound, but when I roll down the volume pot, the sound is getting muddier, muffled. Is there any method, to get it brighter-on the lower volume standings- especially with drive sounds? Maybe a condensator, other something another... THX!

 

[DrKev]

What you need is known as a "Treble bleed mod". Basically, as you turn the violume knob, the treble frequencies leak to ground, so we add a capacitor across the volume pot to allow some of the treble to 'bleed' through.

There are three varieties, all very simple and easy to do if you have any experience with a soldering iron; capacitor only, capacitor + resistor in parallel, and capacitor + resistor in series. There is a fourth idea which is apparently based on old Gibson wiring and involves a simple change of something or other in the tone circuit, which I've never tried.

You'll find plenty about it by searching the forums here and by looking at the various pickup manufacturers websites and forums too. You'll find the search option on the menu near the top of the page.

 

[soencoe]

Thanks DrKev! That was the answer i'm searching for!

 

[beej]

DrKev is the man.

 

[tommyindelaware]

have you tried a very short cable........just to see how much of it is cable capacitance ?

 

[Roubster]

I did the treble bleed mod on my Silo Special with the Capacitor and the resistor in parallel I believe. It certainly retains the highs, however the issue I have is that the volume knob is actually less responsive though. Meaning that I have to turn the volume knob down more than I would have to, to notice the volume drop. In my 20th Silo without the mod, I turn down the volume by one and I can hear it clearing up (I have MUCH higher output pups in it than the standard 20th pups and the Silo Special). I read that taking out the resistor will solve this issue...or I put in the wrong values hehe.

By the way, Andy Timmons uses just a Capacitor for the Treble Bleed mod. His tone is SICK and he uses the volume knob ALL the time.