Be honest: Do you use your tone knob?

[antichef]

This thread is mellow with age -- I, for one, don't mind having a one way dialog with our ancestors (some of whom are still around and posting, I think). Sort of a ouija / animist vibe.

Once in the '80s (before even this thread was started), after a gig I played, my guitar mentor, who had managed to sit through the whole thing, suggested that I set up everything the way I wanted, and then back off the tone knob on the guitar a notch so that I wouldn't be ice-picking everyone like I had just done. I didn't always take his advice, but was more conscious of it after that. I think cutting high frequencies don't hurt the player as much as the listeners -- kinda the same way that, as George Carlin used to say, your own farts don't stink. Not to say that everyone with the tone knob on 10 is hurting listeners, but I was. I think I had the treble and presence settings on my JCM-800 up kinda high, too.

These days, I'm much older and my ears hurt more quickly than they used to -- I've played around with different capacitors and pickups, and I do tend to use the tone knob more now. It's been kind of hard for me to find a linear (as opposed to audio tapered) 500k CTS pot, which is what I want -- the audio tapered ones are what I expect for volume, but I suspect I'd be happier with a linear one on tone. Still learning.

 

[Gear_Junky]

1. I think the "ice pick" factor depends largely on the particular guitar/pickup, even bridge type. Some people's pickups are just too bright. So they "have to" use their tones.

2. I've honestly tried using them over the years, even upgrading capacitors, but my 2 guitars (with pickups I chose and installed) ... I just don't need to - I leave the tones fully open (they're passive, so they're not really "cranked"). I do use the amp's controls to shape sound, but I don't usually try to change sound midsong. I have "bright" pickups - GFS Dream 180's in my "les paul" and GFS Retrotron Nashvilles in my archtop, but never have the "ice pick" problem.

3. with my new tube amp i started using the volume knobs a bit, for the first time in my life, but find really no use in the tone knobs.

now, granted, on some guitars the tone knobs are perhaps not "set up" correctly - if the caps/pots are wrong for that pickup - the control will be less than useful.

all of this is giving me pause... i'll be rewiring my archtop (replacing wires and pots) and I already have the new caps, etc., but maybe I should just "hot rod" it - leaving just the "gear shift" and "gas". On the other hand, I already have these holes in the guitar - might as well have the knobs wired. decisions.

 

[Riffmaster]

I haven't clipped the wires, so yes I use it.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I use mine fairly often. I like to dial the tone all the way back to zero to get a nice smooth "violin/strings" sound when I'm using a saturated, high gain sound.

On my Strat this is in position 2 (neck & middle combined) and on my double humbuckers guits this is with the neck pickup. I rarely use it with a bridge pickup.

 

[bongolation]

Isn't the interval for the "year of the locust" ever 17 years? You know, I grew up calling cicada locusts, but have come to realize that locusts are a type of grasshopper. But according to Merriam Webster, "locust" is listed under the definition of "cicada". Who, oh who, can straighten this out for me?

The Merriam Webster dictionary is a notorious source of lexicographic misinformation. Seriously. It's a disgrace.

Tone knob? It is literally a tone-suck control that cuts treble frequencies by bleeding them to common.

When I think of that, I always find it hard to use the thing, but if I were playing live I might. In recording I always want to leave as much sound options upstream as possible where they can be EQed in the mix.

 

[DimitarMK]

I don't use the tone knob at all, it's on 10 all the time.

 

[andydeedpoll]

I tend to use it as an 'effect', mainly all the way up or 1-2, for a mellow sound, when I don't want chords in the way of a vocal/keyboard line. I'll do this when I strum with my thumb too. Maybe one or two songs in a set. I'm not against using it subtly though - I'll reach for the tone knob before I start changing EQ on the amp.

Andrew

 

[Erockrazor]

I'll reach for the tone knob before I start changing EQ on the amp.

Well I'll set my tone knob to 10 and reach for the EQ on my amp.

My pickup's are not that bright so I often end up giving my guitar more treble through the amp.

Eric.

 

[jndietz]

I definitely use it live to smooth out those high tones, thats about it. Recording, its always set to 10!

 

[fuzzrhythm]

I have a strat with a humbucker in the bridge. I usually keep my tone about 8. Turning it to 10 helps me get feedback when I need it.

 

[owwmyfoot]

I use it both live and studio -- in live settings, it's great to mellow out slightly loud levels without shifting volume too much.

In studio settings it helps zoom in on the tone...

Bruce

Same here. I play lots of different styles and the tone knob is pretty much indispensable imo to jazz and lighter stuff. The duncans in my ibanez produce some wicked good tones but not for jazz, without taking some of the treble edge off. It can be piercing otherwise.

Do whatever makes sense to your ears!!! Party on mannn

 

[Guitarer]

I have the middle knob on my strat at 7 and the bottom knob at 10...I find that to be the best setting for my sound.

 

[JG96]

i do but it usuly stays the same for a while based on what the song im playing w/ my band sounds like

 

[CoolCat]

Well I'll set my tone knob to 10 and reach for the EQ on my amp.
.

same..all wide open may as well jumper the pots out.

 

[ermghoti]

The Merriam Webster dictionary is a notorious source of lexicographic misinformation. Seriously. It's a disgrace.

Tone knob? It is literally a tone-suck control that cuts treble frequencies by bleeding them to common.

When I think of that, I always find it hard to use the thing, but if I were playing live I might. In recording I always want to leave as much sound options upstream as possible where they can be EQed in the mix.

17 year locusts are, in fact, cicadas.

All passive tone circuits bleed their frequencies to ground. Your amp's tone knobs do not go up and down, they only cut, in all but a few cases.

EQ in the mix will not replicate, and will barely resemble the use of a tone knob, no more than reamping through a tube screamer would be the same as putting one in front of the input.

I do usually leave the tones and volumes wide open, mostly because it's the only 100% repeatable position other than "off." OTOH, for special occasions, I'll twiddle a knob or two, especially on neck pickups.

 

[funbox]

totally. i like to play with my knob a lot. tone knob that is. all jokes aside though, rubbing my knob is the best pleasure in life. tone knob that is. anyway all jokes aside, id say using the tone knob is pretty important. i know that when im playing live, it comes in very handy, and il explain how.
see, i have my tone maybe at about 5 or so when im playing live during verses, it keeps the guitar further back in the mix seemingly. that way your mixer doesnt drop u out of the mix. (god i hate that!). and the choruses, you can get anal with your knob (hehe) and crank it to 7 or so, but mainly what i do is just use volume knob coz that actualy changes your overall tone quite a bit. when it comes to solos though, my volume is almost always at 10, and my tone knob is always either 10, or 0 (for trippy stoner rock middle eastern exotic trip hop sounds). thats all from me though. hope ive cleared up some rashes with my knowledge of knobs. hope this educates u to get anal with your knob and use your knob till u cream. funbox AWAYYYYYYYYYYY.