Do you use the tone knob on your guitar?

[vilk]

Tone knobs are extremely important to habitually twist so as to make sure they're dimed. Without them I'd only have the volume knobs to habitually make sure that they're cranked!

 

[maggotspawn]

I may tweak them when recording, but generally I have them cranked.

 

[aWoodenShip]

For those following along at home it looks like Bourns is the one who makes a no-load tone pot that has a detent for the off position. Gonna buy a handful and start switching a few guitars over to them.

 

[cmpxchg]

For those following along at home it looks like Bourns is the one who makes a no-load tone pot that has a detent for the off position. Gonna buy a handful and start switching a few guitars over to them.

I think the Fender no load pot has the detent as well.

 

[aWoodenShip]

I think the Fender no load pot has the detent as well.

They do, but allegedly are made by Bourns and branded by Fender. Can also only seem to find them in 250k which makes sense given single coils.

 

[lewis]

The real question is, who has removed all knobs?
No volume, tone or anything

Just always on, full balls to the wall

 

[Emperoff]

The real question is, who has removed all knobs?
No volume, tone or anything

Just always on, full balls to the wall

I'd never do that. Sometimes when playing live at loud volumes (or for example in small venues where you're too close to the FOH speakers) the guitar can feedback at stops, even with the noise gate at 300%. Slightly rolling off the volume solves the problem (and nobody notices a tonal change).

 

[jonsick]

Snob response: Of course I use my tone knob. Only a noob wouldn't adjust the tone knob, it's vital to the integrity of the world that one uses their tone knob. If you don't know how to use it then you must be a terrible player and should immediately go to jail without picking up 200. There will be no supper for you!

Reality response: I make sure it's turned all the way up and get on with it. Nobody uses the tone knob apart from that one day when they first got the guitar and are playing around with it.

Extra reality response: If I'm using my guitar with the Seymour Duncan Distortion in it with an older Marshall, JCM900 mainly, I'll max the tone and notch it back just slightly. Apart from that, never.

 

[Pietjepieter]

NO

 

[ShredmasterD]

I ordered a new tone and volume knob. They are made of select tone wood. I think there will be an improvement .

 

[cindarkness]

I broke the shaft of my push-pull pot on my cheap Pacifica when I tried to remove the tone knob. It just, like came out as a whole..
To be honest I haven't noticed any difference in the sound, besides the gaping hole that annoys me from time to time.

I don't even know what it's set at right now. It might be around 2 or 10 - who knows Will I replace it? Perhaps, one day, probably not.

 

[Crungy]

I ordered a new tone and volume knob. They are made of select tone wood. I think there will be an improvement .

Same wood as your truss rod cover?

 

[Shask]

The real question is, who has removed all knobs?
No volume, tone or anything

Just always on, full balls to the wall

 

[PuckishGuitar]

I don’t seek out or avoid them. Majority of what I play it’s dimed though. If there’s a tone knob I’ll tweak it some for clean/low gain playing or fuzzy doom. If a guitar comes without one it’s not a dealbreaker at all, I just won’t prefer to play that particular guitar for those certain things without having to adjust my amp or pedals.

 

[drmayhem]

I almost never use it. It can actually annoy me sometimes if I am dialing in a tone with the amp or modeler and then I realize the tone knob is at less than full. I'll be swapping some pickups in a couple guitars soon and am seriously considering not even wiring up the tone pot.

All the time - for different tones, in combination with volume pot adjustment, combined with phase switching, you name it. It's an incredibly useful tool.

 

[lewis]

I'd never do that. Sometimes when playing live at loud volumes (or for example in small venues where you're too close to the FOH speakers) the guitar can feedback at stops, even with the noise gate at 300%. Slightly rolling off the volume solves the problem (and nobody notices a tonal change).

Volume pedal on the pedal board?

 

[Emperoff]

Volume pedal on the pedal board?

If you do that you decrease your volume, not the gain. Even if you set it up that way, I don't want to be extra mindful of the expression pedal.

 

[GreatGreen]

With particularly bright pickups and clean tones, absolutely. The tone knob can really help with dulling the ice-picks.

For high gain, never. For the kinds of high gain tones I go for, the more high end clarity coming from the guitar, the better, almost always.

 

[Necris]

If I'm playing metal I notice that people around me really don't notice the subtleties of the tone knob but they consistently appreciate me turning the volume knob down to zero.

Most of my guitars have the bridge pickup just wired straight to the output jack, I'm lazy.

 

[ezboarderz]

it really depends on the pickups, the guitar, and amp. I roll the tone knob down a bit for the lundgren black heavens but i leave it on max with the SD SH-5 bridge pickups for high gain. It can be useful to round out the top end a bit but it really depends on the settings/amp/pickups/etc. I have tried a no load tone pot before with the SH-6 and the high end was too harsh and much preferred it wired with a 500k CTS pot.

Its a good thing to have and if you dont need it, dont use it and leave it at max or use a no load tone pot.