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Post new topic Volume/Tone Controls placement?
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Author Topic:  Volume/Tone Controls placement?
Don McGregor

 

From:
Memphis, Tennessee
Post  Posted 22 Apr 2009 5:52 am    
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I'm building a couple of steels at present, and am still playing with where to install the pots. I am building a double 8, and a single 10. Can anyone give me their likes or dislikes concerning potentiometer placement? So far, I'm favoring lining them up on the double 8, along with a neck selector switch, in between the necks, more or less between the pickups. How much distance from the strings is optimum? Measurement between knobs? I figure on duplicating the same setup on the single 10.
Anyone? Opinions?
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Rocky Hill


From:
Prairie Village,Kansas, USA
Post  Posted 22 Apr 2009 7:52 am    
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Put them where they are easy to use. Spacing should be what ever you want it to be. do a search on the net and look at steel guitars. There is no hard fast rule where these go. IMO.


Rocky
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Lynn Oliver


From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 22 Apr 2009 10:13 am    
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In some playing styles the volume knob is controlled by the pinky finger while picking, or sometimes the tone knob.
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Ron Whitfield

 

From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
Post  Posted 22 Apr 2009 10:36 am    
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Following up on Lynne's comment, the Rick Bakelite's V/T positions of 2 on the side fronting the bridge are the gold standard for those who wish to do volume swells. Not too close to get in the way, but yet easily accessable when needed without much movement of the hand. Kinda like on a Strat.
For those not interested in that, then it's just a matter of general ease of accessability.
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Twayn Williams

 

From:
Portland, OR
Post  Posted 22 Apr 2009 12:37 pm     Re: Volume/Tone Controls placement?
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Don McGregor wrote:
I'm building a couple of steels at present, and am still playing with where to install the pots. I am building a double 8, and a single 10. Can anyone give me their likes or dislikes concerning potentiometer placement? So far, I'm favoring lining them up on the double 8, along with a neck selector switch, in between the necks, more or less between the pickups. How much distance from the strings is optimum? Measurement between knobs? I figure on duplicating the same setup on the single 10.
Anyone? Opinions?


On a multi-neck console guitar I prefer the Stringmaster layout, with the switches and pots behind the bridge. This way the necks can be placed fairly close together and the controls won't get in the way of playing.

For a single neck guitar, I like controls to be laid out like a Strat.

Regardless, the knobs should NOT be on the bass side of the strings by the bridge as this inhibits right-hand positioning. They should also be spaced out far enough to get a knife-hand rolling motion on them for boo-wahs etc.
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