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Topic: Stringmaster/Deluxe Tone Pot Question |
Patrick Harison
From:
Minneapolis, MN
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Posted 28 May 2014 1:57 pm |
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I've got a 1964 Fender Deluxe 6 with seemingly original electronics... Same two pickup configuration as a Stringmaster of the era. The tone pot has absolutely zero sweep. It's simply all dark or all bright with nothing in between. Literally ZERO gradiation. According to my vintage guitar electronics guy, it's the original pot and that's just how it's wired. However, according to my teacher (John Ely) there should be a pot with some sweep in the tone on that model. John's opinion generally carries more weight with me! I asked my tech guy to swap out the pot, and he said would highly advise me against taking out the original due to the wiring of the guitar and collect-ability. LIterally refused to do it. ANYWAYS, is it advisable to leave the original in an just deal with it? Will a linear tone pot NOT work with the wiring of the stringmaster? Also, I should mention that the non existent sweep of the tone pot doesn't even provide much of a boo-wah either... Anyways, I'm more of a musician and less an engineer, so if anyone can help me out I'd appreciate it! Really just looking to get a broader spectrum of tonal color, my only choice now is very BRIGHT.
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Professional Accordionist, Amateur Steel Guitarist. |
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George Piburn
From:
The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
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Posted 28 May 2014 2:10 pm Tone Pot
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My Seymore Duncan Chart shows the Tone Pot to be a 1 meg Linear Taper.
The Cap goes to the center lug and looking down at the back the right side lug ties to the pot body.
So far as collectable is concerned, do you plan to sell it or keep and play it?
To be completely dogmatic then doing nothing at all to an original is best, and disclosing the possible bad pot.
On the other hand if you save the original pot and include it in a later sale explaining the situation, in my little opinion it should make zero difference on a steel guitar , these collectors seem to not be as concerned that no screw be touched like the folks who drive up vintage Fender prices, blah blah. |
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Patrick Harison
From:
Minneapolis, MN
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Posted 28 May 2014 2:16 pm
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FULL DISCLOSURE: This is the Deluxe 6 with a lake placid blue finish, already discussed on the forum as probably having a period refin. Not a stock color, although no sign of the original finish. The powers that be claim that no steels were ever re-sprayed in the custom shop. So, maybe I should just nevermind any of the collectible business and go for it?
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Professional Accordionist, Amateur Steel Guitarist. |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 28 May 2014 3:45 pm
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It's a tool. Make it do what it's supposed to do.
Wouldn't you repair an accordion with a bad key?
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Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Dave Broyles
From:
Olympia,WA USA
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Posted 28 May 2014 3:54 pm
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| If you're not sure replacing the tone pot will fix your problem, a good guitar tech should be able to connect a new temporary tone pot in that circuit (using alligator clip wiring) to see if that fixes it. Ask your tech if he'd be willing to try that before actually replacing it. |
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Joe Snow
From:
Argyle,Texas, USA
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Posted 28 May 2014 4:15 pm
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George Piburn
From:
The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
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Posted 28 May 2014 4:41 pm I agree with Brad too.
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As an after thought ,
you should definitely adjust the Blend Control too, as this will bring in and take away the front pickup making major tone variations.
It is possible it is adjusted to the rear pickup only.
In my experience , I like to set both Pups full up and then adjust about 30 percent down on the blend.
Other Members have greater knowledge of these adjustments than I do and can advise in detail. |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 29 May 2014 5:17 am
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When the tone cap goes bad you can get what you describe... it's not just a cap, it's also a resistor, cutting tone and volume.
Try replacing the cap with a new one and see how you like it. And don't sweat replacing the pot if you need to.
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 29 May 2014 9:04 am
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The tone control on my early 50's deluxe 8 seems to work normally, like the ones on my D8 and T8 Stringmasters.
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Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Patrick Harison
From:
Minneapolis, MN
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Posted 29 May 2014 1:05 pm
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Thanks for all the help... I'll just swap it out with a 1 meg Linear Taper pot like george suggested and put the original tone pot aside in the event of selling it. I'm really not super concerned about the collectibility, I gig with this instrument and do view it more as a tool. That being said, when your guitar tech refuses to do the work because of it being in "original" condition, I figured I could use a second opinion before too much tinkering. For what it's worth, the tech also told me that these tone pots have ZERO taper in the first place. Anyways, maybe time to find a new tech or brush up my soldering skills!
This is what it looks like under the hood:
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Professional Accordionist, Amateur Steel Guitarist. |
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