Hi,
Telling someone that they have come to a wrong conclusion,
and then stating that "conclusion" when I never said anything
of the sort that implied that was my conclusion is also rude.
Varying the capacitance will not give gain,
I did not imply, say or conclude it would.
rgds, sreten.
<<Thanks for your explanation. As expected, it is an LC circuit with the pickup forming the L.[/QUOTE]>>
If the L is a constat then the only variable presumed C.
WV.
If the L is a constat then the only variable presumed C.
WV.
Strat jack booster by Villex.
Greetings to all, and glad to make your aquaintance scopeboy.
tonequester here. Thanks for the idea on checking the jack easily for either a transformer or an inductor. I'll do this out of curiosity. As for Mr. Villex, I don't think that he is trying to scam anybody here. He has devised "some circuit" that my ears don't perceive to be a simple bass and treble cut, in imitation of a mid boost. I've done that before several times, with designs of my own as well as some purchased, like Torres "mid-boost pot. I know that sound, and the Villex jack is quite different in some way. I have not run on to a transformer, center tapped or not, built neatly into a jack, that is switchable and sounds great. I always try to give anyone the benefit of the doubt until proven wrong. It won't bother me if there is a transformer inside the device, and who knows what else might be in there as well. However, it will be easy to check out the possibility of a transformer with scopeboy's tip, and I will do this and report back. It may be a little while before I can post a sound clip of my own, as I know nothing concerning "How To". I'm trying to Google the subject, but have so far gotten "nadda". I know a hell of a lot more about tube amps and electric guitar than I know computers and Windows capabilities. I din't have the luxury of growing up, and going to school with computers "on the menu". My kids did so. Most young folks are too fast in their explanations and seem to take for granted that someone like me begins with a certain level of knowledge. I'm starting from scratch on most new technology, and do well to call and receive on my flip phone. I'm not bitching, just making a point. I thought Mr. Villex did a good job with his explanation, and went as far as he probably could go, considering he's in the business to make money, and can't hope to if he draws a schematic with part numbers included. Leo Fender wouldn't have done this in the fifties, and I've never yet found out just what was inside the Les Paulverator ! hopefully, we'll be able to get closer to the bottom of the booster jacks "secret" soon. I await it's delivery with anticipation. Best regards to all from tonequester.
Greetings to all, and glad to make your aquaintance scopeboy.
tonequester here. Thanks for the idea on checking the jack easily for either a transformer or an inductor. I'll do this out of curiosity. As for Mr. Villex, I don't think that he is trying to scam anybody here. He has devised "some circuit" that my ears don't perceive to be a simple bass and treble cut, in imitation of a mid boost. I've done that before several times, with designs of my own as well as some purchased, like Torres "mid-boost pot. I know that sound, and the Villex jack is quite different in some way. I have not run on to a transformer, center tapped or not, built neatly into a jack, that is switchable and sounds great. I always try to give anyone the benefit of the doubt until proven wrong. It won't bother me if there is a transformer inside the device, and who knows what else might be in there as well. However, it will be easy to check out the possibility of a transformer with scopeboy's tip, and I will do this and report back. It may be a little while before I can post a sound clip of my own, as I know nothing concerning "How To". I'm trying to Google the subject, but have so far gotten "nadda". I know a hell of a lot more about tube amps and electric guitar than I know computers and Windows capabilities. I din't have the luxury of growing up, and going to school with computers "on the menu". My kids did so. Most young folks are too fast in their explanations and seem to take for granted that someone like me begins with a certain level of knowledge. I'm starting from scratch on most new technology, and do well to call and receive on my flip phone. I'm not bitching, just making a point. I thought Mr. Villex did a good job with his explanation, and went as far as he probably could go, considering he's in the business to make money, and can't hope to if he draws a schematic with part numbers included. Leo Fender wouldn't have done this in the fifties, and I've never yet found out just what was inside the Les Paulverator ! hopefully, we'll be able to get closer to the bottom of the booster jacks "secret" soon. I await it's delivery with anticipation. Best regards to all from tonequester.
Greetings to all, tonequester here. I just received the "booster jack" via Priority Mail as Mr. Villex had promised. Initial experiment with a transformer to attempt inducing hum in the Villex circuit did not "pan out". I used a transformer in a cheap Fender practice amp, and perhaps it is not powerful enough to determine this. Installation is easy. The jack fit the cavity in my guitar perfectly. The output wires(which I tinned) were easy to install into recesses which used small set screws to lock them down. Screw holes in jack plate were a perfect match. Total installation time couldn't have exceeded 5 minutes including the tilling of the output wires.
I played it first through a small hybrid 1 W. practice amp(Blackstar HT-R) with Sony headphones. The boost was quite noticeable with the headphones. Their was a definite increase of sound pressure in boost mode. There is also a tonal change, although it is more subtle than extreme. It noticeably evened out my weak position 2. One could actually play rhythm with the mid pickup selected, without boost, and play a decent lead just by flipping the booster jack TO boost. So far !..........the only improvement that I can envision, would be a longer switch lever. The switch used is quite "sub-miniature", and a longer lever would be easier for my fumble fingers to access. I realize that there are those who would like to see some stats and measurements. These, I will try to provide as soon as I am able. My only reason for not providing conclusive data at present, is a lack of equipment. Now that I have finished my guitar modifications, I will be getting more, and better quality test equipment. I need to do this to keep up with "hands on training", as I study for the C.E.T. exam. I will also need better test equipment in order to begin my next project, which will be to build a much more powerful amp than the Mod 102 that I am about to finish. In the same vein, I will be getting in to the sound clip business, as soon as I have found the proper software/hardware that an old fart like me can understand. Then I will post my own clip of the Villex jack. As for now, I feel that the jack is a fine modification for those who can't afford hundreds of dollars in high end pickups. The three pickups that I have just installed in my guitar total about $150.00. That's pretty cheap. If the Villex jack, at an additional $120.00($8.00 shipping) can give me an additional 5 tones with stock wiring, and also provide a noticeable boost in overall volume, one that is just enough to "cut to the solo", I am quite happy with it. I truly do not know what makes it tick, and at this point I must say that I don 't much care. It performs just as Villex said it would, it is a neat package that even looks nice, and it is a snap for anybody that can cut two wires to install. I shall return when I have some useful data.
tonequester out.
I played it first through a small hybrid 1 W. practice amp(Blackstar HT-R) with Sony headphones. The boost was quite noticeable with the headphones. Their was a definite increase of sound pressure in boost mode. There is also a tonal change, although it is more subtle than extreme. It noticeably evened out my weak position 2. One could actually play rhythm with the mid pickup selected, without boost, and play a decent lead just by flipping the booster jack TO boost. So far !..........the only improvement that I can envision, would be a longer switch lever. The switch used is quite "sub-miniature", and a longer lever would be easier for my fumble fingers to access. I realize that there are those who would like to see some stats and measurements. These, I will try to provide as soon as I am able. My only reason for not providing conclusive data at present, is a lack of equipment. Now that I have finished my guitar modifications, I will be getting more, and better quality test equipment. I need to do this to keep up with "hands on training", as I study for the C.E.T. exam. I will also need better test equipment in order to begin my next project, which will be to build a much more powerful amp than the Mod 102 that I am about to finish. In the same vein, I will be getting in to the sound clip business, as soon as I have found the proper software/hardware that an old fart like me can understand. Then I will post my own clip of the Villex jack. As for now, I feel that the jack is a fine modification for those who can't afford hundreds of dollars in high end pickups. The three pickups that I have just installed in my guitar total about $150.00. That's pretty cheap. If the Villex jack, at an additional $120.00($8.00 shipping) can give me an additional 5 tones with stock wiring, and also provide a noticeable boost in overall volume, one that is just enough to "cut to the solo", I am quite happy with it. I truly do not know what makes it tick, and at this point I must say that I don 't much care. It performs just as Villex said it would, it is a neat package that even looks nice, and it is a snap for anybody that can cut two wires to install. I shall return when I have some useful data.
tonequester out.
Villex jack : useful data ? Probably just for me.
Greetings to all, tonequester here.
I did a crude test of the Villex jack, for which I will probably be "body slammed". Sometime ago I stumbled onto a free tone generator download. I thought it might be fun to play with so I downloaded it. It provides a tone, with adjustable fq from 100Hz to 15kHz, and has a level control. I jury rigged a mini jack from my laptop to the jack,sans guitar, and rigged an output cable from the jack to connect my DMM to. I tested the output with and without the circuit employed, in 100Hz increments, from 100Hz to 1100Hz. The response was quite flat throughout. I averaged the frequencies tested, which differed only by a few millivolts. The range tested and averaged, turned out to be 219.7mv with the jack bypassed, and 390.3mv with the circuit engaged.I guess that I was mistaken to think that the "boost" would only affect the "mid range of the guitar"(technically, no such thing ?).
I know that this "test" was crude in the extreme, but I was a little bored, and frustrated at not being able to yet provide a sound clip of the jack. Take it for what it's worth, which may be "squat". It was fun for me anyway. I realize that a sound clip is the best test, from a musical point of view. I haven't given up on a sound clip, and I've been getting some tips on "how to". One tip that may be promising is called Audacity. I'll be checking it out first thing tomorrow,as I just found out about it tonight.
I'm not sure what test would best suit the more electronically inclined critics. Perhaps, a presentation with pictures using an oscilloscope would be best. I invite anybodies opinion on this, as I truly don't know for sure. If that IS the best test electronically, it will have to "out-wait" the sound clip. I will have a scope, and actually had one years ago, but at present am "scopeless" (clueless as well) !
Best of intentions, and regards to all. tonequester out.
Greetings to all, tonequester here.
I did a crude test of the Villex jack, for which I will probably be "body slammed". Sometime ago I stumbled onto a free tone generator download. I thought it might be fun to play with so I downloaded it. It provides a tone, with adjustable fq from 100Hz to 15kHz, and has a level control. I jury rigged a mini jack from my laptop to the jack,sans guitar, and rigged an output cable from the jack to connect my DMM to. I tested the output with and without the circuit employed, in 100Hz increments, from 100Hz to 1100Hz. The response was quite flat throughout. I averaged the frequencies tested, which differed only by a few millivolts. The range tested and averaged, turned out to be 219.7mv with the jack bypassed, and 390.3mv with the circuit engaged.I guess that I was mistaken to think that the "boost" would only affect the "mid range of the guitar"(technically, no such thing ?).
I know that this "test" was crude in the extreme, but I was a little bored, and frustrated at not being able to yet provide a sound clip of the jack. Take it for what it's worth, which may be "squat". It was fun for me anyway. I realize that a sound clip is the best test, from a musical point of view. I haven't given up on a sound clip, and I've been getting some tips on "how to". One tip that may be promising is called Audacity. I'll be checking it out first thing tomorrow,as I just found out about it tonight.
I'm not sure what test would best suit the more electronically inclined critics. Perhaps, a presentation with pictures using an oscilloscope would be best. I invite anybodies opinion on this, as I truly don't know for sure. If that IS the best test electronically, it will have to "out-wait" the sound clip. I will have a scope, and actually had one years ago, but at present am "scopeless" (clueless as well) !
Best of intentions, and regards to all. tonequester out.
Difficult to comment without knowing exactly what you did, but that rather sounds like a 2:1 step-up transformer. It is conceivable that in a somewhat different situation with different circuit impedances it could still give a midrange boost.
Thanks for the results Tonequester. They certainly do suggest that the jack is based on a transformer.
The midrange boost won't appear until it is connected between guitar pickups and a guitar cord. The inductance of the pickups resonates with the capacitance of the cord. The transformer makes the cable capacitance look bigger, so the resonant peak gets bigger and moves down in frequency. This along with the gain of the transformer is what creates the midrange boost.
The midrange boost won't appear until it is connected between guitar pickups and a guitar cord. The inductance of the pickups resonates with the capacitance of the cord. The transformer makes the cable capacitance look bigger, so the resonant peak gets bigger and moves down in frequency. This along with the gain of the transformer is what creates the midrange boost.
I would like to ask(and know) ... How many here have experimented with a instrument(guitar) onboard passive tone control ... and how much ?
Every guitar I've ever owned had at least one tone control from the factory. The standard guitar tone control is just a small capacitor with a variable series resistance, shunted across the pickup.
btw, I suggest to take a look at Stewart MacDonald's 'Trade Secret Archive'
STEWMAC.COM : Trade Secrets Archive
http://www.stewmac.com/tsarchive/ts0190.html
and I would like to hear an explanation to this one especially
STEWMAC.COM : Issue 182, Good tone from 0-10: easy clip-on mod
(I sure hope Mr Stewart MacDonald is ok with this)
STEWMAC.COM : Trade Secrets Archive
http://www.stewmac.com/tsarchive/ts0190.html
and I would like to hear an explanation to this one especially
STEWMAC.COM : Issue 182, Good tone from 0-10: easy clip-on mod
(I sure hope Mr Stewart MacDonald is ok with this)
Designing guitar and bass passive tone controls... yeah, I've modded any of the dozen of guitars and basses I currently own. I try to incorporate the coils and use them as inductors, that why I favor instruments with two fully wired humbuckers.
The TS 182 is just a small cap (plus damping R) across the input and the wiper of the volume pot, a trick that's been around for decades, you'll see that in many amp circuits as well. Explanation is straightforward, voltage divider action with a frequency dependance. You even can make it trimmable (the series R) by some combination with the treble roll-off pot, see circuit snippet. EDIT: no, you can't, DIYA refuses to upload attachements, even with files that did work previously.
The TS 182 is just a small cap (plus damping R) across the input and the wiper of the volume pot, a trick that's been around for decades, you'll see that in many amp circuits as well. Explanation is straightforward, voltage divider action with a frequency dependance. You even can make it trimmable (the series R) by some combination with the treble roll-off pot, see circuit snippet. EDIT: no, you can't, DIYA refuses to upload attachements, even with files that did work previously.
thread moved to instruments & amps
moderation
PS! upload problem will be solved (no comments please)
moderation
PS! upload problem will be solved (no comments please)
treble-bypass
Greetings tinitus, tonequester here.
I have been using a 150kOhm resistor in parallel with a .001uf capacitor across the volume controls of all guitars that I have worked on since 1981. I learned it originally from Dan Torres, and I believe that he still sells this "mod". It does work, and it costs about a buck to make. If you do the radio Shack thing, 5 resistor packs are about $1.99 and a couple of caps aren't anymore, so $5.00 gets it done there. Just solder the resistor/cap in parallel, across the outer terminals of the pot, and your done. Highs bypass the resistance element of the pot. I've noticed that the improvement is even more noticeable, the more output one's pickups have.
Thanks for bringing up this simple yet oft forgotten mod.
tonequester out.
Greetings tinitus, tonequester here.
I have been using a 150kOhm resistor in parallel with a .001uf capacitor across the volume controls of all guitars that I have worked on since 1981. I learned it originally from Dan Torres, and I believe that he still sells this "mod". It does work, and it costs about a buck to make. If you do the radio Shack thing, 5 resistor packs are about $1.99 and a couple of caps aren't anymore, so $5.00 gets it done there. Just solder the resistor/cap in parallel, across the outer terminals of the pot, and your done. Highs bypass the resistance element of the pot. I've noticed that the improvement is even more noticeable, the more output one's pickups have.
Thanks for bringing up this simple yet oft forgotten mod.
tonequester out.
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Hi,
None really. It is clearly a step up device with a gain of around 2.
It works and does a similar job to fitting "fatter higher output"
pickups to your guitar. There is no mystery or magic.
rgds, sreten.
FWIW in my younger days I added 3 mini toggle switches to a Strat.
The front switch engaged changed the neck and middle
pick up to series instead of of the usual parallel connection.
The middle switch reversed the middle pick up phase.
The back switch engaged changed the middle and bridge
pick up to series instead of of the usual parallel connection.
Much fatter tones were available, similar to what this product does.
Also thinner with the reverse phase setting of the middle pickup.
I can't remember how I wired it up along with the 5 way selector
but I got it to work well, perhaps I should of pursued it further.
(In hindsight definitely, at the time I though it was obvious.)
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tone and more tone.
Greetings sjretren, tonequester here.
I can really "get" where you are coming from on modding tone for guitars. back in '82 I had a Fended Squirer that had 4 switches on it, and had a homemade onboard pre-amp installed with a Bill Lawrence L-250 stacked humbucker at bridge. I thought I really had something then. Actually, I did. It was great fun, and great experience. For all of the years since, I have kept a "library" of many modifications that I have done, or yet plan to do. Being able to work on guitars, just from the experience gained by "diving in" on my own gear, has made me extra cash. It also allowed me to get a job many years ago in electronics assembly, before all of that work(avionics) went overseas. They laughed at me when I applied with no "experience", but I talked them into taking their assembly/soldering certification test. I was hired on the spot when I aced the test,which included drag soldering a 40 pin I.C. to PCB. That job was the only job I have ever had that I actually enjoyed doing. It's ironic that my home projects got me a job, that in return gave me even better experience doing what I enjoy doing at home. I'll probably always be chasing "my tone", but it's o.k. because it's so much fun.
Have nothing but success my friend. tonequester out.
Greetings sjretren, tonequester here.
I can really "get" where you are coming from on modding tone for guitars. back in '82 I had a Fended Squirer that had 4 switches on it, and had a homemade onboard pre-amp installed with a Bill Lawrence L-250 stacked humbucker at bridge. I thought I really had something then. Actually, I did. It was great fun, and great experience. For all of the years since, I have kept a "library" of many modifications that I have done, or yet plan to do. Being able to work on guitars, just from the experience gained by "diving in" on my own gear, has made me extra cash. It also allowed me to get a job many years ago in electronics assembly, before all of that work(avionics) went overseas. They laughed at me when I applied with no "experience", but I talked them into taking their assembly/soldering certification test. I was hired on the spot when I aced the test,which included drag soldering a 40 pin I.C. to PCB. That job was the only job I have ever had that I actually enjoyed doing. It's ironic that my home projects got me a job, that in return gave me even better experience doing what I enjoy doing at home. I'll probably always be chasing "my tone", but it's o.k. because it's so much fun.
Have nothing but success my friend. tonequester out.
Attachment working now.
Thanks, Tinitus.
As for a paralled R to the "Boost" cap (in the standard config), this basically changes the pot law to have finer adjustment range in the upper half of pot rotation. Better way IMHO is to use a linear taper pot instead of log taper.
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