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Hi guys,
I have read a lot recently about using a tone pot bypass. Has anyone done this and is it worth the effort? It seems you can wire the guitar so that the tone pot is out of the circuit while the tone pot is on 10. Basically, I assume this leaves no load on the pickup allowing the full tone of the pickup to come through un-hindered. Is this hype?

Thanks.

I believe what you are speaking of is a No Load pot. I'm not sure of any way to wire a standard pot to do this.

I use No Load tone pots in a number of my guitars. You can make them yourself.

First, take a brand new CTS pot and turn the pot up to where it would be if it were on quot;10quot;. Then bend back the tabs that hold the metal cover to the back of the pot and remove that cover.

Now you can see where the wiper is located on the resistive strip when it's set to quot;10quot;.

Take some nail polish and paint that part of the resisitive strip with a drop of nail polish and let it dry. Put the pot back together and install it in your guitar.

When the pot is turned to quot;10quot; the connection between the wiper and the resistive strip will be terminated and your guitar will sound as if no tone control was in the guitar. When the pot is turned to quot;10quot; your guitar will sound a little brighter than it did before doing this mod and your guitar will retain more highs when you turn the volume control down.

Don't forget to move the wiper back away from quot;10quot; before you apply the nail polish . . . or you'll paint the wiper in place.


Originally Posted by Lewguitar...
Take some nail polish and paint that part of the resisitive strip with a drop of nail polish and let it dry. Put the pot back together and install it in your guitar...

I can hear you telling your girlfriend quot;Not now- I'm waiting for my nail polish to dry!quot;

.

Good points Lew! I found I like to have the tone pot load the volume a bit to remove some of those highs and I also prefer 300 k volume pots in some guitars to kill some of the spiky upper mids as long as the pickups are clear and of good quality. I find this to be thicker and richer sounding.


Originally Posted by ArtieTooDon't forget to move the wiper back away from quot;10quot; before you apply the nail polish . . . or you'll paint the wiper in place.

Ah, the voice of experience?

On a more serious note;
That is good to know Lew, since the only No-Load pots I can remember seeing are 250k. Your mod would allow for 500k No-Load pots, or any other value someone might want.