Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

After playing a Reverend I really fell in love with the "Bass Contour" knob. I'd like to try this in place of the standard knob Rick layout and worked up this schematic based on a Gretsch scheme.


Any caveats on the idea?

I'm no authority on wiring, but if you're going to do this, please post a video what the effect of it on sound is. Looks interesting!

Why the cap across the master volume? What are the values of the other caps?

ken_j wrote:Why the cap across the master volume? What are the values of the other caps?

+1!
Looks like a nice idea...

The cap on the MV would be a treble bleed. Both that cap as well as the one on the bass would be 0.001. For the tone/treble I was going to try the standard .047 to start. I was hoping the treble bleed would alleviate any mud that might be introduced by the addition of the extra volume pot

Can't comment on the schematic intelligently. The main thing I wish for is that the volume knobs were closer to the strings. RIC's layout makes more sense than Les Paul's, but I'm still more used to a Les Paul, even after making my Rick my primary guitar over the last 2 years. Like I said, though, just with the volumes were on top and tones on bottom. Anyone know why they're laid out the way they are?

I too, would the volume controls swapped with the tone controls as I learned to do volume swells from Phil Keaggy back in the early '70s and using friend's Jaguars and Les Pauls made it it easy to do those swells.

Not trying to be contrary, but I find it's easier to grab the volume knobs with them on the outside (near edge of body) like RIC does it. When it's break time at gigs, I throw the switch toward the floor and roll that treble volume to zero without thinking.

Yeah, I guess at break time, it doesn't really matter where the volume knob is since you're not playing it. I just mean it would be more convenient for use during songs if it were closer to the strings - as well as volume swells.

It all makes sense to me, especially for a guit. What appeals to you about the bass "cut" knob exactly? Does it clarify the guitar tone? Also, why did you go with 0.001 µF specifically for the bass cut (I get it as a treble bleed for the MV)? That cap value seems awfully small so that the Fc will be pretty high. Maybe that will work for a guitar but that cutoff would make a bass sound completely anemic (it's 5x smaller capacitance than the HPF in a Ric bass, so the Fc will be approximately that much higher in frequency depending on a few other variables cjj or iiipopes could explain to us).

By the way how do you like the treble bleed on the MV with other guitars? Does it make a big difference?

p.s.: I like the neat job you did on the diagram.

Rickissippi wrote:Yeah, I guess at break time, it doesn't really matter where the volume knob is since you're not playing it. I just mean it would be more convenient for use during songs if it were closer to the strings - as well as volume swells.

On my 370WB I put a master volume at the knob closest to the bridge. Best thing ever and I want them all this way now. Works great for swells albeit a bit further back than optimal. Pickup height is how I get the balance in volume, set it & forget it. I do like volumes either on top or gibson style so you can use one motion for turning both down.

I've got a Peavey with mini humbuckers set up with a "bass contour" and like the way it works getting a thinner single coil sound from the humbuckers.

I thought I'd try it on this guitar. I'm currently running a GFS NYII (really just a p90) in the bridge and a custom (hacked) Dream 90 style pickup in the neck. The neck pickup really amounts to one coil (about 8 k) out of an overwound humbucker using Alnico 5 polepieces .

The first thing wrong with my diagram is that the the way the neck and bridge vol pots are wired cause them to be dependent. When in the middle position each works as a master. I flipped the connections on the pots,switch lead and p/u lead, and they work independently now.

Both treble bleed and Bass contour work but need to be tweaked. The treble bleed on the MV with a .001 cap was too bright with the master turned down. I need to pick up some lower values caps top test some in the .0003 range. This video shows a nice example of various values:


The Reverend Bass contour control is the inspiration for what I'm trying to accomplish. Check out this video for an nice example of the functionality:

littlericky wrote:I've got a Peavey with mini humbuckers set up with a "bass contour" and like the way it works getting a thinner single coil sound from the humbuckers.

I'm sure it sounds great but I doubt it sounds all that much like a single coil--a humbucker may boost mids and lows, but it also cuts highs and the single coil character is pretty much gone after that point. Still I think I understand the utility of this control.