Darkening a bright guitar's tone?

[BoneDigger]

Is there anything electronic that can be done (tone pots, etc.) to darken a guitar's tone just a bit. Not wanting to change pickups. Rolling off the treble still leaves this one a bit bright.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Is there anything electronic that can be done (tone pots, etc.) to darken a guitar's tone just a bit. Not wanting to change pickups. Rolling off the treble still leaves this one a bit bright.

Too bright even with treble rolled off and bass boosted on your amp?

[Steve DeRosa]

What guitar/pickup/amp setup are we talking about here...?

[M Sarad]

I roll back the tone pot on my Tele, SG,and Strat into the Tweed Deluxe and PRS H. Works like a charm.

[BoneDigger]

This is a Gretsch 5622t-CB with Super Hilotron pickups going into a Princeton Reverb Reissue.

[Dru Edwards]

Hey Todd - I wonder if you have 500k pots? If so, 250k will tame things down.

Also, changing the tone pot's capacitor can make a difference but I think it's only noticeable once you start turning your tone knob down.

I have a guitar with the same problem. It's my Epiphone Joe Bonamassa with US electronics. I swapped the Burstbucker bridge for a Seymour Duncan '59 and that helped a little bit but not enough. I've gotta look at the pots to see what's going on. It should have come stock with 500k but with a wide tolerance it could easily be 600k. A multi-meter will help me out.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Hey Todd - I wonder if you have 500k pots? If so, 250k will tame things down.

Also, changing the tone pot's capacitor can make a difference but I think it's only noticeable once you start turning your tone knob down.

I have a guitar with the same problem. It's my Epiphone Joe Bonamassa with US electronics. I swapped the Burstbucker bridge for a Seymour Duncan '59 and that helped a little bit but not enough. I've gotta look at the pots to see what's going on. It should have come stock with 500k but with a wide tolerance it could easily be 600k. A multi-meter will help me out.

This right here. Lower resistance pots will filter out high frequencies. Also knowing the output of the pickups will help. My guess those pickups are quite low output which makes them bright.

[robj144]

Equalizer pedals do wonders.

[KevWind]

I would think a Graphic EQ pedal, might do the trick. Would be more "offending frequency" specific than just a tone control

MRX makes a 6 and 10 band

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...-band-eq-pedal

[Bob Womack]

Try a "rounder" sounding amp. Fender's '68 Custom line features a channel that helps eliminate ice pick. I just recently tried it on a notoriously bright lap steel. More HERE.


Bob

[Dru Edwards]

EQ Pedals will work but I would first look to see if a pot change can be done.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

EQ Pedals will work but I would first look to see if a pot change can be done.

True Dru. I'm just thinking of the entire chain when I mentioned a EQ pedal. I have an old Gibson Medalist Tube amp I got 20+ years ago. No matter what guitars you play through it, it sounds like an ice pick... especially for single coil guitars. So, I got an EQ pedal to tame the amp and any guitar connected to it by adjusting it per guitar and it works wonders.

[rrgguitarman]

Originally Posted by robj144

Equalizer pedals do wonders.

What he said. It does wonders!

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by robj144

True Dru. I'm just thinking of the entire chain when I mentioned a EQ pedal. I have an old Gibson Medalist Tube amp I got 20+ years ago. No matter what guitars you play through it, it sounds like an ice pick... especially for single coil guitars. So, I got an EQ pedal to tame the amp and any guitar connected to it by adjusting it per guitar and it works wonders.

Hey Rob, yes, that makes sense because the EQ pedal becomes an "always on" (or almost always on) pedal regardless of guitar. That's the way I use my EHX Soul Food overdrive, it's an always on pedal because it just sounds so great.

[L50EF15]

Quickest, easiest way to cut some highs is a set of flatwounds. That is certainly true with my Telecaster, and with my P90 equipped Les Paul.