Please explain why volume pots kill...

[Guest mgoetting]

What is the thinking on Heritage having either volume pot kill the total sound when both pups are toggled on?

 

This configuration constrains blending the two pickups. Heritage wouldn't do it if it didn't make sense.

 

My Gibsons didn't do this.

[peacemaker]

watching this thread with interest . . .

[NoNameBand]

What is the thinking on Heritage having either volume pot kill the total sound when both pups are toggled on?

 

This configuration constrains blending the two pickups. Heritage wouldn't do it if it didn't make sense.

 

My Gibsons didn't do this.

My Gibson's do this and I believe that all similarly configured guitars do this. It is so when you want to kill the volume completely between songs for example, you don't need to turn both knobs off. In high gain situations, this becomes necessary unless you have another kill switch to eliminate the 60 cycle hum that can be generated by some lighting or electrical. As long as one is on a little, they will both work.

[NoNameBand]

What is the thinking on Heritage having either volume pot kill the total sound when both pups are toggled on?

 

This configuration constrains blending the two pickups. Heritage wouldn't do it if it didn't make sense.

 

My Gibsons didn't do this.

 

To add to that, I believe the idea is, there is no need to turn one volume off completely for blending purposes. To eliminate one pickup, just switch the pickup off with the toggle. You can leave the volume where you want it when you want the pickup on. The only reason I can think of to completely turn off a volume knob would be to turn off All sound. To blend, you need some volume from each pickup.

[Guest mgoetting]

To add to that, I believe the idea is, there is no need to turn one volume off completely for blending purposes. To eliminate one pickup, just switch the pickup off with the toggle. You can leave the volume where you want it when you want the pickup on. The only reason I can think of to completely turn off a volume knob would be to turn off All sound. To blend, you need some volume from each pickup.

 

 

That makes sense.

 

If memory serves, and sometimes it doesn't serve well, the volume nose dives at about 3, so most of the potentiometer can be used for blending.

 

I don't recall the old Gibsons doing this.

[Thundersteel]

All my Gibsons have done this.

[smurph1]

All my Gibsons have done this.

mine too..

[Guest mgoetting]

I don't recall my '60s Gibson doing that. I won't swear to it though.

[MuDBoNe]

This is where all the magic tone comes from

[DeLorean]

It is easy enough to change it from master volume to independent volume (or vice versa). The master volume was what many people got used to, so they default to that. Independent does allow better blending in the middle switch position, at the cost of more work to turn it all the way down in that position (without a kill switch, as has been mentioned).

[pushover]

Can someone tell a neophite like myself whether this discussion is related to the 50's wiring versus modern wiring issue?

[rooster]

Can someone tell a neophite like myself whether this discussion is related to the 50's wiring versus modern wiring issue?

 

Yup.

 

rooster.