floating pickup question

[Guest mgoetting]

Anyone used one of the single knob tone and volume controls mounted in the pickguard? I'd appreciate comments please.

[jazzrat]

Yes,

Had just a pickguard mounted vol control on an Eastman archtop with a floater.

I guess it worked fine but in the end I prefer regular top mounted controls in conjunction with

a built-in pickup.

If I was going for a full acoustic archtop vibe I think I would prefer the thumb wheel type

that just peek out of the edge of the pickguard.

[Guest mgoetting]

I probably should have worded this more carefully. I have a volume control on my pickguard. Is it better to drill a second hole for the tone control or get a single knob that the upper part sets the volume and the lower sets the tone. I suppose a tone wheel could be added to the edge or in the f hole.

[Gitfiddler]

To avoid drilling another hole into the pick guard, you might consider installing a Stealth Thumbwheel tone control underneath.

 

I did this to my Sweet 16 and couldn't be happier with the look and easy access.

 

Check out Archtop.com or Stewmac.com for their parts and assembly.

 

 

http://archtop.com/ac_access.html#anchor46193451

Stealth volume controls only: six (6) pieces, includes 500k audio taper pots, black knurled 1" thumbwheels and subminiature mounting screws. (Sorry, not sold singly.) $49.00

 

 

 

Here is a photo of a Stealth thumbwheel and jack installation on an Epi Triumph Regent. No holes or routing of original

[barrymclark]

Are you saying like a stacked pot where one is the tone and the other is a volume so you don't have to attach another knob? I'd probably go that route if I were you just to not alter the guitar's original state permanently.

 

But... if that isn't an issue for you, then thumbwheel or other knob. Either way. If there is already one knob, then what's two? But... if you just would rather not have the appearance of two knobs, then thumbwheel.

 

If I were doing this, I'd go with the all in one. OR.... I'd get another pickguard and thumbwheel the snot out of it.

[Guest mgoetting]

Are you saying like a stacked pot where one is the tone and the other is a volume so you don't have to attach another knob? I'd probably go that route if I were you just to not alter the guitar's original state permanently.

 

But... if that isn't an issue for you, then thumbwheel or other knob. Either way. If there is already one knob, then what's two? But... if you just would rather not have the appearance of two knobs, then thumbwheel.

 

If I were doing this, I'd go with the all in one. OR.... I'd get another pickguard and thumbwheel the snot out of it.

 

 

I wonder how well the stacked pot practically. Have you used one before?

[barrymclark]

I wonder how well the stacked pot practically. Have you used one before?

I have but on other guitars but it was an EQ. Low and Hi on an active system. It worked fine. Actually made it REAL easy to know easily by touch which knob you were grabbing. I have never wired up one that way but from looking at the part online, I don't see why you couldn't wire it up that way. Would actually be rather easy.. BUT.... you would need to make sure of the clearance because of the doubled depth of the stacked pots.

 

I didn't think about that before... if that wouldn't work, I'd get a new pickguard and get the thumbwheels for a completely clean look instead of a half and half.

[Windstring]

I wonder how well the stacked pot practically. Have you used one before?

 

Hi again, I actually like two separate knobs, one each for volume and tone. I have added a tone control to two of my archtop pickguards with floating pickups (for reference, I used the Seymour Duncan website to get a circuit diagram, and it worked perfectly). And, of course, you know that Heritage has always done this as a custom option on request. I think you would not devalue your guitar by drilling an extra hole and adding a tone pot, especially if you looked at some Heritages with this option and positioned it in a location similar to that employed by the factory. I don't like stacked controls because I get confused as to which "gang" controls what, especially after a few songs (and/or beers ). Anyway, that's my 3 cents worth... Cheers.