Tone Box.

[oscar]

Hello,
How would i make a box that does the function of a tone knob on the guitar. I imagine its very simple.
Thank you,
Oscar

[strungout]

Actually it is: one pot + a cap to ground. There's different variations, but this is a basic lowpass filter. Look at the DIY FAQ, I think there's an example in there.

Can I ask why, though? Your guitar has no tone control?

Ciao.[/code]

[phillip]

If I were going to build a tone box, I would use the tone stack from an amplifier of some type...Fender, Vox, Marshall, etc.  That way you get three controls:  Bass, Treble and Mids.

I'm not sure if those types of tone controls will cause a volume drop like the Big Muff tone stack does if you tack it on at the end of a circuit.  The Big Muff has an extra transistor gain stage following the tone control to bring the signal level back up after it loses some "oomph" in the tone control part of the circuit.

Phillip

[oscar]

I disconnected my tone controls because most of the time i had them on full. It definitely made an improvement on the sound of my guitar. But sometimes i want to turn the tone down, so a pedal could give me option of bypassing it. I could get a no load pot instead.
What about making a tone control that could be used to boost as well as cut frequences.
Thanks,
Oscar.

[oscar]

I posted that previous message before i saw your post Phillip.
Yes i would like seperate controls for bass mid and treble.

[brett]

Hi.  I agree with Phillip's idea.  A Marshall tone stack works well, followed by the Big muff output section (ie the last transistor and associated parts).  I'd suggest a jfet buffer for the input, too.  You'll find schematics for all of these on the forum or the web.
cheers

[sir_modulus]

hey, could you make a very simple version of the EH crying tone pedal by putting a pot and a cap in a pedal casing?

[phillip]

So we'd be looking at something like this:



It uses a JFET input buffer with an input impedance of 1.1M, a Marshall tone stack, and the Big Muff transistor output gain stage.

Not sure if it works, so we better call this schematic purely experimental

Phillip

[Peter Snowberg]

Nice job Phillip!

[phillip]

Phillip

[toneman]

So Philip,
U just "whiped out" that schemo??
Do U only dream about electronics???
LOL!!!
looks buildable...
call it the "X Fuzz" 4 "X" perimental...

staytuned
tone

[phillip]

So Philip,
U just "whiped out" that schemo??
Do U only dream about electronics???
LOL!!!
looks buildable...
call it the "X Fuzz" 4 "X" perimental...

staytuned
tone

Yep only took a couple of minutes.  The three sections of the circuit are just "modules" that can be used in a wide range of circuits...input buffer, Marshall tone stack, transistor gain stage.

Should work pretty well...just need someone to breadboard it and find out  If it works, I might make an article about it at Fuzz Central.

Not sure what to call it...it's definitely not a fuzz box...just a box that'll alter the bass, treble and mid response of the signal by sending it through the tone stack.  It'll also make a nice buffer with that JFET buffer in the front as suggested by Brett, and it'll amplify with that Big Muff gain stage on the output.

Phillip

[donald stringer]

Getting back to a simple tone box, one alternative would be a 2p6t rotary switch mounted in a box with a variety of different size caps wired to it.One side of each cap would be grounded and the other wired to the switch. Its the same difference as taking a tone control out of your guitar and preselecting at which points you want x amount of treble rolloff. This is actually a craig anderton design and I think some call it a load box because you are actually loading down your signal from your guitar. I have seen a rocktec passive tone box that performs the same function as the pedal you describe. The next step beyond that is to add an op-amp which makes it active and I have built one in the past. From a craig anderton book on building diy guitar effects there is a schem. for doing that very thing, I also think there is one at AMZ for a single pre-selected active tone  control. Which actually at that point though you are building an crude sort of pre-selected notch type of booster. It all depends on how complicated you want to get.

[oscar]

Thanks phillip. Would that design be able to cut and boost frequences? Donald's idea sounds good aswell.
Oscar.

[donald stringer]

http://www.muzique.com/schem/ca-eq.gif Here is the schem. I think you can replace c1 c2 with an 2p6t switch and wire in your own variety. This is the anderton freq. booster. Hey there is also a good use for those on/off spst footstompswitches

[donald stringer]

oscar wrote:I disconnected my tone controls because most of the time i had them on full on that note I agree the only time I want a passive treble cut is a les paul type configuration /neck p/u and roll back the treble for that certain type of classic tone. One more idea would be identify the sound you would most use your tone control for and build a simple one freq. cut or boost for it . Put it in an A/B box and kick it in or out.

[oscar]

Actually thats probably the best solution Donald. I think i will put a capacitor on a switch on my guitar so i can turn it on and off.
Thanks,
Oscar.