Mine is grounded, you can't just have one connection. The hot goes to the pickup hot lead and other to ground .
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Stellartone---Best passive mod ever!
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
Are you talking about the blend or the Tonestyler? The Tonestyler, or any tone pot, would have to be grounded because it bleeds the unused frequencies to ground. Won't work any other way. The blend pot, though, can be ungrounded in a regular circuit.
As I look at the wiring diagrams, it seems to me the Tonestyler should work with an ungrounded blend, too. As best I can tell, it hooks up just like a tone pot. I have an email to Stellartone to verify.
Jeremy
I know this is an old post - but one reason this sounds different than a traditional tone control is that different caps interact with the pickup to create new resonant peaks, so the ideal situation with something like this is to have a separate cap for each pickup so that you get the maximum effect. Also (and this is just a guess) it give maximum flexibility as you can control them separately with a stacked konw
The different caps interact with the pickups to actually change the resonant peak of the "circuit" - in this case the pickup - so the best way to get maximum effect and maximum difference between the settings is to have a separate cap interacting with each pickup rather than one reacting with the whole guitar. But that depends on if you have a situation where you want the pickups to act as separate entities. For instance, I consider the two pickups on my Danos to be one big humbucker (sorta) and so I'd want to change the whole circuit - but if you ever switch between switch settings or blend positions you will find you lose some of the effect if you do it as a master tone - even though you manipulate it as one.
yes it has to bleed through ground . the duotone has different caps for front and rear pickups. IIRC and my previous conversations with Max at Best Bass Gear. I have one on my SX fretless pj short scale and I have since added the duo and single to other passive basses. Just really like the different bleeds plus it's a know of which positions I like the most for different songs!
Well, as long as it is answer months old questions day. Yes, the Tonestyler will work just fine with ungrounded blend pots. For the person who asked, it is "just" a rotary switch connected to one cap for each position of the switch. I'm sure the Tonestyler units are fine, you can also make them at home if you like. I have a homemade one in one of my basses that has eleven positions, wouldn't the Spinal Tap boys just love that, and while it works, I think eleven is much too big a number. There is barely any difference from one position to the next unless you make the value steps between caps large and in that case you will have some positions that are too big and/or too small to be of much use. So I am in the process of modifying mine and adding its twin to a second bass. I am just going to have five "Tonestyler" positions available when I turn the shaft one way from the center position and five traditional tone control positions available when I turn the shaft the other way from center. The Tonestyler is fine really but as I say five is more than enough for me and having the traditional tone control sound is valuable to me as well. You can of course add a tone pot in series with the Tonestyler to get both but I am maxed out for pot positions on this bass and I don't really need/would never use the extra flexibility that arrangement would give.
I agree with you that 10 or 11 positions is WAY too many - but when you're manufacturing it for a mass audience you don't know which of the 10 people are gonna want - is 7 (where you like 6) or 4 (where I like 3)? If you're making one for yourself and have the time to play - I'd say 4 or 5 (plus flat) is more than you'd ever use.
I understand, I was not criticizing Tonestyler's design decisions. It is just that after playing with one (a homemade one) for a while I find that for me it takes only a few positions and I am not particularly drawn to any specific subset of the available choices. I just want a rather noticeable change from one to the next and a good overall range and those are easy to get from five positions, six if you include the no-load position. One could spend a lifetime optimizing the capacitor value for each specific song or passage of a song that one might want to play but that is clearly insane. Five choices get you plenty close enough, for my tastes.
I think we agree even more than I let on in that I also think (like you) that if I didn't have positions 2,4,6,8,10 I would never have missed them - but there are thousands of musicians out there who would balk at the "limitations" of five positions even though they only currently use full "on" and full "off" on their current tonne controls - people are just funny they don't want to be told they can't have babies just because they are male.
Ordering one of these has been on my to-do list for some time. Ran across this thread and quick-like-a-bunny ordered the ten position one before I forgot (Again!).
I'll try and remember to update once it gets here and I install it.
I'll try and remember to update once it gets here and I install it.
I ordered the stacked Volume/ tone depth and the 6 position ToneStyler. Hopefully it will arrive this weekend. I'll post some pix when I get it installed.
This is going into a Douglas SCPB that I've put an Antiquities II pup in. I dunno if the tone depth will do much for me but this bass is my hot-rodder so I ain't too worried about it.
I thought about getting 11 position with the bypass but that's just too many options for me. I think I might add a bypass toggle or push button switch to the circuit. That bright single coil plays very well with my VT pedal.
This is going into a Douglas SCPB that I've put an Antiquities II pup in. I dunno if the tone depth will do much for me but this bass is my hot-rodder so I ain't too worried about it.
I thought about getting 11 position with the bypass but that's just too many options for me. I think I might add a bypass toggle or push button switch to the circuit. That bright single coil plays very well with my VT pedal.
Hi Folks,
I'm reanimating this thread as I am considering a tone styler for a new body build and wrote them with some questions based on people's responses in this thread. I was interested in whether I could get the "tone rolled all the way off" sound with it, and it appears that is now possible. I am pasting in their answers (with permission) because I think others might be interested about changes they're making to their product (the rest of this message is from their people, not me).
--JES
I'm reanimating this thread as I am considering a tone styler for a new body build and wrote them with some questions based on people's responses in this thread. I was interested in whether I could get the "tone rolled all the way off" sound with it, and it appears that is now possible. I am pasting in their answers (with permission) because I think others might be interested about changes they're making to their product (the rest of this message is from their people, not me).
--JES
Stellartone's new web site is under construction, and complete info & new photos will be published soon. Please feel free to publish this technical preview to TalkBass:
After receiving input from many bassists and luthiers, the 2015 ToneStyler BASS TEN & BASS ELEVEN controls now include these brand-new sonic features:
- The lowest & deepest capacitor circuit #1 features a .1uF tone cap; the adjacent circuit #2 features an .047uF tone cap. These two circuits duplicate the EQ & loading of standard tone pots fitted with these same caps, when set counter-clockwise to maximum dark EQ... all mid and treble harmonics are removed, leaving only the fundamental bass frequencies. If a less-intense rolloff effect is desired, connecting a pot in series allow mids & treble to be mixed back above the selected rolloff points, in the same manner as when adjusting a standard tone pot's strength. It's unnecessary to add a standard bass tone pot & cap in parallel to a ToneStyler, because the exact same result (plus extra versatility) is obtained by connecting a pot in series. This option creates a "mega tone pot", with multiple caps & rolloff frequencies, all instantly-selectable on the fly.
- The two brightest EQ circuits at the top of clockwise rotation (#11 & #10, or #10 & #9) now respectively duplicate the loading of a .047uF+500k tone pot, and a .047uF+250k tone pot, when set clockwise to maximum brightness. The bassist may now quickly duplicate the original "default" sound of the bass with its tone pot set fully up, or the alternate sound produced by the contrasting tone pot value. True bypass has been discontinued; if that super-bright sound is desired, it can be added via an optional switch or push-pull pot, wired to disconnect the tone circuit.
- The 2015 ToneStyler BASS SIX features a maximum capacitance value of .047uF in counter-clockwise position #1; a .047uF+250k tone pot loading circuit is located in clockwise position #6.
Stellartone welcomes all questions and comments from the readers of TalkBass - let us know your thoughts!
After receiving input from many bassists and luthiers, the 2015 ToneStyler BASS TEN & BASS ELEVEN controls now include these brand-new sonic features:
- The lowest & deepest capacitor circuit #1 features a .1uF tone cap; the adjacent circuit #2 features an .047uF tone cap. These two circuits duplicate the EQ & loading of standard tone pots fitted with these same caps, when set counter-clockwise to maximum dark EQ... all mid and treble harmonics are removed, leaving only the fundamental bass frequencies. If a less-intense rolloff effect is desired, connecting a pot in series allow mids & treble to be mixed back above the selected rolloff points, in the same manner as when adjusting a standard tone pot's strength. It's unnecessary to add a standard bass tone pot & cap in parallel to a ToneStyler, because the exact same result (plus extra versatility) is obtained by connecting a pot in series. This option creates a "mega tone pot", with multiple caps & rolloff frequencies, all instantly-selectable on the fly.
- The two brightest EQ circuits at the top of clockwise rotation (#11 & #10, or #10 & #9) now respectively duplicate the loading of a .047uF+500k tone pot, and a .047uF+250k tone pot, when set clockwise to maximum brightness. The bassist may now quickly duplicate the original "default" sound of the bass with its tone pot set fully up, or the alternate sound produced by the contrasting tone pot value. True bypass has been discontinued; if that super-bright sound is desired, it can be added via an optional switch or push-pull pot, wired to disconnect the tone circuit.
- The 2015 ToneStyler BASS SIX features a maximum capacitance value of .047uF in counter-clockwise position #1; a .047uF+250k tone pot loading circuit is located in clockwise position #6.
Stellartone welcomes all questions and comments from the readers of TalkBass - let us know your thoughts!
I tried a Tonestyler (11 position) and did not like it at all. Technically there is nothing wrong with the product. It is actually really well put together and designed.
The issue I had with it is simply a matter of taste. On a P bass which has already of lot of mids, I felt it pushed the mids too far making them too present in my tone.
I also felt that the tone no longer sounded natural to my ears. I could see this working really well for a jazz bass for example or for somebody who really needs to cut through a busy mix but neither situation applies to me.
My intent is not to knock down the Tonesytler product but give another opinion to some people looking at this product.
The issue I had with it is simply a matter of taste. On a P bass which has already of lot of mids, I felt it pushed the mids too far making them too present in my tone.
I also felt that the tone no longer sounded natural to my ears. I could see this working really well for a jazz bass for example or for somebody who really needs to cut through a busy mix but neither situation applies to me.
My intent is not to knock down the Tonesytler product but give another opinion to some people looking at this product.
I purchased one of the new type Bass Eleven Tonestylers from Stellar tone and put it on my American Fender Precision and did not like it one bit. It is obvious to me that it really doesn't work in a P Bass as it makes it sound nasally and honky which has been stated earlier in this thread so I whipped it out and put back the original tone knob. I can only speak for a P Bass but it might work on other basses as some have said. After watching the youtube vid I decided to invest in one but mine didn't sound anything like the one on the vid.
I've a Bass11 with a tone control and 5% over Fralins. It's been in a Fender CS Postmodern P for several months.....best P bass tone I've ever had......really awesome bass both live and in the studio.
I had one in one of my passive basses and loved it. Sorry you have bad luck. It was the best tone control cause I could select the resonant freq.
Mmmm........It looks like I received a faulty one, but so many people have stated that it sounds nasally and to Mid orientated.I use both bridge and pup covers on my P Bass do you think that they could be affecting the tone?
Anyone tried one of these on a 5 string P bass? I actually like a little mid forward tone on a P bass.
