Gretsch tone switch circuit mod suggestions, please

[Phostenix]

Oh, and don't be surprised if the guitar sounds a little brighter once you've converted the Master Volume to Master Tone, since you'll be taking the load of the 500K volume pot off of the pickups.

[picknconk]

No, that's the second mod I didn't want to use. I want to use your first suggestion, moving both wires to the switch, floating the third, and running the cap to the wiper...

[Phostenix]

OK, here's the first one:

[Phostenix]

Oops. Now that I look at it, the way I told you to wire that "first" version will work backwards - clockwise will roll off the highs. I've fixed the drawing to show the correct way.

[picknconk]

Thank you so much, I was sitting here not wanting to be a smart ass and point out the difference, then I scrolled down and read your last post. I can't wait to get this thing back and go nuts. I wonder what values I will finally end up with. The Hi Lo Trons are famous for being bright, but a tone control that is wired right handles it. I wish somebody could tell me when "50's wiring" became "50's wiring" and some dimbulb changed things. The old guitars sound the best, and nobody worried about treble roll off with volume. When did the change happen? I got out of electrics from about 1970 until the mid 90's, and I'm a tried and true believer in caps to wipers always. Anybody know who did it?....Thanks again...Bob

[Phostenix]

The cap to the wiper of the tone pot doesn't make it 50's wiring. The cap can be from the wiper to ground or terminal 1 to ground and it won't make any real difference in the way it functions or sounds.

What people tend to call 50's wiring in a Les Paul is having independent volumes like you have here. With "Modern" Les Paul wiring, turning one volume control down kills the output for both pickups. With Teles (And Strats) with only 1 volume, "50's" wiring is connecting the tone control to the wiper of the master volume pot instead of the "input" of the master volume pot.

A lot of people don't like the interaction between volume & tone pots with the 50's wiring, and that's why it changed. A lot of people like that the 50's wiring has less treble roll off when the volume is rolled back (with the tone controls up) & use it instead of a treble bleed mod (which has its own side-effects). I use low capacitance cables now, which reduces the loss of highs when the volume is rolled back without using 50's wiring or treble bleed mods.

With independent volumes, you'll probably have that volume/tone interaction, although it's much more significant with 2 tone controls that are attached directly to the pickups (the way you wire the cap to the tone pot in this guitar isn't the issue).

[picknconk]

O.K., I'll bite, do you mean shielded co-ax in the guitar, or solid wire? I've found that solid wire is better, and I like shielded with a solid core. What's your take on low capacitance? Also, I like FAST caps, paper and wax, oil and paper, not Orange Drops any more,...and you? I've run into several techs who dislike the 50's style for the reason you mentioned. I think it's why I like it, or maybe it's 'cause that's what I grew up with. I hate treble bleed circuits, and guitars that shut off with one of the pots. Just an old fashioned guy, I guess. So,...what's you low capacitance wiring scheme?

[Phostenix]

I'm talking about the cable from the guitar to the amp. I use one of these now:

Elixir Premium Instrument Cable Straight - Straight 10 FT | eBay

Here's a thread discussing it:

Low Capacitance Guitar Cables - Telecaster Guitar Forum

[picknconk]

I'm a Klotz man, myself. I also have this cable I got from a Space Lab I once worked in that's the best of all. It's rigid, and a little awkward, but it sings like the Angels. Silver braided. I use it mostly for short runs from my pedal board to the amp, etc. The Klotz works very well, but they do fail if you step on them enough times. I'll read your links after I've done some stuff. We're on the same page here...