Jazzmaster Rhythm circuit mods

[FabDzeeney]

Hello!
New here (hope this is the right section for this question)

Does anyone have modified their wiring on the JM rhythm circuit? I don't use it very much and I would like to get a different sound, maybe phase inverter or something more jaguar-like? diagrams are welcome

thanks!

[Singlebladepickup]

I've got this mod on my jazzmaster:
http://www.guitar-mod.com/mm5/merchant. ... ode=JM_STB

I haven't had it long, but I don't think I'll use series mode very much because I like a brighter sound and don't need tons of gain. It will probably be used more than I used rhythm circuit on my jaguar, though, which is why I went for it.

[hpr_hpr]

The question is what you want instead ...

A series/parallel switch is indeed one possibility another is a phase switch ... both leave 2 ‘orphan’ pots

Another possibility would be instead of the rhythm circuit use the pots for an alternative tone circuit with a base on one and treble cut on the other and use the switch to switch between these and the regular tone circuit ... but that requires pretty much a complete rewrite and probably at least one new pot ...

Use the switch for series parallel ... use the pots for treble & bass and have independent volumes for neck & bridge? Again a pretty comprehensive rewire ...

It all depends on what you want and how much you think you can do ...

[Shadoweclipse13]

The question is what you want instead ...

A series/parallel switch is indeed one possibility another is a phase switch ... both leave 2 ‘orphan’ pots

That's always my thought as well. Luckily, there's someone on this forum that has figured out a solution:
Shepherd And Crow Conversion Bracket

What I'd do is probably a phase switch, series-parallel switch, and maybe a dark switch (or strangle)...

[elektrovac]

I am currently working on a JM project (finishing it in 1960s Mercedes-Benz Graublau) where I'm using the rollers for low-pass and high-pass filters (switchable in/out via the slide switch), and doing the series/parallel thing via a 4-way rotary switch (where the toggle would normally sit). Standard volume/tone knobs.

Graublau:

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

I am currently working on a JM project (finishing it in 1960s Mercedes-Benz Graublau) where I'm using the rollers for low-pass and high-pass filters (switchable in/out via the slide switch), and doing the series/parallel thing via a 4-way rotary switch (where the toggle would normally sit). Standard volume/tone knobs.

Graublau:

Please tell me more how it is working out (diagrams and pot/cap specs are welcome too!)
I'm also curious about the finish... as I want to modify my jag's rhythm circuit too - and I'm also planning a custom built Jazzmaster... and the color looks/sounds tempting!

[elektrovac]

I have been planning to start a build thread for a long time, but always too busy ... But at least I'll definitely make a post about the completed guitar, when it's done.

I started paintwork of the body and neck (matching headstock) in October, but then the project stalled due to the cold and humid Danish fall and winter weather. Both body and neck needs final sanding and (more) clear coat.
All parts are sourced, so it'll be a quick assembly when the clear have cured. I'm going with Fralin pickups. Hum-cancelling in bridge position and 'vintage' in neck.

It's a one-piece swamp ash body (an impulse buy from Guitar MIll's summer sale last year) and a Musicraft neck made from flamed quartersawn maple with rosewood fretboard.
The 'blaugrau' (blue grey) finish looks great when mocked up with a parchment guard. It's a borderline boring, solid colour, but it's grown on me. After I first shot it, I was hugely disappointed, because I thought it was a metallic finish

I havn't decided on the filter cap and pot values yet. I'd like to fix both filters at the low and high extremes (30 hz / 24 khz), via fixed resistors, so they are in fact always on a little, and let them go from there with the pots adjustments.

[marqueemoon]

Right now I'm thinking use the rhythm circuit switch spot for a high pass filter. 3 positions would be ideal (off, something like 80Hz, and something more extreme for super thin sounds).

Roller pots for volume and tone on a trem cavity mounted piezo.

[hpr_hpr]

The question is what you want instead ...

A series/parallel switch is indeed one possibility another is a phase switch ... both leave 2 ‘orphan’ pots

That's always my thought as well. Luckily, there's someone on this forum that has figured out a solution:
Shepherd And Crow Conversion Bracket

What I'd do is probably a phase switch, series-parallel switch, and maybe a dark switch (or strangle)...

Ah, one more 'tool' . . . . didn't know about that one.

[CorporateDisguise]

I never used the rhythm circuit, soI got some mini 500k pots from rothstein and have it wired more like a 50s Les Paul. With seperate vol and tone for each pickup. I haven't utilized the switch yet, but eventually I'm going to make it bypass the pots straight to the output.

[hpr_hpr]

I am currently working on a JM project (finishing it in 1960s Mercedes-Benz Graublau) where I'm using the rollers for low-pass and high-pass filters (switchable in/out via the slide switch), and doing the series/parallel thing via a 4-way rotary switch (where the toggle would normally sit). Standard volume/tone knobs.

Interesting, I have a JM with probably the same rotary setup (4 position neck,series,parallel,bridge) but with SD pRail hum buckers, the upper cavity is taken by 4 mini switches to get single/series/parallel/single from each hum bucker (they have dissimilar coils with approximate a P90 and a single rail sound)

[toma19]

Hi,
On mine i've wired it so it works with both pickups (and also added a 4-way switch for serie wiring), and i've also changed the 50k tone pot for a 100k, in order to brighten it a little, but still keeping dark available.
So, that makes a lot of possible sounds... from serie wiring + dark tone + overdrive to bright setting + parallel position + reverb, it's something like all the guitars in one.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

Hey!
I'm really curious how your "Blaugrau"-finish and your whole project worked out?!
Any pics yet?

[Digital Larry]

Cool thread, I was just wondering "what have people done to mod the rhythm circuit" and lo and behold...

I don't even have my Squier Jazzmaster in hand yet, I had to send the one I got back to Sweetwater as the neck pickup was not working correctly.

So of course never having owned one, first thing I'm going to do is live with it for awhile. I don't have a compulsive need to mod guitars, as I'm developing some pedal circuits I have way more than enough to keep the soldering iron busy. A long time ago I put a 5 way super switch into a Tele clone along with a hot rails pickup but I didn't have a grand scheme in mind. Maybe I'll dig that one out of the closet and rethink. But anyway....

The high pass control sounds like a good possibility. Check Joe Gore's PTB project here: http://tonefiend.com/guitar/two-band-pt ... p-awesome/

The G&L Doheny apparently has one of these built in instead of the rhythm circuit electronics. So that's ONE pot you could repurpose. Maybe the second pot could go to a fixed-frequency varitone made with one of those little transformers?

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t20252/

One of the pickup settings on my Yamaha AES-800 uses one of the HB's coils as a shunt inductor with a series cap and pot adjustment for depth. It's a little odd in that the pot only works in 1 of 5 switch positions. However the fixed frequency means you're not constantly rotating a 5-pole switch wondering if that's "better" than the other setting. If I did this on a JM (using a separate inductor), I'd just hang it off the output jack so it would affect all pickup settings.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/72211 ... s800b.html

I tried the varitone on one of those Tagima TW-61 offsets and was not generally thrilled, but I think that when making sure that a bunch of different sounds were available, they didn't make sure that they were good sounds. That's just down to taste of course, and even with it disengaged I wasn't thrilled by the P-90 type pickups.

All that said, does the Squier Deluxe JM really need to cut out any midrange? On the Yamaha, using this setting gives a more "acoustic" type tone than you can get otherwise. The Deluxe JM already has (as far as I could tell) a very sparkly sound but, well, who knows.

So, if you had one pot for the bass cut, and the other for an adjustable midrange notch, you could use the switch for: built in distortion?

http://tonefiend.com/guitar/onboard-dis ... a-battery/

Eh, maybe not... works best with high output pickups and reduces the signal level a lot.

Well those are my crazy ideas, not based in any practical reality.

[Digital Larry]

I've got this mod on my jazzmaster:
http://www.guitar-mod.com/mm5/merchant. ... ode=JM_STB

I haven't had it long, but I don't think I'll use series mode very much because I like a brighter sound and don't need tons of gain. It will probably be used more than I used rhythm circuit on my jaguar, though, which is why I went for it.

THAT one looks pretty interesting. Thanks!