Master vs Independent Volume Pots

[funkyeah!]

How do you guys deal with a single volume knob? I’m so used to using independent volumes as section changes in songs.

For instance, if I have my neck pick up on 3 and bridge on 8, it makes the section change so ballsy. How can I quickly do the pickup and volume change?

Strat setup. Could I do a dual gang pot for Neck, middle, a bridge volume, and a master tone?

[CorporateDisguise]

I don’t deal with a master volume. All my live guitars have to have independent volumes. The way I used to get around it was to use a volume pedal at the front of my pedal chain. I’ve modded some guitars for concentric pots, but mostly I just use my Jazzmaster and Firebird which already have independent controls. Sorry, not much help, but I’m in the same boat. I can’t make master controls work for me because I have fairly abrupt dynamics.

[adamrobertt]

I don't fuck with volume pots at all while I'm playing. I use a tuner for muting and a volume pedal for volume changes if needed, but mostly my dynamics in a live setting are done via my pedalboard or just by playing with a lighter touch when needed.

[ChrisDesign]

I don't fuck with volume pots at all while I'm playing. I use a tuner for muting and a volume pedal for volume changes if needed, but mostly my dynamics in a live setting are done via my pedalboard or just by playing with a lighter touch when needed.

Great advice! Another option is the EHX attenuator. When it is off, the signal flows through unaltered. When it is on, the pedal drops the volume. It's a weird but awesome pedal. Leave it on 99% of the time and find your standard amp tone. Then turn it off for power and letting your amp roar.

https://www.ehx.com/products/signal-pad

[funkyeah!]

Well, my normal guitar is a 3 hb semi-hollow with independent volume and tone for each pickup.

My strat thing just has master volume, neck/middle tone, bridge tone.

My gain pedals are dialed in for the humbucker tone and I've gotten quite used to using my guitar's volume knobs for adjusting gain level (extremely helpful for stacking). So not using the knobs isn't going to work. I'm past the phase of never using my guitar's knobs (no offense!)

I guess the reality of it comes down to prioritizing one over the other: pickup change or volume/gain change.

[adamrobertt]

Well, my normal guitar is a 3 hb semi-hollow with independent volume and tone for each pickup.

My strat thing just has master volume, neck/middle tone, bridge tone.

My gain pedals are dialed in for the humbucker tone and I've gotten quite used to using my guitar's volume knobs for adjusting gain level (extremely helpful for stacking). So not using the knobs isn't going to work. I'm past the phase of never using my guitar's knobs (no offense!)

I guess the reality of it comes down to prioritizing one over the other: pickup change or volume/gain change.

I mean, whatever works for you is what you should do, although I don't really appreciate the implication that I'm a n00b or a shitty guitarist because I'm not constantly fiddling with my volume knob.

[marqueemoon]

Concentric pots are awful.

Having only recently really delved into fuzz I now get the appeal of two volumes and two tones, but I still prefer a master volume/master tone.

[jorri]

I dont even have a volume control, but various selections are just different volumes.
P90 bridge, middle strat, neck JM, with series option. So some very drastic changes.

[marqueemoon]

I guess to answer the OP’s question I spend a lot of time dialing in pickup heights to get what I’m looking for in all switch positions.

After that’s dialed I can usually get the rest of the way through subtle application of boosts/tone shaping effects.

Fuzz is the only application for me where there’s some tangible benefit to playing with volume and tone on the guitar. My preferred setup is a lower powered tube amp I can turn up. Basically I can get most of my tonal shading by varying pick attack and kick on a clean boost if I want more level or a mid boost if I want more dirt or more clarity from a neck pickup.

[funkyeah!]

I don't really appreciate the implication that I'm a n00b or a shitty guitarist because I'm not constantly fiddling with my volume knob.

Sorry. Pedalboards of Doom has been rubbing off on me apparently

[funkyeah!]

Concentric pots are awful.

Having only recently really delved into fuzz I now get the appeal of two volumes and two tones, but I still prefer a master volume/master tone.

I feel like I've seen something before where it's not concentric but is a single shaft with two bottom parts. So one sweep could control 2 different parameters, albeit at the same percentage of turn.

I guess mainly I'm thinking I'll need to dial back neck/middle volume more frequently than the bridge volume. I'll just avoid switching and use the knob for the sudden volume/tone adjustment. I am very used to the Gibson-esque configuration though. My 3 pickup, 6 knob guitar gets used in my original band and the strat/tele thing gets used in a 90's cover band.

[jorri]

Concentric pots are awful.

Having only recently really delved into fuzz I now get the appeal of two volumes and two tones, but I still prefer a master volume/master tone.

I feel like I've seen something before where it's not concentric but is a single shaft with two bottom parts. So one sweep could control 2 different parameters, albeit at the same percentage of turn.

I guess mainly I'm thinking I'll need to dial back neck/middle volume more frequently than the bridge volume. I'll just avoid switching and use the knob for the sudden volume/tone adjustment. I am very used to the Gibson-esque configuration though. My 3 pickup, 6 knob guitar gets used in my original band and the strat/tele thing gets used in a 90's cover band.

You could just connect the bridge after so its out of the volume circuit. Relative adjustment. Or if its strat do you need two tone controls? The bridge is not affcted by tone control on a strat right?

[funkyeah!]

You could just connect the bridge after so its out of the volume circuit. Relative adjustment. Or if its strat do you need two tone controls? The bridge is not affcted by tone control on a strat right?

Ah but I need volume control over the bridge pickup too.

I did the wiring that lets you send neck and middle to the same tone pot so you can send bridge to the last tone pot

[Embenny]

Why not just introduce a volume pedal (either rocker style, or preset with a footswitch) between the guitar and pedalboard? There's no difference between decreasing volume at the guitar pot and doing it with a pedal, except for the fact that pedals can be active, buffered circuits that don't hemorrhage high frequencies when turned down.

Then just go up or down on the pedal with your foot as your switch pickups.

I had an Artec dual clean boost pedal I used for this - it could go higher or lower than unity gain on each side, so you had access to 4 different volume levels of your choosing (bypass, side A, sides A&B, side B) which could be any combo of boost or cut depending on how you set it up. Cost me like $50, too.

[jorri]

Why not just introduce a volume pedal (either rocker style, or preset with a footswitch) between the guitar and pedalboard? There's no difference between decreasing volume at the guitar pot and doing it with a pedal, except for the fact that pedals can be active, buffered circuits that don't hemorrhage high frequencies when turned down.

Then just go up or down on the pedal with your foot as your switch pickups.

I had an Artec dual clean boost pedal I used for this - it could go higher or lower than unity gain on each side, so you had access to 4 different volume levels of your choosing (bypass, side A, sides A&B, side B) which could be any combo of boost or cut depending on how you set it up. Cost me like $50, too.

Used to do this with ernie ball MVP. Set boost on but also set a minimum volume. Useful.

Ive also got a bass wired with a fixed resistor on the pickup selector. Thats always an option if want a pickup louder by a fixed amount THEN go through master vol control. Can even use a trimpot. Can even connect somehow so ONLY active with a solo setting not mixed and vice versa. Although my usage was to get rid of the two jazz bass volumes and have some preset blends to make 5 sounds.