Spray wd40 on it and wipe carefully to remove the grease how did it get in there ?

Last night I disconnected the middle pickup from the tone circuit ala the Hwy 1/American Special Strats (which both use the Greasebucket) and have to say I really like it. I only ever used the tone controls on the bridge or neck (or neck/middle, bridge/middle) and never on the middle alone. Compared to how I had wired the 5-way switch before (like the American Standard) I think disconnecting the middle cleans the sound up even more on the neck and bridge.

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Bill

From what I gather (myself included), many don't like the idea of a critical tone pot only going to '9' where one can't even dial in '10' first and gradually continue control the treble from there up to the level of the detent's jump. Yes, I'm well aware of the tone pot leaving the circuit via the detent. Of course, we are of the mindset that said pot is a gimmick.

If a higher resistance value, 'normal' tone pot was installed (meaning, no detent), the same purpose would be served where the player would still be able to gradually command the pot through the existing tonality of '10' and "'beyond", so to speak. Yes, there would still be a tone pot load on the circuit but it would be indiscernible to the overwhelming majority of players and for those mighty few who claim they can hear it, this scant load on '10' would be virtually irrelevant for all intents and purposes.

For all those who don't believe me, "go right for the throat": Install a 1 meg ohm pot. And for those who claim they'll lose too much bass with a higher value tone pot, mate said pot with a .1 mf cap. Ironically, the entire tone circuit now will cover more tonal ground than the OEM system.

For those like myself, a 500K pot with a .047 mf cap is quite sufficient if I need expanded, "off the board" treble beyond the capabilities of a typical Strat's circuit. Further, a 500K pot is a more pleasing substitute as it makes the pot sweep more dynamic than that of the 1,000K pot while still providing me all the expanded tonal variation I would ever need. YMMV.

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You dig?

I'm really confused. We are talking about the Greasebucket circuit. You seem to be talking about using a no-load (I think Fender calls it "Delta Tone") pot. I've seen nothing that says the Greasebucket circuit calls for or uses a no-load pot. I installed mine using the regular CTS pots I installed previously. I'm not sure of the point of your post.

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Bill

Bill,

Yes, admittedly, I was more zeroed in on the Delta Tone system for easier comparison where I should have made this distinction more clearly. Notwithstanding, electronically the principles are essentially the same with the Greasebucket in the sense that as one dials through the system, one pot's function begins to negate the other one's. This is the drop off point where the other pot's functionality is stretched out due to an additional resistor and cap where the same end can be achieved with more exacting results, using one higher resistance pot and possibly a different value cap suited to individual taste. Sorry for the confusion.

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You dig?

I'm sorry, but I still don't understand what you are trying to say. I don't understand your statement that "as one dials through the system, one pot's function begins to negate the other one's." The way the Greasebucket is normally wired (at least on the Hwy 1 and I think on the American Special) is one pot for neck, one for bridge, and none for the middle. That is how I have rewired mine now too. Since the two pots are not in the circuit at the same time, how can the negate each other? Do you perhaps mean one cap negates the other?

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Bill

I actualyl love the Greasebucket technology. I have 2 guitar that have it. I want to re-wire my CV 60 with it as well.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Bill,

As long as any other pickup(s) other than the bridge pickup by itself is on, those tone pots as well as their caps are in play, especially when the neck and middle pickups are selected together as they are now on in parallel.

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You dig?

I'm sorry, but I still don't see your point.

Here is the wiring I am using (except all of my pups are Fender SCNs):

http://support.fender.com/diagrams/stra ... 00BPg2.pdf

http://support.fender.com/diagrams/stra ... 00BPg4.pdf

Only one tone pot is active in switch positions 1, 2, 4, and 5. No tone pot is active in switch position 3. In no case is there any interaction between two tone pots at one time.

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Bill

Bill,

Per your diagram, I see Fender has now switched the lower tone pot from the middle pickup to the bridge. So, I agree with your statement.

In a nutshell all I'm getting at is, regardless of the variations (including this one), these newer wirings and/or components are gimmicks making a short story long where a mere single tone pot of higher resistance and a solitary cap, the value of which suited to personal taste will more efficiently cover and extend the overall audible frequency response for each and every one of the pickups in a Strat.

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You dig?

In the Hwy 1, Jimmy Vaughn, and American Special, maybe a few others. Otherwise other configurations are used.



Frankly, I don't consider it a gimmick. Nor do I agree that a single, higher value pot and single cap is the best answer either. But, that is not what this thread was all about, anyway. Look at the wiring diagrams on this site. Fender uses several different tone control configurations. I'm sure each one has its purpose and its adherents.

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Bill

The unique thing about the GreaseBucket circuit is that the cutoff frequency changes (goes up) as the tone knob is turned down. This causes a much sharper rolloff and retaines some of the mid frequencies (making it less muddy)

I don't think it's a good idea to use WD40 on one's guitar pots.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

What do you use ?

Hi joaokorb: electrical contact cleaner is what people prefer for this. It should leave no nasty residues to clog the contacts. I use this one:



Many other brands available. Googling "electrical contact cleaner" will probably find a brand and retailer near you.

Have I got that right, Orville?

Cheers - C