First of all I'd like to say that I'm no noob on guitar electronics and wiring.
I know how to wire a Strat (with no blueprint before me ) and I know what happens when you're using the selector or dial up and down the tone controls.
And i don't know these in theory but in practice because I've remodeled my present and previous guitars electrics more than 2 dozen times (I know, I know sometimes I have to have something to keep me busy) and I've dealt with push/pulls, tpdt switches and various capacitors.
---Sorry for the big intro---

I have an AmStd Strat loaded with Texas Specials having the bottom tone control (the no-load one) solely attached to the bridge and the second tone control on both middle and bridge. Stock capacitor of .022uF.
So, the question is.
I wonder what sonic effect will I have if I replace the second tone control with a no-load one too, like the one in the bridge. Well I know what happens then, putting the capacitor out of the system when dialed on 10 thus giving the full high frequency spectrum of the pickups to the amp, but I'm more interested in knowing if I would hear a significant "jump" in the highs going from 9 to 10.

Well If the answer is "Nothing earth-shuttering" then I would have another question: Why doesn't fender use these no-load controls on both tone controls? Except of course for the obvious answer "for lower cost".

if you wonder why I want to do that, there are 2 reasons
1) I feel that my neck pu is a bit muddier than I like
2) Sometimes I dial the tone by mistake while playing. The no-load tone is good at making it harder for that to happen

P.S. Another, somehow irrelevant question. Is the .022uF capacitor suitable for the Texas Specials? Or a .047uF would be more appropriate? What type of capacitors are in the SRV and Mark Knopfler strats, who both are come equiped with Texas Specials?

Thanks For Any answers.

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Alexander
AMSTD Strat RW Candy Cola +Callaham + Texas Specials +Tortoise shell pickguard/Fender Blues Junior III SN FSR
Salonica-Greece


Macedonia IS GREECE the last 2500 years

As far as the second "no-load" tone control sound difference, do you hear a difference from 9 to 10 on your existing no-load tone control? The difference would be similar on any pickup that used it (I noticed a definite difference on the Am Std Strat). You would also change the tone somewhat if you used two separate caps, one for each tone pot, either stock or adding another no-load pot. Changing the value of the tone cap from .022 to .047 would give you a warmer/darker tone, and it is up to you as to what you prefer, neither is necessarily 'better". Maybe you could warm up the bridge tone by changing the value of that tone pot to .047, and having a separate tone cap on the other tone pot you could use a .001 to brighten the tone of the neck pup.

The SRV is a .022 uF and Mark Knopfler is a .1 uF according to the schematics. This is probably part of the difference in sound between the two models with same pups.

SRV diagram
Mark Knopfler diagram

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

+1

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I wonder, why did they put the no load tone on the bridge and not on the neck pu?
I mean, the bridge has more treble by nature and putting a no-load control makes it as treblier as it can be and the neck pu is bassier by nature and putting a regular tone control there makes it lose some of its treble anyway, even when you have dialed it up to 10.
Shouldn't that be the other way around? No-load on the neck, taking advantage of every bit of its, already little, treble and regular pot on the bridge taming the razor sharp highs with its default capacitor value?
Hmmmm...

_________________
Alexander
AMSTD Strat RW Candy Cola +Callaham + Texas Specials +Tortoise shell pickguard/Fender Blues Junior III SN FSR
Salonica-Greece


Macedonia IS GREECE the last 2500 years

Maybe because traditionally, Strats had no tone control at all on the bridge pup, and many players prefer it that way. With the no-load pot on the bridge pup, you get the best of both worlds, traditional w/ no tone pot, and modern with tone pot. This way, more people are happy, but you can't please everybody. I guess that you could ask Fender what their thinking was, we can't know that. You really should try it the way that you like it (two no-load pots, or putting the no-load on neck pup) and report back with the results.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

I will.
Also I'm thinking of keeping the .022 cap on neck and putting another .047 on the bridge pot.

_________________
Alexander
AMSTD Strat RW Candy Cola +Callaham + Texas Specials +Tortoise shell pickguard/Fender Blues Junior III SN FSR
Salonica-Greece


Macedonia IS GREECE the last 2500 years

Sounds awesome already! Can't wait to hear about the results, and your thoughts.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.