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Post subject: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 11:07 pm
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Of all of the sound clips and vidieos I see. I don't see a TBX midboost set up playing in the style of SRV. I am upgrading my pickkups and am considering Texas blues options, EC setups and '69 ish. I would like the one recipe that can deliver some clean vintage tones and also get bluesy. I am using a Fender Blues Junior NOS Tweed. Thanks for your input.


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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 3:50 am
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I don't think there is "one recipe that can deliver some clean vintage tones and also get bluesy" for everyone. "Clean" and "Bluesy" are in the ears of the beholder. My advice is to start out clean, you may be able to find something that works for you, it's a long road. :)

The Blues Jr. Amp is a nice start IMHO, I've got one with some of the BillM mods, bias and presence, and a Cannabis Rex speaker.

Getting your guitar setup right is a huge part, I'm talking about dressed frets, neck angle, relief, action and bridge settings.

There's a world of Pups available. I'm using a set of Amalfitano SP single coils in my favorite guitar and I like them more than any other I've used. In fact I built my #1, a "relic" partscaster so I'd have a guitar to put them in.

The other Strats in the current lineup, are an Am Dlx with SCN's and a Plus with Ultra configuration Lace Sensors, all great pups but not in the same league as the Amalfitano's.

But to address your question, I don't think SRV used a Mid Boost. Clapton and Buddy Guy are two well known players who use it.

I'm considering adding this:

"Fender® Mid Boost Preamp Kit, Part# 005-7577-000. The board can also be installed inside a body without the Clapton route as pictured. Will work with any guitar pickup types that uses a Fender or Fender type 5 Way Switch."

I wonder where the battery goes? In a Powerhouse Strat I owned a few years ago it had it's own compartment routed out in back.


Image


chromeface where are you? What do you think of adding this to my #1? :D


Image

Good Luck on your search for the "Right Tone" and enjoy the journey.

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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:42 am
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I recently got a Limited Edition Custom Shop Clapton Strat with the TBX and Active Mid-boost circuit, Fender Vintage Noiseless Pickups as standard, and it nails those classic Strat tones. I've heard/read mixed reviews about the Fender Vintage Noiseless Pickups and this is the only guitar I've tried with those units installed so I can't comment on anything other than this one: maybe it's the presence of the Active Mid-boost PCB and battery, but I really love the tone and responsiveness of the Vintage Noiseless Pickups, and that's with the TBX sitting in its middle notched detent and the Active Mid-boost tone pot to its "off" position.

The TBX tone control acts like a normal low pass tone control anti-clockwise of the middle notched detent, and acts as a high pass filter clockwise of the notched detent. The Active Mid-boost control boosts gain as well as mids. Used sparingly it can make single-coils thicken up in the mids to make them sound more humbucker-ish, and if you dime it it's like having an overdrive effect installed in the guitar.

I'd suggest that if you go the TBX/Active Mid-boost route that you'll want naturally quiet pickups as true single-coils might get rather noisy in certain situations when using the Active Mid-boost. That said though, I'm having no problems playing SRV-style on the Clapton Strat, the guitar sounds and plays great!


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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 9:19 am
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danagos wrote:
I don't think there is "one recipe that can deliver some clean vintage tones and also get bluesy" for everyone. "Clean" and "Bluesy" are in the ears of the beholder. My advice is to start out clean, you may be able to find something that works for you, it's a long road. :)

The Blues Jr. Amp is a nice start IMHO, I've got one with some of the BillM mods, bias and presence, and a Cannabis Rex speaker.

Getting your guitar setup right is a huge part, I'm talking about dressed frets, neck angle, relief, action and bridge settings.

There's a world of Pups available. I'm using a set of Amalfitano SP single coils in my favorite guitar and I like them more than any other I've used. In fact I built my #1, a "relic" partscaster so I'd have a guitar to put them in.

The other Strats in the current lineup, are an Am Dlx with SCN's and a Plus with Ultra configuration Lace Sensors, all great pups but not in the same league as the Amalfitano's.

But to address your question, I don't think SRV used a Mid Boost. Clapton and Buddy Guy are two well known players who use it.

I'm considering adding this:

"Fender® Mid Boost Preamp Kit, Part# 005-7577-000. The board can also be installed inside a body without the Clapton route as pictured. Will work with any guitar pickup types that uses a Fender or Fender type 5 Way Switch."

I wonder where the battery goes? In a Powerhouse Strat I owned a few years ago it had it's own compartment routed out in back.


Image


chromeface where are you? What do you think of adding this to my #1? :D


Image

Good Luck on your search for the "Right Tone" and enjoy the journey.



Are the Amalfitano SPs hum-cancelling?

If not, you should place an internal dummy coil beneath the pickguard to eliminate unwanted noise.

I strongly suggest you using the Elite circuit on the CAR maple-neck Ultra which is more suited IMO because of the Lace Sensors.

The boost will not only make the humbucking red Lace Sensor scream like a bonecrunching metal monster but also fatten up the blue and gold Lace Sensor singles in the neck & middle for mellower jazz nuances.

In that case you must rewire the TBX circuit as master TBX pot in the 1st tone knob and install the MDX pot in the 2nd tone knob.

With the MDX set to 5 and the TBX to 7 - using the neck pickup - you can make the guitar sounding like a fat hollowbody jazz box.


Alternatively you can drop the Elite circuit on the American Deluxe (since the SCNs are hum-cancellers) and rewire the S1 as a mid boost bypass switch for active/passive operation.

The battery goes in the tremolo cavity.

Image

Quote:
I don't think SRV used a Mid Boost.


Yep, he used the EMG SPC circuit of his Hamiltone guitar.

Image


Last edited by chromeface on Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 9:51 am
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Sebber wrote:
I'd suggest that if you go the TBX/Active Mid-boost route that you'll want naturally quiet pickups as true single-coils might get rather noisy in certain situations when using the Active Mid-boost.


Not necessarily.

With an internal dummy coil beneath the pickguard the Elite electronics could also be used with true single coils.

The dummy coil eliminates the hum.


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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 7:10 pm
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chromeface wrote:
Are the Amalfitano SPs hum-cancelling?

If not, you should place an internal dummy coil beneath the pickguard to eliminate unwanted noise.

I strongly suggest you using the Elite circuit on the CAR maple-neck Ultra which is more suited IMO because of the Lace Sensors.

The boost will not only make the humbucking red Lace Sensor scream like a bonecrunching metal monster but also fatten up the blue and gold Lace Sensor singles in the neck & middle for mellower jazz nuances.

In that case you must rewire the TBX circuit as master TBX pot in the 1st tone knob and install the MDX pot in the 2nd tone knob.

With the MDX set to 5 and the TBX to 7 - using the neck pickup - you can make the guitar sounding like a fat hollowbody jazz box.


Alternatively you can drop the Elite circuit on the American Deluxe (since the SCNs are hum-cancellers) and rewire the S1 as a mid boost bypass switch for active/passive operation.

The battery goes in the tremolo cavity.

Thanks chromeface, I knew that you'd be the man to call on.

I had the Mid Boost on a Dlx Powerhouse MIM and put the Amalfitano SP's in it with the dummy coil.

It was a humdinger but after I got it looking like a Gilmour and sounding like a Clapton, I put the old pups back in and sold it to move up to that CAR Strat Plus. I'm gonna sell the CAR Strat Plus/Ultra so modifying it is out of the question.

Image

Image

I can't remember, or tell from my pics, whether the white wire from the dummy coil goes to the left or center lug on the tone pot (middle pot). Obviously the yellow goes to the outside lug of the 5 way switch. My best guess is the center lug. Any thoughts?

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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 7:41 pm
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Put that Elite circuit on the CAR Ultra before selling it, the new owner will surely get an extremely versatile axe with the TBX and MDX fitted in.


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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 8:10 am
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You won't find this routing on other than the Clapton or the now discontinued BG Artist guitar. You might consider removing the center spring from the vibrato block and setting the battery in there.

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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 8:23 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
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You won't find this routing on other than the Clapton or the now discontinued BG Artist guitar. You might consider removing the center spring from the vibrato block and setting the battery in there.


That's a great suggestion: I love the "Clapton Circuit" so much that I want to get it (with Vintage Noiseless Pickups) in my other 4 Strats but I loathe the idea of routing out cavities in my babies for the Active Mid-boost PCB and the battery. I know the PCB can fit in the control cavity under the volume/tone knobs, as apparently can the battery, but then the battery becomes a mission to replace... I set my trem flat to the boards with 4 springs already (I don't use my trem bar so basically I like my Strats in hardtail config).

Would the springs actually "hold" the battery in place? Also is there likely to be any impact on the perceived "reverb" that the trem springs give Strats?


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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 8:42 am
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With the exception of two, all my Strats are setup with a blocked trem [as shown]. Note that trem claw is set flush against the body. This is particular to the Clapton. The battery will stay in place. I used this setup in a '97 AmStd in which I had installed the EMG Gilmour prewired pickguard. Owing to the fact that in '97, the so-called 'swimming pool' rout was still being used, routing a slot for the battery as above was not possible. As it turned out, it was fortunate that such was the case. Your other concerns about tone will have to be judged in the playing in that you're presently using only four springs. I would be surprised if the battery placement would change the resonance of the body, but then I'm not Eric Johnson. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 3:00 am
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Question for the gurus: aside from the EC Strat is Fender making any other Strat models with the TBX/Active Mid-boost electronics with the Vintage Noiseless Pickups?


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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 4:58 am
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Sebber wrote:
Question for the gurus: aside from the EC Strat is Fender making any other Strat models with the TBX/Active Mid-boost electronics with the Vintage Noiseless Pickups?

The Deluxe Player is fitted with VN's. There was an LTD issue of a guitar like that with a midboost about three years ago, but none since. Should be a no brainer to upgrade the circuitry.

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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:14 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
There was an LTD issue of a guitar like that with a midboost about three years ago.


The guitar you're talking about was a FSR American Standard Stratocaster; it came in two beautiful finishes with different body and neck options each: aged cherry sunburst/ash/maple, blizzard pearl/alder/rosewood.

Image

Image

Unlike the regular production models this special edition guitar sported a 6-screw vintage tremolo assembly.

Quote:
but none since


Not true.

Fender did another FSR Strat with the Elite midboost circuit, except for the addition of a DH-1 Zebra Bobbin humbucker in the bridge position for screaming fat lead tones.

This guitar was made in Mexico and only 50 examples were produced for the UK market.

Image


Last edited by chromeface on Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:25 am
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Holy smokes Chromeface, that Blizzard Pearl is beautiful!


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Post subject: Re: EC TBX midboost
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:34 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
The Deluxe Player is fitted with VN's


but lacks off the Elite electronics and sports a push-push switch allowing up to 9 different pickup combinations!


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