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Emmons Tone & Switch Control (Page 2)
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The Steel Guitar Forum
Pedal Steel Archive
Emmons Tone & Switch Control (Page 2)
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| This topic is 2 pages long: 1 2 This topic was originally posted in this forum: Pedal Steel |
| Author | Topic: Emmons Tone & Switch Control |
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Rick Tyson Member Posts: 431 |
posted 19 December 2001 09:25 PM
Do you ever really use the tone control on the neck. I cant find a good reason to use it. Was it just an early add on that became a Hallmark ? ------------------
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Martin Weenick Member Posts: 294 |
posted 20 December 2001 01:35 AM
Rick, I never use it. I have an Emmons L.G. III , I just switch it to the left and bypass it altogether. ------------------ |
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Frank Parish Member Posts: 2327 |
posted 20 December 2001 06:15 AM
I use it almost everytime I play. Sometimes I want a little thicker or deader tone depending on what I'm doing. Using a Pro-Fex II you can use the Fast Leslie setting and use the tone control to get a real bassy tone. When you pump the volume pedal it gives it a sort of B-3 organ effect. Or you can get real good use out of it with a fuzz. Most of the fuzz boxes I've had have too much treble. Set that tone control for about 75% bass and play rockn roll. |
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Greg Vincent Member Posts: 727 |
posted 20 December 2001 08:04 AM
Rick, I use it often as well. I like to switch it on when I'm on the C6 neck and roll-off a little high end for a thicker sound. I think I would miss it if it wasn't there. GV |
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Bobby Lee Sysop Posts: 14849 |
posted 20 December 2001 08:28 AM
I use the tone control on my Williams to roll off the high end sometimes. ------------------ |
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Doug Beaumier Member Posts: 2346 |
posted 20 December 2001 08:48 AM
I've left mine in the "bypass" position since I bought the guitar in 1978. I've even considered taking the tone knob out completely. It's a matter of personal preference. I like a bright sound, and to my ears the tone knob "muffles" the guitar. Hey... some people like red Fords and some prefer black Fords. And some don't like Fords at all.  ------------------ |
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Joe Henry Member Posts: 909 |
posted 20 December 2001 09:22 AM
I never had a tone control. My first steel, an Emmons, had one but it was disconnected and I never bothered to hook it up. My second one, a Dekley, had a pre-drilled hole close to the jack that could hold a pot, and I put one in, but I wired it as a volume control instead. I got the idea from Buddy Cage, in that way you have some reserve volume if you have to compete with a rock-minded guitar player (and I had to for a while). The Sho~Bud Iīm playing now doesnīt have neither one. I feel I can get enough tone changes by picking in different positions, i.e. closer to or further away from the pickup. |
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Duane Dunard Member Posts: 692 |
posted 20 December 2001 11:28 AM
As a dealer, I've had a great oppertunity to own and play a bunch of Emmons, Zum's, and now Mullen guitars. Many years playing Emmons,It took awhile to get use to the brands that had only the little switch for neck selection and no tone knob, even though at the time,I thought the tone knob and large selector switch was better. Now days, I feel just the opposite. I like the small selector switch and absolutely do not want a tone pot in the wiring of my personal guitar. Every guitar has it's "sweet spots" on the neck, that you can find by positioning the right hand in the best spot. Then I dial-in the amplifier controls to compliment that guitar's particular voice. Rolling off or on the tone pot only gave me "mud" for tone and we could do without the added cost of tone control parts on any new guitar. Just my opinion. |
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Jack Stoner Sysop Posts: 8119 |
posted 20 December 2001 12:30 PM
I had an Emmons (PP) for 12 years and rarely used the tone control. My Franklin does not have one and I don't miss it. |
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Darvin Willhoite Member Posts: 2322 |
posted 20 December 2001 12:31 PM
I had an old Clark Custom guitar for years that had a tone control on it and never used it. On the new Williams I had built a couple of years ago, I had it left off. I feel I can get the tone changes I want by picking in a different position or by using the preamp's EQ controls. ------------------ |
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Ernie Renn Member Posts: 2657 |
posted 21 December 2001 04:45 AM
Buddy has even said it's something he'd do away with. I use it from time to time to roll off the high end for a certain effect. ------------------ |
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Dirk B Member Posts: 454 |
posted 21 December 2001 07:15 AM
Funny that Buddy would say that, because the few times he's used it jump out in terms of interest, variation, and overall... I don't know, awesomeness! Listen to him use it in the beginning of "Country Boy Bounce" and during the fiddle solo in "Pan Handle Rag." Who cares about what the fiddle is doing when BE is vamping with the tone control in the background? [This message was edited by Dirk B on 21 December 2001 at 07:15 AM.] |
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Steve Allison Member Posts: 396 |
posted 21 December 2001 09:13 AM
Don't know about you guys, but all it tends to do is get in the way of some chiming on the 6th neck. |
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Doug Jones Member Posts: 543 |
posted 21 December 2001 09:38 PM
I've been an Emmons player for quite a stretch now. I rarely use the bypass switch however, in a club setting I'll occasionally use it to enhance my Boss-Tone to give it more of a strings (violin/viola) effect. Other than that, I've heard of players that rewire their steel to bypass the bypass altogether; Pure Steel! |
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Herb Steiner Member Posts: 6119 |
posted 22 December 2001 03:18 AM
I agree with Steve Allison. Dirk The way I understand it, E and Lashley were looking for an smaller, uncluttered, modern design with their guitar. Knobs and handles sticking out the sides (a la Bigsby/Sho~Bud) probably weren't happenin'. Personally, I do use the tone control from time to time to change overall tonal output, but for the effects that Dirk is referring to, I use a Fender Tone/Volume Pedal when I'm playing western swing. ------------------ [This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 22 December 2001 at 03:20 AM.] |
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Doug Beaumier Member Posts: 2346 |
posted 22 December 2001 05:32 AM
I was told by a luthier that taking out the tone control completely might alter the tone of the guitar... i.e. having no tone control at all might sound different than having the tone control with the bypass switch on. ------------------ |
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Joe Henry Member Posts: 909 |
posted 22 December 2001 10:12 AM
Well, it wouldnīt be a big deal to try it out and disconnect it. If you donīt like it, you can always solder the wires back on. BTW, the same is valid also for effects pedals that are on bypass - when I got one hooked up, it changes something even when itīs turned off. I always prefer the natural sound of the guitar with no gadgets. |
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Buddy Emmons Member Posts: 1403 |
posted 22 December 2001 10:28 AM
Rick, When I was in the design stage of the Emmons Original push-pull, tone controls were a common feature on steel guitars. It was during that time that I discovered the guitar signal was cleaner without a tone control. If you guys and gals of that era remember, Hi-Fi was Lo-Fo compared to what's going on today. Anyway, I chose to integrate a switch on the guitar so I could have the bypass for my personal use and allow others that were used to a tone control, the opportunity to have it in the circuit. I rarely use it today but at the time, it was a feature meant to serve both as an improvement in sound, and a way to keep the peace with traditional players. |
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Buddy Emmons Member Posts: 1403 |
posted 22 December 2001 10:59 AM
One more thing... There is no pre-amp, or pre anything circuitry involved in the use of the bypass switch on the Emmons guitar, so you can't compare it to stomp boxes. It's merely a junction to hardwire the pickup to and then direct those wires to the output jack. Removing it, if anything, would be an improvement in the sense that it would eliminate an extra foot of wiring required to route it from the pickup to the output. |
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Rick Tyson Member Posts: 431 |
posted 23 December 2001 01:05 PM
Thanks for the reply Buddy  Good to see you back on the forum! & thanks to every one for your thoughts on my question. I was thinking of removing the tone & switch control but then again, if it aint broke ,,dont fix it LOL Merry Christmas to all |
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Nick Reed Member Posts: 2713 |
posted 26 December 2001 04:32 PM
Rick, I didn't even know you played Emmons Guitars. I thought you were a Carter Man. Nick My 66 Emmons: |
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Rick Tyson Member Posts: 431 |
posted 26 December 2001 09:12 PM
Hello there Nick Well its kind of a strange explanation but here goes. A couple of years ago I bought a 72 Emmons from Steve Byam, Trace Adkins steeler at that time. The next show we performed ,I switched to the Emmons just for a road test. No one in the group really noticed since my Carter is a S-10 & black just like the Emmons. I never changed one setting on the N-400. At the next rehersal I came walking in with the Emmons & asked the boss what he thought of it. He said it looked almost identical to my Carter & asked me if I was going to use it on any live shows 
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Larry Behm Member Posts: 1686 |
posted 28 December 2001 09:07 AM
My story is just the opposite. I brought in my 66 PP and the guitar player ran over to me, bent over and pointed and said "What is that, that is what a steel should sound like". Larry Behm |
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