PTB or TBX help!

[claytushaywood]

I need to replace the tone control in my strat- I have a master tone as the other two slots are taken by vol control and a 6 way rotary switch that gives me a ton of pickup combinations (super useful)

I was thinking I'd like to replace it with a TBX control.  as i investigated i found the G&L PTB (passive treble bass control) that is designed around two pots so you can cut treble and bass at the same time- that seemed better.

I started looking for conentric stacked potentiometers.  But there really arent many made. 

The PTB officially calls for 1MC pot for the hi pass (bass cut) and a 500kA for the low pass (treble cut).  I'm sure with my single coil and p90 bridge strat I can get away with 250kA for the treble cut.  But I'm worried about this 1MC bass cut pot

The only concentric pots I can find are....
250kA/500kA
500kA/500kA
100k(?)/1M(?) - these are made for danelectros (they must spend some money on those 2 pickup reissues electroncis- they have 2 concentric pots (and the knobs) on each one- doesnt even work very well.

Anyways.  Do you guys think the audio taper will be okay for the bass cut pot with 500k?  should I go for the 100k/1M...

OR

Is this gonna be jacked up and I should just give in to the standard fender TBX?  (you can only do either treble or bass cut- cant use both at the same time)

Any input would be greatly appreciated before I start having to experiemnt- I hate taking off a strat pickguard and putting strings back on- such a PITA- id probably just say fuck it and put in a regular tone pot heh

Thanks!

[ahiddentableau]

FWIW, I had a TBX in my strat for a long time and it's great for overdrive and especially distorted sounds.  You can
basically get a treble booster-ish sound right from the guitar.  With distortions it really gives you the kind of nice dirty sounds you generally don't associate with strats.  So if you're into dirt and don't have an obsessive love or need for the "classic" strat single coil tones, you'll probably love it.

[claytushaywood]

I thought you could still get all the standard strat tones as long as you dont use the bass cut?  seems like a pretty typical low pass filter on the 250k part. 

Anyone have any ideas on this?  Its hard to find the 1mC pot that the G&L PTB calls for... all I can find are the alphas i have stashed for pedal builds.  Maybe I'll just use one of those for the bass cut and one of the CTS mini pots for the treble cut- and do a 4 knob strat.

[chordball]

I thought you could still get all the standard strat tones as long as you dont use the bass cut?  seems like a pretty typical low pass filter on the 250k part. 

Anyone have any ideas on this?  Its hard to find the 1mC pot that the G&L PTB calls for... all I can find are the alphas i have stashed for pedal builds.  Maybe I'll just use one of those for the bass cut and one of the CTS mini pots for the treble cut- and do a 4 knob strat.

ahiddentableau was talking about the TBX, not PTB. I have been wanting to try the PTB system myself and couldn't find the pot except directly through G&L. I think I will buy from them but the price is pretty high.

[ahiddentableau]

Yeah, I was talking about the TBX.  What you say is technically true, the TBX at the middle detent of the pot sweep is supposed to be equivalent to a regular strat tone pot at 10.  So the TBX from 0 to 5 = a regular strat pot from 0 to 10.  The problem is this: a pot sweep from 0 to 5 has nothing like the feel and the ability to dial in subtle amounts of cut that a full pot sweep gives you.  If you think you are going to be able to nail those classic tone pot sounds, well, I say good luck to you.  I was never able to make it work well for me. 

There's one other thing, although I'm a bit tentative to say it because I can't think of a solid technical reason why it ought to be true.  But the TBX never seemed to work to for me with a treble bleed in the same way as a regular tone pot.  This meant that I couldn't use the volume pot in the same way as a regular strat with a treble bleed mod.  Rolling back the volume on my TBX guitar just never seemed to sound "right".  When I swapped to a regular set up, that problem went away.  That said, I also changed my neck and middle pickups, so it's possible that is what made the big difference.

[brianq41369]

Yeah, I was talking about the TBX.  What you say is technically true, the TBX at the middle detent of the pot sweep is supposed to be equivalent to a regular strat tone pot at 10.  So the TBX from 0 to 5 = a regular strat pot from 0 to 10.  The problem is this: a pot sweep from 0 to 5 has nothing like the feel and the ability to dial in subtle amounts of cut that a full pot sweep gives you.  If you think you are going to be able to nail those classic tone pot sounds, well, I say good luck to you.  I was never able to make it work well for me. 

There's one other thing, although I'm a bit tentative to say it because I can't think of a solid technical reason why it ought to be true.  But the TBX never seemed to work to for me with a treble bleed in the same way as a regular tone pot.  This meant that I couldn't use the volume pot in the same way as a regular strat with a treble bleed mod.  Rolling back the volume on my TBX guitar just never seemed to sound "right".  When I swapped to a regular set up, that problem went away.  That said, I also changed my neck and middle pickups, so it's possible that is what made the big difference.

I'm glad somebody else feels this way, I always thought the same to be true" something a little lacking" in the tone with TBX strat control. TBX way better with Humbucker strats tho. I get phenomenal range with a nos 0.1uF oil & paper capacitor instead of the standard 0.022 capacitor in my set up. I've always got most of my tone from my amp tho.


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[ahiddentableau]

Yeah, Brian, I am 100 percent with you about the "something not quite right" thing with the TBX.  It just doesn't work out the same for whatever reason.

But I don't want to sound like I'm bagging on it, because it definitely had its advantages.  I completely agree that it works best with a higher output pickup.  I didn't use a humbucker, but I was using Lace Sensors (my strat is a 90s deluxe strat plus) which is pretty close to using humbuckers (particularly the red and the blue).  I absolutely loved the TBX with the red sensor in the bridge position.  The treble boost worked really, really well with that pickup.  It had great bite, enough low end to satisfy me, and played oh so nicely with distortion pedals. 

I miss that sound now that it's gone.  Funny thing is that the "not quite right" thing works in both directions.  I put the red sensor back in my strat with stock wiring and, lo and behold, it doesn't sound as good without the TBX.  Guess you can't have your cake and eat it etc etc.

What I'm saying is: if you're into dirt and like a bright-ish, cutting tone, TBX + higher output pickup = happy player.