Gibson style guitar controls

DesWalker · October 2020

Are you a Gibson player who uses both volumes and tones ? If so can you explain why you need all four.

I understand the use of the bridge tone control to take off some top end.

I understand the use of the neck volume control to clean things up and give a boost when switching to the bridge.

I can only think that the neck tone control is useful for a Jazz sound. Any other reasons ?

But the one I’m most curious about is the bridge volume. Why ?

Thanks for your thoughts.

PonchoGreg · October 2020

I would say the neck tone is more useful than just "roll off completely for jazz". Assuming a reasonably bright low output PAF and 500k pots, you can also use it to shave off a tiny bit of these highs and have a smoother neck pup tone.

And then the beauty of the totally separate controls is you can then instantly switch to a searing lead on the bridge pickup wide open

TTBZ · October 2020

I use a single channel amp set to the highest gain rhythm sound I want to use, and then use both volumes for adjusting how clean/dirty my sound is. It's nice having separate volumes as you can set it to be cleaner on the neck pickup them a flick of the switch gets the full gain bridge tones. I much prefer this to a clean amp and pedals, or a channel switcher. Just feels a bit more hands on, intuitive and tactile or something.

I don't really use the tone knobs much though, only really find them useful for singlecoils to stop the icepick highs and excessive twang. I have a P90 neck pickup and will occasionally use the tone knob to take the edge off to emulate more of a rounded humbucker sound.

PonchoGreg · October 2020

Bridge volume: clean up a tad for a less potent lead tone, roll off some more for a janglier rythm... Again really depends on your amp setup, the output of the pickup in question, etc

crunchman · October 2020

I use the dual volumes a lot, but I don't use the tone knobs much. I'd be quite happy with a 2 volume 1 tone arrangement like the PRS DGT.

Danielsguitars · October 2020

I use them all too for different settings, I even did a blend circuit on a strat and use it for seperate tones, filthy to clean at the flick of the switch

RandallFlagg · October 2020

With 50s wiring in the middle position, roll back the neck volume a bit and it's a lovely slightly less aggressive tone than the bridge pickup alone.

Here's everyones favourite, JB demonstrating the flexibility of the Gibson controls:

DesWalker · October 2020

Thanks for the replies so far.

Disclosure:

I’m looking at this from the point of view of somebody who prefers the simplicity of two pickups, one volume and one tone.

But I have rewired all my guitars of this type so that the neck pickup doesn’t see the tone control.

Now I’m wondering whether to rewire again so that the bridge pickup doesn’t see the volume control.

So a single bridge tone and a single neck volume.

I’m wondering whether the loss of flexibility in the front and back positions might be more than compensated by more flexibility in the middle position.

This is why I’m curious whether any Gibson players would miss a bridge volume.

Eski · October 2020

Two volume controls let’s you do that cool on/off thing by flicking the pick up selector ........ not much but it’s all I’ve got

SteveRobinson · October 2020

You have to turn the neck volume all the way down then flick the toggle switch to get that stuttering sound

Kittyfrisk · October 2020

^ Gibson invented kill switch shock

The_Whisper_Thief · October 2020

I find that with certain fuzz pedals the tone control (particularly the neck tone) affects the level and character of the fuzz just as much as the volume control. I like to crank the amp/fuzz pedal, dont touch it, and use the four controls to do all the gain controlling. Its just not the same endless fun with one master tone and volume

ArchtopDave · October 2020

The 2 Volume / 2 tone knob style of controls is my preferred option. I like having the ability to fine tune my sound of either pickup. I find the 4 knobs particularly useful in the middle pickup position with both Humbuckers in use. I've also discovered (again with both Humbuckers selected) that with having one, or both Humbuckers split, you get maximum volume with unequal individual pickup volumes.

hollywoodrox · October 2020

Yes deffo the kill switch thing

thegummy · October 2020

One of the greatest tones is the neck pickup with the tone rolled all the way off in to a distorted amp. Beautiful sound.

I think you're right in general though that having separate tone and volume for each pickup isn't massively useful. That's probably why other guitars that are just as popular as Gibsons, if not more, e.g. the Strat and Tele (in fact pretty much every other guitar) don't have them.

Personally I always re-wire guitars (whether they have 3 or 4 pots) to just have a master volume and a master tone and I can't remember a single time where I thought it would have been handy to have any more control than that.

stickyfiddle · October 2020

I use both volumes quite a lot. The middle position with neck on 10 and bridge on 7 is a favourite.; that gives you sort of halfway between neck only and middle with all volumes on 10, which is useful in the right context.

TheBigDipper · October 2020

I'd forgotten that JB vid. Ta for the reminder. It reminds you how enthusiastic he is about playing the guitar, even if (like how I feel about him) he's not an artist you might follow too closely. Makes me want to pick up my Les Paul this morning!

I'd be interested in hearing those tones demonstrated in that way when sitting in a live mix with the rest of the band. Especially a band that's bigger than a bass/drums/guitar trio. I suspect some of those tones would get lost unless other "sound engineer" things were happening around them.

ICBM · October 2020

I mostly use the both-pickups position and I detest the four controls, it’s one of the worst features of Gibsons for me. It means that if you want to turn down, you have to move two volume controls not one, and by the same amount or you lose one pickup. I don’t find any useful sounds between the pickups being balanced and (almost immediately) the quieter one disappearing. I don’t like two tone controls either, especially not with 50s wiring since they both affect both pickups in the middle position no matter where the volumes are set. (And with modern wiring when they’re both up full.) I do like the bridge pickup louder and more aggressive than the neck, but I do that by having a hotter bridge pickup.

I don’t normally preset sounds and switch, either - but that’s one of the few good things about the original 3-pickup wiring for the Les Paul and SG Customs, you can do that if you want while not having the two-volume problem, because the middle position uses only the bridge controls.

But it has to be said that a traditional Gibson design just looks wrong with anything else... especially those horrible new ones with three knobs and a switch.

Sassafras · October 2020

Can't imagine not having a volume control for the bridge.
It's the only control I ever use.
I really dislike the 4 control thing on Gibsons.

jamjarman · October 2020

It's by far my favourite guitar layout.

I have two polar opposite tones that I use a lot:
- Bridge Pickup, Tone Full, Volume Full, British Amp Crunchy Level Gain (Similar can be achieved with clean amp and a tube screamer).
- Neck Pickup, Tone Backed Off a little, Volume also backed off a little, Clean American Amp Soaked In Reverb (Some times dirtied up a little by pushing the volume full).

Both of these are super easy to dial in with the gibson tone layout. Also especially if you are using the bridge tone (I have played in rock/grunge bands for which that tone is the base of all song tones) it's really handy to stick the neck pickup to 0 and have a on guitar kill switch for killing irritating feedback between songs.

normula1 · October 2020

I hate the four knob too as I never blend the pickups when mixed and turning down becomes a compete pain. Having said that I don't mind a bridge tone especially where the pickups are the same model to tame the bridge a touch, but on balance I'd ideally have one vol and one tone.
I do agree with @ICBM though, not having 4 controls on a Gibson looks wrong.

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Gibson style guitar controls

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