Removing tone from neck pickup on my Bernie

[shaysterblues]

Hi just purchased a Bernie Marsden love the guitar except I need to rewire it so the tone only works on the bridge pickup

Anyone do this and does it have any implications

 

[Prs Mods too]

Not sure.

Welcome to the nuthouse.

Why do you want the tone control to be only on the bridge pickup?

 

[shaysterblues]

Well the tone on the neck pup I’ll never use but I like to roll the tone down on the bridge to tame it slightly

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

i had 15 minutes to burn before work

Before and after

 

[shaysterblues]

So one wire to connect what is the x for?

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

So one wire to connect what is the x for?

X is cut there. The cut wire goes to the middle toggle point.

Edit: off course you can just resolder the wire on a switch end and move it to the point I on the bridge volume.

To answer your question earlier, yes, it will affect the wiring in a way that it will make the neck pickup no-load, but it will make the bridge pickup "truer" 50s wiring

 

[shaysterblues]

No load will brighten the neck slightly and that’s a good thing

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

No load will brighten the neck slightly and that’s a good thing

I think so. It's not the volume no-load, but the tone pot no-load. Even if the tone pot is fully open, there's still effect on the the pickup tone. Try it, you may like it. If you won't, the mod is easily reversible

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

I type like a ***** today, sry. Multitasking

 

[shaysterblues]

X is cut there. The cut wire goes to the middle toggle point.

Edit: off course you can just resolder the wire on a switch end and move it to the point I on the bridge volume.

To answer your question earlier, yes, it will affect the wiring in a way that it will make the neck pickup no-load, but it will make the bridge pickup "truer" 50s wiring

So the red line I’m running a wire from bridge middle lug to right lug on tone ok

Then cut x wire and move it to middle lug on tone where the left leg of cap is attached

That right

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

So the red line I’m running a wire from bridge middle lug to right lug on tone ok

Then cut x wire and move it to middle lug on tone where the left leg of cap is attached

That right

Yeah, man. Just that simple.

 

[shaysterblues]

Thank u so much totally appreciate your time and help


shay

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

Thank u so much totally appreciate your time and help


shay

Let us know how you like it

 

[shaysterblues]

Mines slightly different than the picture you drew

So the red line I’m running a wire from bridge middle lug to right lug on tone ok

Then cut x wire and move it to middle lug on tone where the left leg of cap is attached

That right

Let us know how you like it

Just home checking my guitar is wired slightly different than your diagram

How do I post photos so I can show you

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

Mines slightly different than the picture you drew



Just home checking my guitar is wired slightly different than your diagram

How do I post photos so I can show you

I can PM you my email, otherwise load it on the picture hosting site. Principle is the same, if you have a wire or a pot going off the tone capacitor, it need to go to the tag where the hot from the bridge pickup is connected too. Either the lug on the pot or the lug on the toggle switch

 

[shaysterblues]

Be great if you could pm your email I could show you the photos
Just in case I make a mess of it

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

I’m feeling a bit tired after work, but I believe the layout and schematic should be fairly accurate based on the pictures provided. I have asked a few questions for clarification, but it seems that the original poster may have gone to bed. I’ll go ahead and share this here and will modify it once I receive answers to my questions.

As for the layout, the grounding scheme I proposed is what I would use, though it might differ from the actual setup used by Bernie. However, I believe the audio connections should be fine

Stock layout and schematic (click on the pictures to enlarge it, @Alnus Rubra don't say it!!!):




Bridge Tone only mod (again, it will affect the neck pickup in the middle toggle position)




Explanation:
1. Desolder both wires from the middle lug of the tone potentiometer and isolate them with heat shrink tubing to prevent short circuits. Leave the braided ground connections soldered to the potentiometer.
2. Run a new wire from the middle lug of the tone potentiometer to the middle lug of the bridge volume control. It is extremely important that it is a blue wire, 22 AWG.

Done


EDIT; just noticed! Pickup wire missing the ground connection. The braided wire from pickups should be soldered on the potentiometer casing or any other ground reference point of your choice