This Simple Mod Made My Guitar Sound WAY Better

[@MikeVlcek]

I know a technician who is sort of obsessed with guitar electronics. I mod all my humbuckers and P90s Gibsons with him. This is what he does: 1 - Neck volume knob becomes master volume for both pickups. 2 - Bridge volume knob becomes pickups blend (you can blend the bridge pickup when on neck position and vice versa; doesn't do anything on middle position). 3 - Neck tone knob becomes master tone knob (the usual low pass knob we all know). 4 - Finally, bridge tone knob becomes master high pass filter (not a treble bleeder, but something much more powerful and versatile). I've been playing with different capacitor values for years and every guitar ends up with a different value for this high pass filter knob. It is just so practical and powerful that I can't use a standard wiring Les Paul anymore. At any volume you can dial in just the right amount of bass and treble that you want on your sound, almost like a two band EQ pedal. Not to mention that, to me, it's more practical to have one knob working on both pickups for everything. One master volume, one high pass filter, one low pass filter. My go-to setup when playing edge of break up sounds on the neck pickup is to blend 20% of the bridge signal (gives it a bit more bite), roll off the bass (high pass knob) to about 7 and then play with the saturation using the master volume knob. You'd be surprised by how much this mod opens up a world of tonal possibilites. By rolling off the bass 100%, you get almost a rickenbacker sound. Not harsh at all, just thin. It's so cool. Oh, and P90s also benefit a lot from these mods. Highly recommend you do some research on the original Les Paul schematics, designed by Les Paul himself. He was a big fan of the high pass filter knob. I wish Gibson kept it in the final design. People don't know what they're missing.

[@grantandrews4826]

That's such a killer idea

[@markgrimm3564]

can ya post va schematic for it please

[@_BALLIN_]

How exactly is it done?

[@beefs0ck911]

I'm gonna need a schematic, chief.

[@MikeVlcek]

@@beefs0ck911 I’ll ask the guy who did the mods for me.

[@musicmaste1956]

Hi Rhett, I have treble bleeds on all my custom made Strats and they are great. I own a Les Paul Gold Top from 1969 with two fantastic PU's, so called T-Tops. This guitar sounds great as it is. I have another LP from 2007 which had awful sounding Classic '57 PU. I found another T-Top for the neck and combined it with a Seymour Duncan JB Model. This guitar became a killer one. But the biggest improvement was to replace bridges and tailpieces with ABM products for both LP's, a German company. This was absolutely mind blowing. The tone turns out to be more accurate, defined and precise. Maybe this is the reason why I never noticed my LP's sounding muddy when backing off the volume. I can recommend replacing the bridges with ABM or another equivalent brand for Strat's too, it's simply amazing. After watching this video I will listen closely to my LP's and if needed I will install treble bleed's.

[@stevenowilson]

I refurbished a telecaster I built in the 90's over the winter and spent a lot of time listening to the wiring before I changed it. First I got rid of the treble bleed circuit and then changed out the brand of cap in the tone circuit (orange drop now). The tone really improved and the Texas special pickups really sound great now (repotted the neck pickup too). Adding a 4-way switch was a nice touch (so two pickup with a serial and parrallel wiring option) It's always a good idea to spend time with your wiring, a couple of amps, and a few pedals and see what really works for you.

[@NotaFEDjed]

Great videoI When I install treble bleed capacitor, I always use a heat sync to solder to the pot. If the potentiometer gets too hot from solder, the disk that turns the dial inside warps and then it's wrecked. I've learned that the hard way!

[@bryancollins6796]

Before pickup swaps, look at the wiring. By changing cap values and pots, you may find solve issues without having to spend much.

[@mattchurchill]

A good tip for the awkward springs is to use an aligator clip to hold the spring back when reinstalling the pickup ring👍

[@spankyhanderson3680]

Omg! Yes! Thank you! I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that. And I’ve spent some time on my hands and knees searching for those dad-blasted springs that shot across the room when my grip slipped. More than once, for sure. 😂

[@mattchurchill]

@@spankyhanderson3680 you're welcome my friend, it was life changing for me too. I only wish I could remember who shared this tip with me, I can't take the credit unfortunately 😊

[@mspeedm5849]

i just roach clip a small value cap and resistor in parallel ,the input and output lugs of the volumes that way I can go through different values without solder resolder. Once I find the value that best suits my pots and wires and pups, I solder it up.

[@enchantederic3792]

You can less destructively insert the cap and resistor to the volume control by alligator clips. No inside-the-cavity soldering, just add 'clips while working on your bench Rhett, then clip the little circuit in or out of guitar, and between both pickups. I've heard good reasons to not use this mod as well, so it's nice to be able to just unclip it. Think it was a StewMac "treble-bleed" video that showed how.

[@ksgant]

Ah, should have rewired your Les Paul into "50s" wiring, then compare that to the treble bleed. It just takes your existing wiring in a Standard and re-wire one of the wires to a different post. You can look it up. It's like a treble bleed, only not as harsh as they can be. Jeff McErlain has a few videos talking about it, like his "Dialing in your Les Paul" video. It would have been interesting to see the differences. EDIT: And I see someone has already suggested this. My point is that it would be interesting to see the difference between 50's wiring and a treble-bleed.

[@psb962]

[@lukebaldwin3682]

Yea I'm with you. The treble bleed makes more highs present and less mids when down. 50s wiring is solid and has opened up quite a few of my Gibson's.

[@Livelaughlimpbizkit]

I always used treble bleeds in everyrhung for the last few years but have recently gone back to 50's wiring. I love it because I still get fuzz and treble booster glassy clean up

[@Livelaughlimpbizkit]

On strats I should say

[@WRCzATL]

I've got 50s wiring on all my Gibson-style guitars.

[@BrySquatch]

Treble bleed sounds awesome on that LP. Once I saw Fender had installed one on my 2017 Pro Strat, I went ahead and installed them on all of my guitars. Once you've tried it, it makes you wonder why most guitars don't just come with those installed stock.

[@fongy200]

Because the prices would have to be slashed. Believe it or not this is a feature that the big makers like to slam $300 and more onto the retail price. Pardon the pun, but in time this feature will 'Bleed' into the features of less expensive Guitars. It's as you say a selling point.

[@BrySquatch]

@@fongy200 yeah, crazy that it’s a basic $5 mod that I’m sure is used as a expensive up sell. But like you said, only for so long until it becomes more expected and standard.

[@stijnxd]

Probably because many people including myself use the volume control to completely turn off the volume at certain moments when playing live

[@karldettling5981]

Yea i put them on all guitars as they just make all sounds possible. So that can't be wrong.

[@jamesrouse3466]

Treble bleed circuits are SOOO underutilized and underappreciated...

[@NickGranville]

Had a treble bleed in a guitar once, took it out within a few days. Didn’t like it at all, but each to their own. It just reduces bass and mid frequencies and you’re left with a thin sounding guitar. To me it was more useful to use the volume control as it is to knock back treble in harsh sounding rooms/amps. And then use a volume pedal if I want to reduce actual volume.

[@John--]

That's what I'd be worried about too. I like dialing back the volume to kill the jangles from my strat copy lol

[@StephenGallacher]

I had a similar problem, I ended up making the treble bleed switchable with a push/pull pot.

[@John--]

@@StephenGallacher Now that's dope

[@scotthoward6265]

Never had that problem/those anomalies. ever; just sayin’

[@DMSProduktions]

TRY vintage wiring instead! Works almost as well, no bass loss!

[@SuperSanderso]

You should try 50’s wiring. I think that is going to give you the tone you have been searching for. It changed my impression of the same Les Paul that I have.

[@eckyevans5437]

What I usually do with treble bleeds Rhett is fit them using a push-pull so that the treble bleed is 'switchable', means you can choose to let the sound get darker as you roll off the volume or have it retain those highs depending on whether the pot is in the up or down position In a couple of my guitars I did something different, 50s tone wiring also retains more of the highs when you back off the volume, in a couple of guitars I have the tone as a push-pull which allows me to switch between 50 and 60s or 50s and 'modern' tone wiring, found I prefer that to the switchable treble bleed

[@cafesociety8525]

The best way to do it is the way fender now do it. They run a smaller resistor (20k) in series before the cap and resistor in parallel. Doing it this way maintains the volume sweep of the pot which is affected with this single resistor and cap in parallel method.

[@McAdamstry]

Popped one in my American Standard 96 Strat. Gave it new life. I use the volume knob more now.

[@mattaebi]

Peavey has used bleed on their guitars and basses on their T series since 1978. Great feature.

[@dundaravewine2390]

The Wizz sounded much more "open" and clear - like they were breathing - The Mythos were quite muffled.

[@qua7771]

I have Wizz in one of my guitars, and they never left me wanting. They sound perfect in it.

[@jfar3340]

they both sounded very similar and compressed.

[@DynamicRockers]

@@jfar3340 Do you mean compressed like with a compressor? it has less attack?

[@jfar3340]

@@DynamicRockers ''Do you mean compressed like with a compressor?'' yes ''it has less attack?'' among other things Everything just sounds so compressed, no dynamics.

[@joehahn8817]

That's strange, I thought just the opposite. The Wizz pickups sounded like there was a blanket over the amplifier un my opinion... 🤔🤔🤔 Then again I thought the stock BurstBuckers sounded better than both of the aftermarket pickups...lol

[@stevencarpenter533]

Rhett, want to know a fast way to get the springs and screws in the rings? Put your spring on the screw, compress it, use an alligator clip to hold it, start the screw in the pickup, and then let the clip loose. Easy peasy!

[@robinjgill]

It might also be a good idea to look at the value of your pots. The values of the pots on some LPs from some eras were lowish. 500K tone pots are worth looking into.

[@robinjgill]

250K on a strat or tele

[@brucelangsteiner4599]

That Treble-bleed circuit really makes a difference on your neck pickup. I like the improved presence. Gives more of an ES-335 tone.

[@garyfox8]

I have treble bleeds on my LP, SG, Tele, and 335., both pickups on all. At very low volumes, you can get borderline strat sounds from the LP, especially on the neck pick-up.

[@Starkman3]

Gary, can you post a link to the treble bleeds you use? Thanks

[@garyfox8]

@@Starkman3 sure, will do. I will take some pictures and post a link.

[@adamkrauss303]

As much as I love the Company’s pedals, from what I heard, the Mythos actually sounded muddier to me on most examples.

[@Stratisfied22]

Yeah that's why I nevered liked alnico II magnets. If those were alnico V's it would probably sound way better.

[@AndrewNuttall]

Honestly, I find it really hard to tell in this video. Not sure what Rhett was playing through on this video, but his tone was super boomy with way too much bass. Sounded like the amp was crapping out and way too muddy when on the treble pickup for both sets of pickups. Sounded like way too much room mic too, so maybe he's still working on dialing in the new studio.

[@jfar3340]

@@Stratisfied22 I love jazz and clean very slight edge of breakup blues and alnico II are my favorite magnets

[@jfar3340]

everything sounded compressed and very similar

[@jfar3340]

@@AndrewNuttall his tone was his usual tone, a little less crispy maybe which is not a bad thing.

[@olenfersoi8887]

A few things about treble bleed "circuits": First of all, to call it a "circuit" is generous, as it is little more than a capacitor (which we are used to putting on tone pots) put on the volume pot together w/ or w/o a resistor in series or (more usually) in parallel...or with 2 resistors, one in series & one in parallel with the cap. The point is to "brighten" tones as volume is reduced, such that it has more and more effect as volume is decreased (...when tone would normally get more "muddy"). Those who complain that it make the tone too "bright" or "tinny" need experiment with different values of capacitor & resistor(s). This experimentation can be accomplished by soldering two leads in place of the treble bleed, that can exit from under the pick-guard. With alligator clips on the end of the leads, different value components can be swapped in until the most desirable combination is found. Note, too, the the treble bleed does not affect tone at all at full volume and a toggle switch can be added to bypass it if desired. Alternatively, for under $10-15 tiny units like V-Treb provide the ability to vary the amount of treble bleed effect...even to the extent of allowing the installation of a small pot to vary that effect at will. BTW, I think the presence of two volume controls is bad design, though it is used in some guitar models for decades. Much more practical is one master volume control & a balance which varies the volume of one channel (pickup) from 0 to 100%, while the other remains at 100% (both on full at mid-detent/click).

[@Damdochax]

I disagreed with you that the mythos pick up sound better than the Wizz PAFs. The Wizz pick ups, at least to my ears have more clarity and more of the telecaster sound that you are referring too. I do like the trouble bleed circuit that makes a huge difference, and look forward to getting my hands on one at some point. Great stuff!

[@keefjunior4061]

I'm thinking the sound in his room is much different than what's coming out of our devices.

[@jeffreymarchant4020]

That’s because you’re used to just the neck sound… and a crossover is a blend… the Mythos’s are more bite than smooth especially with the treble bleed. Not saying you’re not right it’s more a gravitation to the fruit of the sound… so yeah I get your view.. If I am correct he wanted more bite in the sound across the fret board… and it seemed like it did that… the video sound quality on KZbin Is so so…

[@OniDasAlagoas]

Hey, Rhett. Do a "What's the Princeton Reverb sound?".

[@ruvchbrevth]

I play a Schecter PT Fastback and loved the Duncan humbuckers, I’d like to try these ones out on that one too! ☺️

[@picksalot1]

The Mythos Pickups sounded kind of muffled and dark. Probably would sound good with a Slide. I preferred the other set. I've tried a Treble Bleed on my Strat several times, but since that guitar is rather bright to start out with, that mod isn't useful for me.

[@xXmortitionXx]

I thought the same, much preferred the PAF’s

[@mfam1306]

I think it's more his amp settings.

[@jimwoodard64]

Phew, I'm not the only one. I thought the original pickups sounded better. Rhett says at 6:17 that the Mythos is giving him "more, especially on the top end..." I don't hear it. I much preferred the Whizz pickups.

[@jbbeaudry]

I had the same impression. To my ears the Mythos had darker tone, less defined highs (I was surprised when Rhett said he got more top end from them). I too preferred the other set, and overall I do prefer the clarity of my R8 Custom Buckers. Maybe linked to KZbin compression? I'm listening through JBL monitors though. Guitar looks great by the way.

[@jfar3340]

this could be solved by turning up the treble on the amp by a notch or two.

[@warp.9.scotty]

I'm currently adding a crossfade circuit to a little Washburn guitar. Each pickup has it's own tone control and in active mode it's got a crossfader circuit so I can differentiate tone and mix the pickups. In inactive mode I have a 3 way switch but tone is still controlled per pickup. A single volume control works for both active/passive modes.

[@Yury5576]

The Mythos manage to make a pickup which has even more lower mids then the muddy Gibson's. For the classic PAF tone you need something done to the 50s Gibson brief: make a HB to sound like a P90 without the noise. These do not meet that brief, the Whizz are much closer. Mythos are pretty muddy. Wizz wins these one for me.

[@Mr.Steve-O]

Treble bleeds are a godsend when you are playing at low levels to keep that bright bite intact. Love them, especially when you can buy them for $3 pre-made. Great upgrade for single coils too

[@STOLGUITARS]

When you get the values right if your gonna use the cap+r method or get the right picofarads value sometimes works better in some applications personally I think it FAR ! superior to a stock setup even a 50,s wiring !

[@maxmarchetti6562]

Love Mythos but for my tastes the Wizz takes it in this comparison, the mythos has something muffley going on in the lows / lower mids that was a bit too much. Treble bleed sounds amazing though, great fix for the turned down Les Paul muddiness

[@jkljackal]

Don't like that neck much either. But feel like the bridge is actually clearer than the wizz?

[@forresthouser5807]

Tip for you Rhett (and anyone else who has fought this problem) ...When swapping the rings, use a pair of small alligator clips as spring compressors to help get the screws started...The ones I use are about a half inch jaw length. Good luck!

[@michaelthelen7505]

I have a guitar that came stock with a treble bleed circuit and I always tell people that the guitar came with a clean channel. It’s a wonderful mod.

[@randahlpedersen9774]

Hey Rhett, I would highly recommend replacing the Stock volume pots with 525+ ohm VIPs & wire the harness 50's style. It will bring the pickups to life with greater clarity & way smoother attenuation. I wasn't completely satisfied when I swapped the Stock PU's to OX4 A4 LW , Until I changed the Pots. Maybe replace the entire Harness with a 50s kit from Throwback or VIP??? Love your playing & grateful for all the time & effort you put into the channel. Cheers

[@justinguitarcia]

Personally preferred the Wizz to Mythos, they had more of the qualities i enjoy from a good set of PAFs. Im surprised you found the mythos to have the “tele on steroids” thing, they def sounded woolier to my ears, kind of like the lollar imperials imo. Good pickups for sure, not my thing. 50s wiring with the Wizz wouldve been my move and wouldve corrected all the issues you were having.

[@andybradshaw5971]

I agree, I thought the Mythos sounded woollier. They wouldn't cut through in a band situation like the Wizz would.

[@K3v0P3N80]

I second this. I liked the Wizz set as well.

[@avivpinto4013]

Liked the mythos better

[@balijukka9963]

I always wire the treble bleed or bright cap via the tone pot, so I can have the tone pot controlling treble boost or cut. Tone pot wiper to the pickup (selector), one end of the pot via treble cut cap to the ground, the other end via bright cap to the volume pot wiper. Cap sizes according to the pickups and taste.

[@PETECAROLAN]

The magnetic pull (Gauss) from different pickups will be different. If your string is too far onto the field it will struggle vibrating properly sounding muddy. Use a scope and measure for good output and adjust greatest distance between string and mag pole.

[@TheMountainLynx]

Gretsch had been putting a treble bleed on their master volume pots for Filter'tron equipped models lately. Sounds fantastic.

[@maxwolfe7194]

I just took the chrome covers off & exposed the black coils. It matches the black scratch plate & knobs

[@matthewf1979]

I'm telling you, the Mojotone '59 Clone - Low Wind humbucker set will blow your mind. Old PAF's are a lot brighter than the stuff people make these days. The Mojotone PAF's nail it. Their pots work miracles by themselves. Both the Wizz and Mythos set still sound like mudbuckers to me.

[@omoon66]

I’ve got a limited run set of Mojotone premium historic ‘59 PAFs installed in a HH jazzmaster (maybe a bit sacrilegious haha), and they’re great. They’re pretty bright and clear, sometimes even more spiky than my strat. But very warm and full sounding that break up super great, even with digital modelers.

[@Alexander-rx7jj]

Totally agree.

[@randymiles904]

@@omoon66 nah man, jazzmasters should have had at least a bridge humbucker anyway.

[@davidkieltyka9]

I’ve heard Wizz pickups with a lot more treble air than Rhett is getting from ‘em, so I assume the dark sound is about amp settings and recording setup rather than the pickups themselves.

[@monadyne]

@@davidkieltyka9 Did you ever hear the expression, "damned with faint praise" ?? That's kind of what Rhett did with those Wizz pickups. The way he said, "I'm not gonna get rid of them, I'm gonna save them... they're really good PAFs so they're gonna end up going... in something else...but..." seems to lump Wizz PAFs in with all the other replacement humbuckers out there, when in fact they really are something quite special in the rarified and exclusive world of PAF clones.

[@jeffsetto9823]

Be careful using a treble bleed with vintage style fuzz pedals. When you turn your volume down it will get way too bright and harsh

[@blackfrancis33]

This tradeoff is heart-breaking for jimi fans

[@WatchesnguitarsDK]

I got treble bleeds in all my humbucker guitars. Love it! 50’s wiring is not enough. On the neck pickup, that is.

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

Rhett your Paul has never sounded better my friend !! everything sounds great !!!

[@ohvnaq]

i just installed a treble bleed in my Strat (Kent Armstrong pickups, 1 nanofarad cap + 120k ohm resistor in series, 250k pots) and i love it!! i added a switch to enable/disable it for easy comparison and the difference was night and day! sounds so much brighter and lively when volume is rolled down. highly recommend it!

[@jts3339]

Rhett, You can make a treble bleed with mini-alligator clips to install temporarily to see if you like it before permanently installing one. As far as the pickups, I honestly would need to play a guitar to determine if they worked for me. It’s so hard for me to discern the difference by listening to a video, but if you’re happy I’m happy.

[@dansimpson1729]

Wow, a logical and rational comment on KZbin! A rare sight

[@PedalPoopers]

@@dansimpson1729 It's not that rare, however you're mostly on guitar and gaming videos which has the most toxic and senseless communities out there 😂 It's like The Gear Page forum where nobody seems to know what they're talking about and yet amongst themselves.

[@zapphoddbubbahbrox5681]

@@PedalPoopers Except for the TPG Helix forum, which has outstanding contributors.

[@PedalPoopers]

Highly doubt that lol

[@PedalPoopers]

I mean, there are a lot of members there who take credit for other people's work, Helix forum included. Mods are too lazy to ban the trolls but quick to clean up evidence 😂

[@jimbofet]

I put a treble bleed circuit in my strat. I know many people like the excessive way strats darken as you roll off volume, but it was driving me nuts. Once you get used to playing a few Gretsches, you can’t stand life without it.

[@chriskettlewell801]

Fender obviously agree as all their pro series guitars have it by default.

[@Dartheomus]

I put treble bleeds on my LP years ago. My LP was warm and almost muddy at full volume. When I turned down the volume, it was a pure mud machine. Putting in the treble bleed made it the exact opposite. Now when I turn down the volume, the guitar get's brighter, thinner, and more articulate. I'm really surprised more people don't run them. Also... DON'T GET SUCKERED!!! You don't need to spend $20+ for a treble bleed circuit. You don't need "high quality" parts... There's a lot of guys who have researched this in a scientific way. You can literally buy two ceramic capacitors on ebay for $0.02 a piece, and they will work wonders. The value of the capacitor will affect the roll-off, so be aware of that. What I mean is that the volume drops off in a less linear fashion, but it's very easy to get used to. Also... treble bleeds do NOTHING at full volume. They only affect your tone as you turn down the volume. As it was stated in this video, they are just a very simple high-pass filter.

[@onemancarnage]

In regards to a treble bleed , I honestly suggest making it switchable. It's always been a compromise you lose the ability for volume swells and it just doesn't have a natural sweep . So instead of loving or hating the result ? Make it switchable. Can be a micro switch or use a push pull pot . Cheers .

[@DrAgan_tortojed]

Basically, this should be done with ANY kind of "additional" set of filters - a player has to be able to turn them of/on anytime, on the fly...

[@johnandersen9219]

I have to say that the Kingtone Switch (Treble~bleed in a Tone Pot Function) is absolutely the best way to go!

[@MarioTorre]

I have a treble bleed on my falcon and have a no load on my strat, I don’t think the treble bleed is a must have, it does affect the tone when using certain pedals like fuzz, it all depends on what tone you are looking for.

[@stuartmacdonald5361]

I did a blind test on this video and the Wizz PU's were quite a bit better than the Mythos PU's. I thought the Mythos were more muddy and they just sounded better. Most of the time we rate sound/tone not with our ears but with brand names and cost. No matter who you are, it will be a big factor in your preference. So always do a blind test, this way your ears make the choices. I am kinda on the fence for the treble bleed, yes I could hear a difference but not sure it was better or worse with it on.

[@peccleft64]

A game changer. In combination with prs custom 50 I’m able to plug straight in and control volume/tone/crunch/distortion/clean without touching the amp. Custom 50 foot switch is brilliant with channel switch/ reverb/solo boost. All my guitars now have treble bleed. It’s like going from having a few tones to a hundred tonal variations at your fingertips.

[@Yggdr4s1l]

If you clip an aligator clip on the spring on the screw, it will hold the spring down so you can get the plastic on easier.

[@Glensully]

I put the series version in. Massive difference in my strat and the volume knob still works as good.

[@MauricioBond23]

Hi! Quick question. Instead of the treble bleed, couldn't you just do 50's wiring? Thanks

[@aadityakiran_s]

Your videos are becoming better and more varied. I like it. What got me into your channel was the backstage vlogs. Please continue that when you can. Thanks.

[@darrellminx5459]

Treble bleed circuits only work at low volume. Want clear turn it up

[@jacobmauldin230]

My 1958 Reissue has the 50s spec wiring. There are so many in between tones in there without it getting muddy.

[@jr0706]

The treble bleed does sound good, but 50s wiring does the same thing. I have it in my 50s Epi Standard with SD59s.

[@KienLim]

I used treble bleeds for ages.... and then I tried 50's wiring. I went back and forth for a while because 50's wiring does change the sound of the instrument (makes it clearer and not as dark) and how the volume and tone pots act and interact. Now I love 50's wiring and can't go back. They are on all my guitars....

[@rickjohns689]

I've installed them on every guitar I own. A must have if you roll the volume down.

[@ivanhimself]

Me as well. It's a must. Playing with fuzz has never been this fun before.

[@zacadelic7247]

Even on a strat?

[@popeye089]

I recently removed every treble bleed from all my guitars. I enjoy the different sounds by rolling off.

[@RK-ty6en]

@@zacadelic7247 especially on a strat! Gives you amazing dynamics because you won't lose any top end from those single coils when you roll the volume down.

[@TheSpartan_G]

​@@popeye089 For sure! All depends on the player and the application. For me personally I do prefer being able to have my full pickup volume be where I set my default crunch/gain sound and then be able to roll the volume down for a quieter/cleaner sound with more touch dynamics without it getting muddy or boomy. I think in the context of a song a lot of the times it's great to use the input gain (i.e. the pickup volume) rather than turning a pedal on or off to control the overdrive differences inside of a song whenever possible as it usually ends up more natural sounding and less abrupt/jarring. In other genre's though I could absolutely see why you might want something else.

[@adalbertoschuckjr.1509]

I agree with Abbacus an Scott.. Try a 50 wiring and you won't need the treble bleed.👍👍👍Also, your tonal pallete will increase. Try it. The pickups will glow...

[@stoimenaleksandrov4095]

every time Rhett says something will make you sound better it really does

[@Aphazel]

I love your Black Crowes t-shirt !! 🥰🥰🥰

[@jmdbb]

Get a set of humbucker helpers from Stewmac and pickup ring swaps are super simple. Well worth the money.

[@charlesco689]

Treble Bleed: Better late, than never.

[@blakegilliam8223]

Sounds killer, man u are the go to guy for Gibson sounding blues

[@markhammer643]

1) Part of what compensating volume controls is intended to do is offset the treble loss stemming from the way turning down "loads" the pickups, in tandem with cable capacitance. So here's a question: are treble bleed additions as effective for guitars using wireless, where there IS no cable capacitance to contend with, and is there any point adding them to guitars with active circuitry? 2) One mod I like to do is to use an "over value" treble bleed cap for the bridge pickup. So if the intended value, say, 470pf, use something about 4-5x the value (e.g., 2200pf). This allows not only treble but also upper mids to pass. The effect is to turn your volume control for that pickup into a bass cut from 10 down to around 6 or so, and a volume cut below that. Perfect for bridge HB "chicken pickin". And if you're partial to "pinky swells", it makes them more dramatic, since the signal gets 'fuller', as you sweep from silence to full volume.

[@tomritter493]

To my old start pounded ears I like the mythos more smooth and as you said bitey .that bleed really cleans it up

[@MegaGuitman]

Back in the day i used to solder a .042 mfd cap across the two hot stems of the neck volume control and would be able to roll back the mud on my Gibson les pauls ...try it you'll love it.

[@Mauitaoist]

I have a strat with two humbuckers I put the trouble bleed in there years ago I love it.

[@ratwynd]

All my multi pickup hollow body or semi-hollow guitars get a master volume with treble bleed added to the lower horn. Five done that way so far. Yea, I drill holes. No, not afraid to do it. I buy them to play them the way I like them. I do not consider 'resale' as a factor. But I do pro grade mod work too. Master volume with treble bleed is one of the best features on almost every Gretsch made. It is my favorite mod on any electric that does not have it already. Keep your pickup balance and use 1 knob to control it all while the treble bleed keeps it bright as you lower volume.

[@jonahguitarguy]

I use treble bleed circuits in a lot of my guitar builds. They do work well at higher volumes but there is not a big difference if you play at low volume or clean. Doesn't hurt your tone at all though so give it a try.

[@Andreorsel]

Then you do not have the right capacitor installed. The Treble bleed in my guitars works good at every volume and also very good with clean sounds.

[@jonahguitarguy]

@@Andreorsel, I use the same set up as Lindy Fralin.

[@Andreorsel]

@@jonahguitarguy , don’t know about that one,but it’s important to have the right capacitor matching your pickups and volume pot. As i said, in my guitars the treble bleed works great at every volume and also with clean sounds.

[@5150forevermore]

​@@Andreorsel What values do you recommend for Humbuckers? I have a Super Strat with a Duncan Custom in the bridge and a Duncan Jazz in the neck.

[@neileynonmusic]

The Ibanez JS Joe Satriani models all have the "high pass filter" on the volume push pull. I use it all the time, it is really useful when playing with high gain as it allows you to go to an almost clean tone without changing channels but maintains good definition. Keep rockin'

[@Zif-the-Old-Herring]

Experiment with Cap and Resistor values to fine tune the roll-off amount. A tone bleed add on, 1meg pots, or 50's wiring. There are so many ways to craft a guitar's voice from a single set of pick ups. And hone one's soldering skills. Win - Win.

[@CFox.7]

I think I enjoy your playing the most out of all the internet guitarists.

[@VernLeRoy1962]

I use a Seymore 59 & K40Y-9 .022- bridge & a K42Y-2 .015 JB jr in the neck (a little break in time 12 to 16 hours) to sweeten up a little. Well worth it. The Cap's can make big Diff's with different pick ups.

[@jonny12mac]

I have a treble bleed on my HH Tele and Stratocaster. It's something I'll always add to any electric I get.

[@Frostymugghits]

So right about shiny chrome pickups, good call having him dull them up.

[@johnskerlec9663]

I installed a treble bleed in my latest build/mod and love how it works at different volume levels. I did a demo on YT when testing it. I'm also looking at installing them in my other guitars. Nice demo Rhett.

[@kennhern]

I have on my modified Squier Strat a "Suhr" treble bleed, which is 680pf cap/150k resistor in parallel (and because it comes default in Suhr guitars). Most treble bleeds make the sound thinner, but not this one. It's good at any volume, I could go play at 10, 7, or 2 and not notice anything at all, other than the dirt going out. This so far, is the best TB circuit for me

[@TheCleaner6969]

Very hard to hear the difference when not in person. Both sound good. The treblebleed comes across. A treblebleed for those that don't know is just a cap soldiered from the middle lug on the pot to one lug of the wiper on the pot. You can use Metallized Polypropylene Film, Ceramic, Mylar Polyester Film they do not have polarity so it don't matter which way you put them in. You can also use different values.

[@xdoctorblindx]

The Mythos pickups sounded much darker in the video, which is the opposite if your impression. The Wizz sounded less muddy and more articulate in the upper midrange.

[@rooster4906]

👍

[@ThisMichaelBrown]

Nice clear usable tone when volume rolled off....bet it sits in a mix well. Thanks for scoop!

[@jasperdsmith]

I appreciate you trying all of the urban legions in pursuit of perfect tone!

[@Lennoxvrgt]

Was the original wiring 50s or Modern in the Les Paul?

[@richw.6296]

My LP custom was made in ‘93, so I dread changing pickups. I like that worn gold look, but I do want to try new pickups.

[@paulgodin1166]

When i've purchase my les Paul there were a 59 in the neck position and a Jeff Beck in the bridge. It's a very commun setup but i found it very muddy. So i've trade those for a set of paf replica (wolftone), i've rewired my les Paul into "50's" wiring. Finally, i've purchase Pio russian capacitors for a really cheap Price on eBay to a guy in Ukraine (20 of those for about 20$, it was just 2 weeks before the begining of the War...). Now, it sounds Amazing, i've just spend about 40$ for the parts and i've done the job my self. The original setup is nothing compared to the New one. I've done the mods one by one to be able to hear the differences and each on them is game changer. If you can try those mods on yours it can change your sound (you will not become jimmy page by doing that but it's really pleasant to hear).

[@PersianRockstar21]

When I had my buddy install my Screamin Demons in my Les Paul, he added a treble bleed in my bridge pot. Made a big difference, especially since I play Thrash/Heavy Metal

[@jcandela3744]

You should try 50s wiring, would love to see the results

[@jeffreymarchant4020]

I actually love those Mythos pickups and the treble bleed wow your not kidding on clarity and Hume of the whisp of sounds… hope Zakk gets going hot on these… I know tons of LP players and real good ones… You should put this in Billy Gibbons ear…!!! Bet he would be impressed being now that Elwood is now on the floor team banging out Dusty’s spot and clearing head space…!! A new sound for Billy would hop up the spurs and get Elwood a new flavor upgrade too… and sounds like your soldering is better than you thought… nice posting …!!!

[@daxmoore2060]

Rj Ronquillio demoed a treble bleed circuit that can be switched on and off. It also had several sound options while on. Definitely seems cool if you like to use a fuzz face with a strat. Turn the treble bleed off while fuzzing out, and turn it back on with overdrive or playing through a darker amp. I'd like to try one with my PlexiDrive pedal to see if it would brighten it up with the volume rolled back.

[@SouthpawSatch]

I use treble bleeds on anything with modern wiring. However I don't use one on my Les Pauls which have 50s wiring because it isn't needed. To stop the neck becoming muddy, you could simply try using a 0.015 uf capacitor instead 0.022 uf which reduces the wooliness as you turn the pot. But again it depends whether your LP has 50s or modern wiring.

[@leonthompson8988]

I put a roller bridge on every lp I've ever owned. It solves tuning issues and string breakage. If you bend like I do those TOM saddles will saw your E and B string in two.

[@SDisonYT]

The mythos sounded a little bit warmer and higher output than the wiz, but perhaps that was just the audio compression in KZbin.

[@user-of9ut1hd9q]

I have considered throwing in a treble bleed to my electronics, but feel that the 50's wiring alone saves quite a bit of high end when rolling off the volume (at least in comparison to the PCB that came on my guitar). I also have coil splits, so the control cavity is already a bit cramped, and a treble bleed definitely wouldn't help with that.

[@arnolddealiii4259]

I bet the treble bleed will mess with your fuzz tones. Gibson 50's wiring tends to be a better solution for volume control having more usable taper.

[@jackattack8044]

nah, I have a PAF-type and a bleed in a strat I built. No issues with fuzz at all. It's actually really nice since the roll-offs don't get muddy.

[@777ZEETAL]

I’m so glad you said that about chrome pick ups! And your comparison to chrome rims made perfect sense and couldn’t agree more. Well stated and I’ll be stealing that!

[@balldice374]

Gibson and Fender got the pickups down in the 50's. My stock Gibson and Fender guitars sound great through my Sovtek MIG 100 and my JCM 800 Marshall.