Stratocaster volume..

[mrc2011]

Should it be, that when you adjust a std stratocasters volume say from 10 to 8, the highs and mids dramatically decrease leaving the tone all bassy and boomy?

[progrmr]

probably depends on how you have the pickups adjusted. Most strat pickups have staggered pole pieces and the highs are much lower than the mids, then if you have the bass side adjusted higher than the treble side you could have the situation you describe.

But if the pickups are adjusted to be level, even if they have the staggered pole pieces, you should not have an all bassy tone left as you turn down the volume. Possible bad volume pot or a better one needs to be installed IMO. There will be many that can help you better though so wait for some more responses :)

Welcome to theFret!

[Eric]

Hi mrc2011. I'm not an expert on this, but I think that's why people do the treble bleed mod on guitars sometimes -- so that they can reduce volume without cutting highs. Some here might know how to do it or have more info on it, but I'm going to go google that right now.

[Spudman]

I've got plenty of Strats and you can expect some loss in sparkle or brightness when you roll down the volume on many Strats. I've done a few treble bleed mods on a few of mine and really like that. Some of mine also sound good with the loss of highs. For backing up vocalists this is nice because it lets the voice come out a little clearer and those high frequencies from the guitar aren't competing with the voice so it's easier to hear myself sing. Open the volume back up for a solo and then the presence and clarity come right back.

[Duffy]

What you are experiencing is probably normal. The threshold at which the treble sounds get cut out of the output signal moves to a lower threshold frequency when the volume pot is turned down. It is a side effect of turning down the volume. Lowering the threshold cuts into the treble frequencies and they don't go to the guitars output and therefore not to the amp.

One solution is, as indicated earlier, to do the "treble bleed modification". This mod retains the treble frequencies when you turn down the volume.

Here is a link that explains it in terms that the average person can understand, and tells you and shows you how to do the mod in an easy to understand way. It is a simple mod. http://www.ratcliffe.co.za/articles/volumepot2.shtml

I hope this info helps you. This would be easy to do yourself and would be inexpensive to have done by a tech.

[mrc2011]

Thank you very much for your replies! I had not played strats for a few years and i didn't remember that this issue could be solved with the "treble bleed mod". :D

[otaypanky]

Using a low capacitance cable can help preserve some of the highs and sparkle at reduced guitar volumes. There is also info on the net for doing a 50's style wiring on a strat, something that's most often seen on dual humbucker or dual P-90 instruments. That helps quite a bit as well and makes your controls a bit more interactive. One other way to approach it is to EQ your amp so when you're set at lower guitar volume your tone is still alive and what you're trying to achieve. Then when you roll up to full volume, yes, it will be way too bright, but you can easily dial down your tone control. For my ears I prefer some tone knocked off when I have a strat at full volume. It sounds fatter and is a more pleasant sound IMHO.
If you try a treble bleed and will be experimenting with different values of components, here's an idea that may be helpful for you.
When I was experimenting with different capacitors in a strat I temporarily soldered two wires in place and left the ends extend out from under the pick guard. Solder a couple of small alligator clips to the ends of the wires. That allows you to try different values easily.