Hi!
I've got a question about G&L and fuzz face pedals. I've read that PTB system has a treble bleed. Then, would this affect glassy clean tones with volume from fuzz face pedals?
Thank you!
MFD, PTB and Fuzz Face pedals
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DanDoulogos
- Posts: 673
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2016 9:08 am
- Location: Canada
Re: MFD, PTB and Fuzz Face pedals
According to the Plank-Einstein relation, the higher a frequency is, the more energy it has.
On a guitar the volume knob is a low pass filter. When it is open on the way, it lets all the signal from the pickups out of the circuit and into the amp. As you turn the volume down, it begins to filter out the higher frequencies. Since the higher frequencies have more energy than the lower frequencies - when you begin to filter them out (by turning down the volume) the effect is that the energy of the whole signal is lowered, giving the effect of a lower volume.
If you turn the volume all the way down, the entire signal is filtered out, such that no signal passes out to the amplifier.
But when you turn the volume down some (not all the way), not only is the signal strength decreased (less higher frequencies = less energy), you also lose the highest frequencies - imposing a decrease in not only volume, but also in "treble". Most guitars have a treble knob, and when they adjust it, it (being a low pass filter similar to the volume knob) likewise removes the highest frequencies from the signal. The only real difference between the two is that a treble control can only filter out some of the signal, where a volume control can filter out the entire signal.
Given this, it follows that when you turn down the volume, you are necessarily losing some of the high end signal (as though you were turning down the treble).
To counter this effect (of losing treble when you lower the volume) we impose a "treble-bleed" circuit on the volume circuit. Essentially it is a high pass circuit that allows some of the treble that would have been removed, back into the signal - diminishing the effect of treble loss (allowing some of the loss treble to "bleed back" into the signal.
At this point we must remind ourselves that all of this happens before the signal ever comes into an effects pedal.
In other words, the signal coming into the fuzz pedal will have more treble/clarity in it that it would have had if there were no treble-bleed circuit across the volume.
If the volume was wide open - the treble-bleed would do nothing.
So essentially, when the volume is wide open, you would get a strong signal with all the treble, and if the volume is not wide open you would get the same signal only with more treble than you would have if there were no treble-bleed circuit. With a treble-bleed circuit you just have more clarity than you would have had - when you're not playing at full volume.
I play a rams head fuzz through my ASAT special - and it sounds full and wicked cool - I have tone to burn.
The MFD pickups sound fantastic.
On a guitar the volume knob is a low pass filter. When it is open on the way, it lets all the signal from the pickups out of the circuit and into the amp. As you turn the volume down, it begins to filter out the higher frequencies. Since the higher frequencies have more energy than the lower frequencies - when you begin to filter them out (by turning down the volume) the effect is that the energy of the whole signal is lowered, giving the effect of a lower volume.
If you turn the volume all the way down, the entire signal is filtered out, such that no signal passes out to the amplifier.
But when you turn the volume down some (not all the way), not only is the signal strength decreased (less higher frequencies = less energy), you also lose the highest frequencies - imposing a decrease in not only volume, but also in "treble". Most guitars have a treble knob, and when they adjust it, it (being a low pass filter similar to the volume knob) likewise removes the highest frequencies from the signal. The only real difference between the two is that a treble control can only filter out some of the signal, where a volume control can filter out the entire signal.
Given this, it follows that when you turn down the volume, you are necessarily losing some of the high end signal (as though you were turning down the treble).
To counter this effect (of losing treble when you lower the volume) we impose a "treble-bleed" circuit on the volume circuit. Essentially it is a high pass circuit that allows some of the treble that would have been removed, back into the signal - diminishing the effect of treble loss (allowing some of the loss treble to "bleed back" into the signal.
At this point we must remind ourselves that all of this happens before the signal ever comes into an effects pedal.
In other words, the signal coming into the fuzz pedal will have more treble/clarity in it that it would have had if there were no treble-bleed circuit across the volume.
If the volume was wide open - the treble-bleed would do nothing.
So essentially, when the volume is wide open, you would get a strong signal with all the treble, and if the volume is not wide open you would get the same signal only with more treble than you would have if there were no treble-bleed circuit. With a treble-bleed circuit you just have more clarity than you would have had - when you're not playing at full volume.
I play a rams head fuzz through my ASAT special - and it sounds full and wicked cool - I have tone to burn.
The MFD pickups sound fantastic.
G & L: '08 Comanche (Tribute) | '14 ASAT Classic | '00 ASAT Spec | '21 JB2 (Tribute)
Other: '87 Strat | '05 Heritage CH-157 | '12 Tele Select Koa | '19 MJT Esquire | '18 Taylor | 2015 Chrome Epi Dobro |
Other: '87 Strat | '05 Heritage CH-157 | '12 Tele Select Koa | '19 MJT Esquire | '18 Taylor | 2015 Chrome Epi Dobro |