Rangemaster blend AND single cap sound with the same pot.

[Plectrum]

A potential solution to authentic Rangemaster "single input cap" verus blend control, with no extra parts.

I encountered the problem of the blend control allowing too much of the "low" caps interaction with the sound in the rangemaster and fuzz circuits.
Some have eschewed the blend control altogether in favour of multi cap switches, stating that the "High cap" position sound is never as tight and sparkley as with a single cap on it's own.

Some guitarists have been making their own "No load" volume and tone controls.
I figured that the technique could be adapted to the cap blend control, as I wanted a solution that was simple and wouldn't involve more switches/parts.

Open the blend pot by prizing back the securing tabs,
Varify which end of the track needs to be treated.
Either, use a dab of quick drying, insulating, varnish-like fluid (nail varnish is a favourite) to
break the wipers contact to the track at the pots extreme travel.
or:
Use a scalpel to cut accross the caron track, to make a definate break maybe a mm wide.
Check the resistivity with a meter, making sure there is a full short circuit at the pots extreme position.

When installed, you should have blend control over almost all of the pots travel. When the wipers encounter the break, you will have a pure "single cap" path to the circuit.

For detailed coverage of the procedure, search for diy "no load" pots.

Grant.

[Plectrum]

I thaught I should add, if anyone's baulking at the idea of opening up a pot, this process is *extremely* simple.

I just recorded with my rangemaster, and the mod seems to work well.


Grant.

[d95err]

Thats a pretty smart idea. Very simple and much cheaper than getting a pot with a switch.

[Plectrum]

Thanks, I mainly went for the idea because it doesn't take up any more room, the switch-pots are relatively huge as well as expensive.
I was worried it would pop, but it hasn't so far.

There's a link here to a "no load pot" tutorial here:

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/pots.htm

Except - I have been able to cut the tracks without dis-assembling the internal section.
I just took the cover off.

Yet another method would be to simply remove some of the stop-block (?) (a tab attached to the wiper mechanism that sets the pots travel), so that the wiper is allowed to travel right off the end of the track.

Grant.