Rangemaster with tone help newbe

[msurdin]

I have build the rangemaster from GGG. I added a tone control. I used a 100k pot with a 1uf cap. I feel that there is a major vol loss since I added this. Is there a way I can remove the vol loss?

[newbie builder]

Whenever you add in a tone pot like that, you're going to lose some volume. One way to not lose volume is if you pick two of your favorite capacitor values and hook them up to a switch- that way you can have some variation on the bass response (or treble response if you're doing a lowpass filter) without losing volume. Even better, get a 6 way rotary switch and pick an array of caps- that's what the 65amps colour boost does. That way you've got a good bunch of variation in sound and you don't get volume loss.

[John Lyons]

+1 on the switch.
There isn't to much need for a tone control when you have a cap selector switch. Just get it to where you want it and you're golden.
I like .01 for an input cap for the rangemaster input cap in front a a fuzz face. Depending on whether your amp is generally bright or dark will be the decision for a large or small input cap. Try .01 and see how it goes.

After all, the rangemaster is traditionally a treble booster.

John

[msurdin]

So just replace the 100k pot witht he 6 way? How would I wire it to the board? What are a list of caps that would give me from dark to bright tones? Is there a cartain way they go on the 6 way?

[petemoore]

  Six way...or just two way with carefully chosen caps, perhaps socket the first one and choose it, then put it in the switch wire, so the second one can be chosen from different values using the socket.
  Two way cap is pretty good..not as variable of course, but perhaps a treble rolloff signal path>pot>cap to ground at the end of the circuit would be useful.

[John Lyons]

There is a .0047 cap at the input. Replace the cap with a switch to select different caps.
You can also just try different caps there and see what you think.
Small values will boost the treble more.
From trebly to full range boost try something like: .0047, .01, .02, .03, .047, .1.

Isn't there an artcle on how to do this at GGG or tonepad?

John

[petemoore]

  set the DPDT so you have two columns of three lugs up and down.
  connect across the top, middle, and bottom rows, this makes each side of the dpdt duplicate each other.
  the middle comes from the input jack.
  the top goes out to the input cap>circuit
  the bottom goes out to the other input cap>circuit.
  or there's other ways...
  try paralleling a cap across the input cap, parallel values add, this will make it bassier. run the second cap through an SPST to lift one end.
  or
  Run caps in series [makes smaller values] and short across *One of the capacitors, the input and output capacitors block DC.
  Using a method that works when the switch fails has it's advantages.