Tone Controls On Distortion Circuits

[phaeton]

How many of you put adjustable tone/filtering controls on your distortion circuits (mainly, ones you've devised yourself)?  I'm not talking so much about input/output/rolloff caps that are fixed, but moreso something where you can grab a knob or five and twist. 

I tend to breadboard new ideas all the time, and it seems that whenever I add some sort of tone control(s) to it, I don't really like the result, or are otherwise unimpressed.  FWIW, I've only been using passive tone stacks and RC circuits.  I tend to just have a "gain" and final "volume" control, and/or some extra clipping alternative, but then do all the tone shaping at the amplifier itself.


Is that lame?

[Mark Hammer]

There is no requirement ot have a tone control on the pedal itself....unless it is capable of generating far more treble on its own than you would like.  Unfortunately, a great many distortion circuits tend to crank out the sort of harmonic content that, if you have your amp adjusted for a nice glassy rhythm sound, results in something really objectionable when you switch between that rhythm sound and the distortion.  The other thing is that the treble content produced, or shall we say the treble content sought, depends on the pickup/s used.

So, I wouldn't say that a tone control is essential, but it does serve to make the same pedal better adapted to a wider range of playing circumstances.

[MartyMart]

I'd say it's about 50/50 on my own stuff, for the reasons that Mark has mentioned.
Some are "voiced" to work real well with just gain/volume using interstage caps
R/C networks etc for a good end "tone" that doesn't require any change.
Often just a simple TC can help to tune things in for different rigs, but I'm building
for "my rig" right from the start 

MM.