Your thoughts on the Fender TBX tone control

[Scott Auld]

This '91 American Standard that I got last week has one of those TBX controls on the middle & bridge pickups. I'm an old fashioned guy who always had regular old boring tone controls on my guitars.

What are your thoughts on this TBX tone control, with the detent at 5 (which is the same as a regular tone knob set to 10) and then (according to some,) cutting the bass and bringing out presence as you turn up higher than the detent, and (according to others) not cutting the bass but expanding the treble and the bass as you turn up higher than the detent?

I'm not sure I'll have a use for it but it's there and I'm unlikely to change it out anytime soon.

Speak to me, TGP.

 

[small axe]

i had a strat plus with a TBX pot....it was ok...but it blew on me and i changed it to a regular tone pot and i was happy. the function is not for everyone and if u are what u said it may not be for u.....maybe it will in time

 

[Structo]

Have to say I have never played a strat with one.
I built one with a passive mid boost that sounded pretty cool.

 

[Stormin]

Personally, I love the TBX on a Strat and a Tele. I like having that little bit of extra treble to throw on for some solos.

 

[jefrobie]

I like it. Have had it on two guitars, both Claptons. Set it at the 5 position and it's basically at unity...Can add some treble or take it down if you need to on drive tones....

 

[gkoelling]

I rarely used it on the Am. Std. Strats I had but it didn't bother me and I never swapped it out. However, back then I tended to max everything out and leave it that way. Today I'm sure it would be different.

 

[Scott Auld]

I like it. Have had it on two guitars, both Claptons

I thought the Claptons actually had something different, a' la active mid boost? Or do the Claptons have a TBX in addition to the mid boost?

 

[gkoelling]

I thought the Claptons actually had something different, a' la active mid boost?

It has both. The TBX is on the 1st tone and the mid boost is on the 2nd.

 

[Scott Auld]

It has both. The TBX is on the 1st tone and the mid boost is on the 2nd.

Ah, I see. Thanks.

 

[rockstarjay]

It allowed you to get closer to the traditional no tone knob on the bridge setup, while allowing some adjustability. I liked it ok, but I eventually switched my plus to SSL-1's with traditional wiring.

 

[Scott Auld]

It allowed you to get closer to the traditional no tone knob on the bridge setup, while allowing some adjustability. I liked it ok, but I eventually switched my plus to SSL-1's with traditional wiring.

Thanks Jay. Was that to align more with the skatepunk/rock music? T.i.A.

 

[Steve_2020]

I like it. Have had it on two guitars, both Claptons. Set it at the 5 position and it's basically at unity...Can add some treble or take it down if you need to on drive tones....

+1. Gives an EC even more range. There's already a lot of tones in that guitar. I had it in a strat plus years ago and it was fine. In the EC's active system it's great.

I read somewhere that Clapton has it removed from his guitars, a regular tone pot taking its place. The reason (i read) was because he never used it, always had it wide open. hmmmm.

In anycase . Dunno if I'd have it installed in a strat - probably other mods I'd do first. But if was in a strat I bought, I'd keep it.

 

[Steve_2020]

It has both. The TBX is on the 1st tone and the mid boost is on the 2nd.

Yes, and I dunno if it's the TBX type control or what, but it works great with the mid boost. I use both controls quite a bit going from fairly clean and chimey tones to overdriven tones, and am usually adjusting both knobs to get esactly what I want.

On a non active, no-mid boost guitar not sure it would do so much. But, iirc, it did add some sonic range to my old strat plus.

 

[jtm622]

I like the TBX control on the EC Strat I have... I've always left the tone controls set constantly wide-open to "10" on Strats anyway (rolling them down from "10" just seems to "muddle" the tone)... but with the TBX, I can go TWO directions from the "5" setting - now I can turn it back to "10" to get a noticeable boost in the "highs"; or down to "1" to add some "muddle" (if need be)... And Yes... that 25 db mid-boost really comes alive when I crank open the TBX a little...

 

[Scott Auld]

On a non active, no-mid boost guitar not sure it would do so much. But, iirc, it did add some sonic range to my old strat plus.

Yes, on this passive system the TBX is very subtle.

 

[Scott Auld]

Thanks for all the posts, guys. Like I said in the OP, I'm way too lazy to change it.

 

[thetangmang]

Interesting to hear how the active midboost electronics make the TBX more effective. I thought about building a strat with it. Maybe I'll pick up the project again in the future.

 

[rockstarjay]

Thanks Jay. Was that to align more with the skatepunk/rock music? T.i.A.

yes, and Hendrix. I now have 3 volumes and no tones. I use the wah and volumes to get the tones I want.