Varitone Wiring

[A.T.]

Where can I find a wiring diagram for a Varitone set up? I tried to down load the 345 diagram for the support page on the Gibson website but it kept giving me a file I couldn't open on my Mac. I'm interested in doing a stealth version on my 335, sacrificing one of the tone pots and making the remaining tone a master tone.

 

Thanks

[Pin]

Where can I find a wiring diagram for a Varitone set up? I tried to down load the 345 diagram for the support page on the Gibson website but it kept giving me a file I couldn't open on my Mac. I'm interested in doing a stealth version on my 335, sacrificing one of the tone pots and making the remaining tone a master tone.

 

Thanks

 

Hi AT,

 

I have emailed you re your email address. I can send you a pdf of the wiring of the varitone and also another very interesting and detailed pdf article about the varitone. Obviously, I downloaded them from somewhere but can't remember where now.

 

As an alternative you could google Big D varitone re his options.

[L5Larry]

Stereo Varitone:

 

 

Mono Varitone:

 

[Pin]

That's interesting Larry. The top chart seems to imply that some 335's were made in stereo and with a varitone in 1959. I have never seen or heard of one.

[A.T.]

Hey Pin Hey Larry

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm a bit of a dope with true schematics. Do you know if there are any diagrams out there like you'd find at Seymour Duncan? :)

 

I'm planning a custom scenario for my 335. I'm thinking about a master vol., master tone, blend pot, and the Varitone. I might make the vol. pot push pull as well. I'd like to pack as many options in there as possible without changing the look of anything. I notice StewMac ahave a pot called a "JackPot". Are you familiar with that. Would that be a no load pot in essence? I might use that as the tone control.

 

Thanks for any tips.

 

Cheers

[A.T.]

Well I've got all kinds of wiring diagrams. The best ones seem to be from SD. I've sourced all the parts except the 1.5 Henry Inductor/Choke. The local parts places at best might have tiny ones but they all look at me side ways when I tell them I need 1.5 Henry. Anybody have a source for all this kind of stuff? I still need the rotary switch but will likely order one from StewMac.

 

Thanks.

[WildBillMojo]

Folks,I've just taken the harness out of my stock VOS '64 345 (mono) to repair a noisy pot. I have a reasonable ability to trace and interpret wiring and I can tell you that it isn't as shown in the mono diagrams from Gibson above.

It seems to be the stereo loom with the switch outputs connected together.

I can't comment on the phase polarity of the pickups, nor have I actually disassembled the loom to buzz it out but that's what it looks like; e.g. that Varitone is a stereo ganged switch with two sets of inputs, two outs, two capacitor networks and both sides of the stereo choke are used.

Also, unlike the picture from Gibson, it uses the 'Vintage' wiring style with the tone control connected to the wiper of the volume, but oddly it still suffers from chronic tone roll-off when the volume is turned down. It is a pretty dark guitar anyway (compared to a LP or 335), which I put down to the MHS pickups, or the Varitone.

And no, I don't think the Varitone 'sucks' tone, I like the way it sounds, that's why I bought it.

That's not to say of course that the mono circuit shown above shouldn't work, it looks fine, although I'd expect a tonal difference between the picture and my guitar with both pickups selected.

It's a pig to work on I can tell you. I have a thread elsewhere about taking the loom out and putting it back for those that are interested.

WBM

Edited April 30, 2018 by WildBillMojo

[D-28]

Well I've got all kinds of wiring diagrams. The best ones seem to be from SD. I've sourced all the parts except the 1.5 Henry Inductor/Choke. The local parts places at best might have tiny ones but they all look at me side ways when I tell them I need 1.5 Henry. Anybody have a source for all this kind of stuff? I still need the rotary switch but will likely order one from StewMac.

 

Thanks.

I tried making one a few years back. I could not find the 1.5 Henry Inductor either. All I remember is I did a lot of soldering and It was an enormous pain. I have a BB King and I rarely use the Varitone.

[kaicho8888]

Folks,I've just taken the harness out of my stock VOS '64 345 (mono) to repair a noisy pot. I have a reasonable ability to trace and interpret wiring and I can tell you that it isn't as shown in the mono diagrams from Gibson above.

It seems to be the stereo loom with the switch outputs connected together.

I can't comment on the phase polarity of the pickups, nor have I actually disassembled the loom to buzz it out but that's what it looks like; e.g. that Varitone is a stereo ganged switch with two sets of inputs, two outs, two capacitor networks and both sides of the stereo choke are used.

Also, unlike the picture from Gibson, it uses the 'Vintage' wiring style with the tone control connected to the wiper of the volume, but oddly it still suffers from chronic tone roll-off when the volume is turned down. It is a pretty dark guitar anyway (compared to a LP or 335), which I put down to the MHS pickups, or the Varitone.

And no, I don't think the Varitone 'sucks' tone, I like the way it sounds, that's why I bought it.

That's not to say of course that the mono circuit shown above shouldn't work, it looks fine, although I'd expect a tonal difference between the picture and my guitar with both pickups selected.

It's a pig to work on I can tell you. I have a thread elsewhere about taking the loom out and putting it back for those that are interested.

WBM

 

Yeah, that's how we use to make it mono. But you have to reverse the magnet on one of the pickup to be in-phase. Assuming you prefer this sound. The varitone can be used to also sound like the "Peter Green" thin sound.

 

Since I do not use two amps anymore, I just use a stereo plug and solder the two hot leads in the cable jack and reverse one of the PU magnets. This TRS jack would be used on a mono instrument cable.

[zaphod303]

Could someone more knowledgeable than I please explain the difference in the neck and bridge pickup wiring in the 1961 Monaural schematic?