Treble Bleed on my 290?

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FreeBlues
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Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:26 pm

Treble Bleed on my 290?

Post: # 1588Post FreeBlues
Wed Jul 24, 2019 5:47 pm

Does anyone know if Collings electric guitars come from the factory with a treble bleed circuit? I use the volume knob quite a bit and feel like I lose some treble when I back off.

IF there isn't a bleed circuit installed, is it easy to install one? I'm okay with a soldering iron if it's a semi-quick fix.

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elambo
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Re: Treble Bleed on my 290?

Post: # 1589Post elambo
Wed Jul 24, 2019 6:47 pm

I'm not entirely sure but it's a good question. I don't sense a big change when I back off the volume so I guess I've just assumed that this was being compensated for in the tone pots. That's based on zero scientific evidence.

If not, yes, it's a relatively simple installation if you've used a soldering iron before. I've swapped electronics in 5 or 6 guitars and it's always been straight-forward.

...now you have me thinking about this because I do prefer consistent tone when cutting volume.

FreeBlues
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:26 pm

Re: Treble Bleed on my 290?

Post: # 1592Post FreeBlues
Thu Jul 25, 2019 3:31 pm

Further...

I emailed Collings and got a detailed reply from Mark less then 3 hours later. (Once again, Collings customer service is off the charts.) The 290, and probably all it's humbucker/P90 equipped guitars, come with 50's style wiring and no treble bleed circuit. Yes, the fix is very simple, quick and easily reversed. A simple .002 capacitor and 100k resistor wired to the volume pot is all it takes.

The parts needed are less the $10 from StewMac.

I'll probably try it just to see what I think. With P90's I'm almost never running the volume wide open, so being able to back off the volume and preserve all the treble content seems like a good idea on paper. Stated differently, when I do run the volume wide open for leads and such, being able to then back off and preserve all the tone sounds like a good option.

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elambo
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Re: Treble Bleed on my 290?

Post: # 1594Post elambo
Fri Jul 26, 2019 1:34 am

Great info. Thanks for doing that research!

FreeBlues
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:26 pm

Re: Treble Bleed on my 290?

Post: # 1599Post FreeBlues
Fri Jul 26, 2019 7:49 pm

The cap and resistor values I first got from Mark seem to be either very hard to find, or not available at all. In a follow up email he pointed me tp Mojotone: https://www.mojotone.com/kits/GuitarWir ... rs-2113347

I've got one on order (neck pickup only for me) and will report back on my results.

FreeBlues
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:26 pm

Re: Treble Bleed on my 290?

Post: # 1645Post FreeBlues
Mon Aug 05, 2019 4:25 pm

Following up, I bought and installed the treble bleed "kit" recommended above on the neck (only) pickup on my 290. For me, I think I like the result. Rolling off the volume preserves the tone better, meaning when I back off the volume knob the guitar mostly just gets quieter, the tone does not really change much.

To be sure, a P90 when run wide open can produce a fair bit of "roar," and that's usually a good thing. So backing off the volume reduces that roar whether the treble bleed is used or not. But, when playing clean (or cleanish), being able to control the volume levels and preserve the original tone is a good thing for my playing.

I did a gig yesterday using the 290 and was able to play the entire time using the volume knob only, never stepped on a pedal at all (or, since I use a Kemper, a stomp button on the floor controller). For rhythm and quieter parts I'd turn the knob to 7 or 8, then up to 10 when things got big. The guitar pretty much sounded the same all the time.

Bottom line, based on just a couple days and one full gig the treble bleed stays, it's a good and welcome mod (and easy to install or remove).

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