Varitone Wiring (With Inductor)

This guitar mod can be used in any guitar as a replacement for a normal tone knob. However, it requires two mounting holes to install a varitone. For this reason, it is a great guitar mod for stratocasters because it can replace the two tone knobs and provide a much larger tonal variety.

Similar Guitar Mods

Also, check out Custom Varitone Wiring (with Black Beauty Caps)

Forewarnings and General Info...

This design functions just the same as a normal tone pot is designed to. However, instead of using just one capacitor to limit which frequencies make it to the amp, this design uses a five position (two pole) rotary switch to allow up to five different capacitors to be used (In this case, four capacitors and a bypass position). When the push pull pot is in the down position the caps sound as the normally do. When the push pull pot is in the up position the caps sounds slightly different. In my opinion the difference in sound caused by the inductor is not very practical. I also do not find a bypass position very useful but this page shows how many of the popular varitone designs function. to see my favorite varitone design check out, The Black Beauty Varitone.

Here is a tool for calculating capacitor values from their three digit codes.

What You Will Need...

- Basic Soldering Skills
- Soldering Tools
- Wire (I use 22 gauge)
- 5 Position Rotary Switch
(I use a two pole rotary switch although only one pole will work too)
- A 500k or 250k Push/Pull Potentiometer
- A 1.5 - 7 Henry Inductor
- 4 (non-electrolytic) Capacitors (I use four ceramic disc caps. The cap values are: .01mfd, .02mfd, .047mfd, .1mfd.)