Passive Mods for Guitar
... and by popular demand
We Now Offer Passive Mods for Bass Too!

RG500D Custom Taper "Orange" Midrange Shaper with Center Detent (for Guitar)
Read the FAQ

• Improve you tone with this simple passive addition. This is a special combination of capacitors, resistors along with an inductor to produce a really useful enhancement to any guitar or bass without requiring active electronics.
• Great substitution for the 2nd tone control on your Strat!
• As you turn the knob down from 5 to 0 this control pulls the midrange frequencies out while leaving the high and low frequencies intact. When set approximately between 2 and 3 I find this to really emphasize the signature "Mark Knopfleresque" bell like strat tones when using a clean tone. Some people report the tone to have an almost "acoustic" like quality. When you turn the control from 5 to 10 you get a slightly thicker sound wtih a bit more of a midrangy honk to it. The control is neutral in the 5 spot.
• Designed for use with guitars and basses equipped with single coil pickups. It will also work with humbuckers, however the effect of the control from 5 to 10 is not as dramatic since humbuckers are already thick sounding.
• Comes professionally wired on a brand new 500K custom taper split shaft pot with a center detent made exclusively for Rothstein Guitars by CTS corporation. The part number for the pot is RG500D (RG is for Rothstein Guitars) and the word "detent" is stamped across the sides. You won't find a pot like this anywhere else! Summary of custom featrues:
  • CUSTOM TAPER: After much R&D we found the perfect taper for this mod which is a hybrid between audio and linear taper.
  • CENTER DETENT: Due to the overwhelming request by customers the pots has a detent at 5.
• A couple of other manufacturers sell these, but as far as I know we are the only one selling them with genuine Sprague Orange Drop capacitors which are among the most highly regarded capacitors in the industry.
• Includes detailed instructions.
• Very simple to install (soldering iron required).

RG500D_OS - Old School Version of RG500D w/NOS Mullard Mustard Capacitors and Carbon Comp Resistors - LIMITED SUPPLY

• Exact sames as RG500D, only with NOS Mullard Mustard caps and carbon comp resistors. Sounds killer! We have a very limited supply since these caps are no longer made.

add to basket $59.95

M1 - The Original "Orange" Midrange Shaper (for Guitar)

• Same as above, only this is wired on a standard 500K CTS pot without the custom taper and without the center detent.
• Comes professionally wired on a brand new 500K pot.
• Choose between the following options:
  1. Split Shaft w/ 3/8" bushing (for Strat style guitar)
  2. Solid Shaft w/ 3/8" bushing (for Tele, or any knobs secured via a set screw.
  3. Long Split Shaft w/ 3/4" bushing (for Gibson style guitars with thicker tops) - add $3
• Very simple to install (soldering iron required).
• Includes detailed instructions.

add to basket $27.95

• Great option for a guitar with a single tone control like a Tele.
• When the push-pull switch is down this functions as a standard tone control which cuts highs.
• When the switch is in the up position it becomes a mid-sucker that scoops mids as you turn the knob down. Like RG500D above when set approximately between 2 and 3 I find this to really emphasize the signature "Mark Knopfleresque" bell like strat tones when using a clean tone. Some people report the tone to have an almost "acoustic" like quality.
• Mounted on a 500K push-pull pot.
• Very simple to install (soldering iron required).
• Includes detailed instructions

• By popular demand we have voiced a passive mid shaper for the bass guitar. This is a great option for any passive bass.
• When the push-pull switch is down this functions as a standard tone control which cuts highs.
• When the switch is in the up position it becomes a mid-sucker that scoops mids as you turn the knob counterclockwise. On a bass this works great for slapping.
• Mounted on a 500K push-pull pot.
• Very simple to install (soldering iron required).
• Includes detailed instructions
  
  
• SOUND CLIP: Here is a sound clip of this control used in a Jazz Bass recorded by pro bassist Tony Senatore. Tony played a Mexican Jazz bass equipped with Nordstrand NJ4 pickups along with a Rothstein JX5 prewired harness with the MTB mid-scoop/tone switch. The sound clip plays the same 2 bar slap phrase 3 times :
  1. The first time the slap phrase is played in full treble mode
  2. The second time the same phrase is played in full bass mode. In other words, the push-pull switch is in the "down" position and the tone knob is rolled almost all the way down (to about 1).
  3. The third time the phrase is played in mid-cut mode and you will notice how the slaps and pops really jump out. To arrive at this setting, the push-pull switch is in the "up" positino and the tone knob is rolled almost all the way down (to about 1).
• MP4 (3.6 MB)
• WAV (184 KB)

add to baskett $39.95

Platinum Lab V6 Varitone (for Guitar)

We have been building these high quality switches for for close to 10 years now, and have installed them in countless customer guitars. These are wired using only top notch components and vintage style cloth wire. All components are treated with Caig Deoxit for long trouble free operation. You will note that all sensitive connections are carefully insulated using heat shrink tubing.

Our customers have been telling us this is by far the best sounding one on the market. Please listen to the samples below to see if you agree.

What does it sound like? The cool thing is that depends on how it is applied:

• If you play in a strumming/jangly fasion with with a reasonably clean tone, you will find the filter will make the guitar sound more and more acoustic like as you progess through the filters. Check out the following sample of me playing a lightly gritty jangly strumming pattern using the bridge pickup of my Gibson Pat Martino customs shop.
  
  
  • JANGLY SAMPLE
    
    
• If you play chunky rhythms with distortion, you will find the guitar will sound more "single coil like" and nastier/gritter and less smooth as you progress through the filters. Check out the following sample of me playing a Hendrix Voodoo Chile "like" lick with distortion using the bridge pickup of my Gibson Pat Martino customs shop.
  • CHUNKY SAMPLE

Here is a summary of the 6 positions:

• Features 5 interesting tonal filters plus a true-bypass position
  • Position 1 = true bypass
  • Position 2 = subtle cut of highs - softens up a harsh tone
  • Position 3 = clapton style "woman tone" - works great with overdrive for a nice creamy distortion
  • Position 4 = scooped mids (my favorite sound!!)
  • Position 5 = deeper scooped mids- similar to five but at a different frequency
  • Position 6 = darker jazz tone
    
    
• Comes with Chicken Head knob, but you can put any knob on this provided it tightens with a set screw.
  
  
• 1-5 dial plate available for $10 extra.
  

Platinum Lab V6B Varitone (for Bass)

• Voiced for a bass guitar. We have been building these high quality switches for for close to 10 years now, and have installed them in countless customer guitars. These are wired using only top notch components and vintage style cloth wire. All components are treated with Caig Deoxit for long trouble free operation. You will note that all sensitive connections are carefully insulated using heat shrink tubing.

  • 5 interesting tonal filters plus a true bypass setting
  • Voiced for a bass guitar
  • Easy installation - just connect 2 wires, one to hot and the other to ground
    
  • Includes detailed instructions.
  • 1-5 dial plate available for $10 extra.
    

Andy,

Midrange boost/cut WOW!!! I used the strat 5 way switch with master volume, tone, and orange midrange. I added a sub-mini toggle, on-off-on, wired in place of a blender pot on neck pup. I also added a .0068 cap across the toggle on posts, so I can add the neck pup straight or half out of phase. Ten pup combos plus three master controls.

Your midrange control was much more versatile than I imagined. I was able to make the Holy Grails very hot. Great work.

Thanks,
Joseph (Berkeley CA)

Andy:

I just installed your midrange control into my 2000 Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat. All I can say is WOW!!!

After playing the guitar for almost 40 years and owning dozens of electrics with dysfunctional tone controls, I feel like I have found the holy grail of tone.

I am so impressed with the system that I would like to install one in my Tele.

Thank you,

Gary Sintes (Palm Harbor, FL)

Andy:

I've had the "Orange tone shaper" in my Strat for a couple of weeks now, and I'm impressed with it. It does add some nice tonal options, and I found it really worked well to add some of the nuances I felt was lacking in the noiseless pickups. It's also been helpfull when using digital amp models and effects that can have a notched frequency response.
I'll be ordering again from you.

Thanks,

Bob

Hey Andy...
I just finished my new wiring setup for my Strat Plus Deluxe. I'm using Lollar Blondes with a master volume, master tone, and your midrange shaper, also with a neck-on switch. The new pickups sure made a difference, but man...the control I now over my tone using your shaper is unreal!!!! I can dial in exactly the sound I want. Like your note mentioned, a setting around 2-3 is perfect. I've found that when I kick in the TS-9, small adjustments in the shaper let me get "the sound" easily. Anyways, thanks... easily the best $25 I've spent on my set up.

Bruce

Hi Andy,

I got my pot yesterday, installed it into my Tele and played with it for about an hour.

I noticed that when I rolled the mid shaper to about 1-2 I got those sparkly cleans that I was hoping for. I also found that when wide open, at 10, I sensed a very slight break up in a very good way which far exceeded my expectations! Overall, based on what I heard last night, for the semi-aggressive blues/country/southern rock styles I play, this thing is really nice. My main guitar is this heavily modded Fat Tele and this is a very welcome addition. I think the 9-10 setting will really help out on leads. And I was surprised to notice a decent push on the mids even with the full neck HB. Rolled off is nice too. I think it'll make clean rhythms sound really nice. I didn't run it with a chorus last night, but I suspect the sparkle at about 2 will be awesome with it.

Thanks,
Tom

Wanted to say thank you for the two midrange/tone switches and for the questions you answered for me. The switches work wonderfully with lace sensor golds, and using one for the neck and one for the mid and neck tones. Killer tone on a killer Custom!!

Thanks so much,
Andy
AE Custom Guitars

More testimonials here