RG500D Custom Taper "Orange" Midrange Shaper with Center Detent
Read the FAQ

Improve your tone with this simple passive addition. This unique circuit combines high-quality capacitors, resistors, and a specialized inductor to produce a powerful tonal enhancement for any guitar or bass: no active electronics or batteries required.

• The Perfect Strat Mod: A great substitution for the second tone control on your Stratocaster.

• Intuitive Tonal Shaping: With the control at the "5" center-detent, the circuit is completely neutral.

  • Settings 5 to 0: This pulls midrange frequencies out while leaving your highs and lows intact. Between 2 and 3, you'll achieve that signature "Knopfleresque" bell-like Strat tone with an almost acoustic-like clarity.

  • Settings 5 to 10: This adds a slightly thicker, "midrange honk" to your sound. While effective on all pickups, it is most dramatic with single coils, as humbuckers are already naturally thick.

Exclusive Hardware: The RG500D Pot

You won’t find this component anywhere else. We use a proprietary 500K custom taper 24-tooth split-shaft pot made exclusively for Rothstein Guitars by CTS Corporation.

• Custom Hybrid Taper: After extensive R&D, we developed the perfect taper for this mod: a hybrid between audio and linear sweeps.

• Tactile Center Detent: Based on overwhelming customer requests, these pots feature a physical detent at the neutral "5" spot for easy on-stage adjustments.

• Premium Components: While others may offer similar circuits, we are the only manufacturer using genuine Sprague Orange Drop capacitors, widely regarded as the industry standard for tone.

Installation: Here's a link to the instructions. Installation is very straightforward (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.

• 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" position and the tone knob is rolled almost all the way down (to about 1).

  MP4 (3.6 MB)

  WAV (184 KB)