Tonestyler in NS SF2?

bassman10096

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Perhaps sacreligious to ask: Has anyone here had any experience substituting Stellartone Tonestylers in lieu of tone pots in a Starfire or other Bisonic bass?

I just swapped out the tone pot on a single Novak Bisonic P bass build. So far, I’m liking the Tonestyler a lot. I’m a bit hesitant to mess around with a Guild NS SF design (although I’d swap in Alembic Activators in a heartbeat). Anybody else have any experience with Tonestylers and Bisonics or Bisonic Guilds?
 

mellowgerman

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Perhaps sacreligious to ask: Has anyone here had any experience substituting Stellartone Tonestylers in lieu of tone pots in a Starfire or other Bisonic bass?

I just swapped out the tone pot on a single Novak Bisonic P bass build. So far, I’m liking the Tonestyler a lot. I’m a bit hesitant to mess around with a Guild NS SF design (although I’d swap in Alembic Activators in a heartbeat). Anybody else have any experience with Tonestylers and Bisonics or Bisonic Guilds?
Unfortunately the tonestyler pot is too big to fit through the F hole (at least on any of my vintage Starfires). So it would require some kind of access opening to be made into the cavity. I'm pretty sure forum member Lungimsam had luck feeding electronics through the pickup lead channel into the main control chamber on his NS Starfire but I can't recall if he enlarged the channel or if it was already big enough, so that might be a possible route, short of cutting an access door somewhere into the body of the bass.
 

lungimsam

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I put an old Guitar 16 ToneStyler in my SF1.
None of the stock 2013 FMIC Guild electronics fit thru f hole on my 2013 FMIC SFI to remove them so had to make the pickup wire hole in center block bigger to get them out. Then I did a V/Tonestyler harness.
I was told that stock electronics do fit thru the CMG Starfire bass f-holes.

You can use Bass 10 or Guitar 10 on a bass, depending on how bright or dark you want to go. I don't need the bottom few dub tones of a Bass 10 so I would go Guitar 10. I think both have true bypass at 10.
From Stellartone:
"Many bassists never use the lowest two or three ToneStyler BASS TEN circuits, due to tonal preferences... so it is not unusual to find that even the lowest #1 circuit in a ToneStyler GUITAR model (.022uF) when installed in a bass, will likewise not be selected often."

For two pup basses Stellartone suggests the Bass 10 for neck and Guitar 10 for bridge.
I really like mine. Each setting sorta changes the throat of the instrument. You can get way more tonal changes than a normal tone knob. If I need to replace a tone knob on any of my basses from now on a Tonestyler’s goin’ in. I just ordered the Guitar 10 for my Rickenbacker bass.
 
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RVBASS

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I had a back door installed when I modified my Starfire bass, works well.
 

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lungimsam

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Can you show us inside pics how the panel attaches?
And what happened to the strap button?
 
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bassman10096

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Thanks for the great input. I agree that the TS “changes the throat” of the instrument. That’s a very accurate description of the sound. Also useful to know about pairing the guitar 10 and bass 10 for two pickups. Too bad access is an issue on the SF. Thanks.
 

lungimsam

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It is easily doable if you can get the harness out. Access might not be an issue if you have a 2014 version or later.
 

lungimsam

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You can try a stray pot you may have around and see if it fits thru the f hole or the pickup access hole easily.
 

Nuuska

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Is that simply a pot w lower impedance together w cap of higher athan usual value?

That would alter the Q of the filter.

If I had time and enough interest - I would experiment this w outboard el-cheapo components. Leaving the built-in pots all @ 10
 

lungimsam

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From their site:
"The BASS TEN is a ten-position EQ control featuring eight hi-cut / mid-cut resonance filters, plus a "virtual tone pot" loading circuit and true bypass. Maximum capacitance: .100µF. 24-fine-spline split-shaft tip fits USA push-on knobs, plus 6mm & 1/4” hole set-screw knobs. 3/8”-32 dia. x 1/2” length USA bushing mounts through all surfaces up to 3/8” thick. Compact polymer module: 0.875" dia.x 0.8125" behind-panel depth. The B-10 is compatible with passive high-impedance basses with two "volume-tone" knobs (P-Bass), or four "volume-tone-volume-tone" knobs (RIC). Use one B-10 per volume control. Made in U.S.A. Includes mounting hardware and 1/2" hex nut driver."

I have no idea what that means but it sure sounds good on a bass.
 
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