Why Does a Stratocaster Have 2 Tone Knobs?
As a versatile platform, the Fender Stratocaster is found in the hands of players from every genre. From punk rockers like Jim Root of Slipknot to funk masters such as Nile Rodgers, the guitar is one of the most popular choices in music today. Even genre-defining blues artists such as John Mayer and Stevie Ray Vaughan still choose to sling a Strat over their shoulders when they hit the stage.
Whether you’re a veteran of the stage or just starting your musical journey, a Strat is the perfect choice to take you where you want to go and discover your own unique style. But there’s a lot more to a Strat than its iconic look and classic sound. You also have the ability to customize your Strat to suit your own personal style and needs. Adding different pickups, new pickguards, or tremolo blocks are all popular upgrades that you can do to your guitar to create the perfect instrument for your own musical identity.
If you’re not familiar with how a Strat works, or are just starting out in the world of electric guitars, you might be confused about why a Strat has 2 tone knobs. This article will help to clear up any confusion and make it easy for you to understand why and how these controls work so that you can start using them to your advantage.
The first tone control, located on the left side of your guitar body, is called Tone 1. This controls how much treble is coming through to your amp from your guitar’s pickups. The more you turn the knob up, the more treble is being pushed through and heard by your amplifier. The lower you turn the knob, the less treble is being pushed through and played through by your amplifier.
On most modern Strats, the second tone control (on the right side of your guitar) is known as Tone 2. This control affects how much bass and midrange frequencies are being sent to your amp from your guitar’s pickups. Like Tone 1, the more you turn this control up, the more bass and midrange frequencies are being pushed through and played through by your amp.
While these controls are the most common on a Strat, there are some models that come with three tone control knobs. If your Strat has a third tone control, it will affect the bridge pickup. Depending on the model you have, the first tone control will affect the neck and middle pickups, while the second will affect the middle and bridge pickups. This setup is popular because it allows you to change the tone of your guitar’s bridge pickup without having to use a pedal or another piece of equipment. You can also find a handful of models that have push-pull tone knobs, which allow you to split the coils on a humbucking pickup and get single-coil tones. With all the different options available, it’s easy to see why so many people choose to add a Strat to their arsenal of instruments!
