The tone knob is used to roll off the treble frequencies, which can be useful for many applications. It’s often used in conjunction with the volume knob to create a “scooped” sound.

The neck pickup on a Stratocaster is reverse-wound, and it’s designed to cancel out some of the mid frequencies when combined with the bridge pickup. This can give you a brighter sound and make your playing more percussive.

When both pickups are turned all the way up, they cancel each other out and you get silence. In this way, you can use the pickup selector as a killswitch to turn off your amp or effects at will.

If you’ve ever heard someone play guitar through a wah pedal, you’ve probably heard them use their tone knob to sweep back and forth between two different tones while they’re playing.

Last modified: November 19, 2022