East TONE LIFTER User manual

Active/Passive Retro-Fit for Strat Style Guitars
The Tone Lifter is a exible self-contained drop-in module designed for Strats and Strat-style guitars, without any physical
modications to the instrument. Allowing numerous variations in sound, its bespoke stacked knob system is tted in place
of the lower tone knob. In bypass, the pure passive signal is output. Pulling the upper knob gives control of mid boost, or
a combined bass/treble boost. The lower knob sets the frequency points for either mode. Power is provided by an internal
rechargeable battery system, which is charged via the jack socket.
Summary of features for the Tone Lifter:
• Pure passive relay bypass setting.
• Class A FET input stage.
• Flat response active setting.
• Variable frequency mid boost mode.
• Variable frequency combined bass/treble boost mode.
• Rechargeable internal power source giving 40 hours use per charge.
• Auto passive bypass if the system runs low on power.
• Easy to t using screw terminals, with no solder connections to the Tone Lifter.
• Instrument can be returned to stock condition since there are no physical modications to the guitar.
• Circuit board approximate dimensions: L50.0 X W26.5 H14.5 mm (2.0” X 1.05” X 0.6”)
• Rechargeable battery system approximate dimensions: L40.5 X 19.0 X 19.0 mm (1.6” X 0.75” X 0.75”)
• OPERATIONALDESCRIPTION
The Tone Lifter is based on a novel dual mode circuit which has a at response setting, a conventional variable fre-
quency mid range boost, as well as a combined bass/treble boost.
NOTE: With regard to knob rotation:
CW = Turning a knob up towards maximum or clockwise
ACW = Backing a knob off, turning it anti-clockwise or counter-clockwise
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Active/Passive Retro-Fit for Strat Style Guitars
Page 2
TONE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
8
7
4
2
1
1
0
TONE
9
3
6
5
CENTRE
CLICK
Activating the Tone Lifter with the upper knob set in its
centre click, adds a little boost with a at response.
• BOOSTINGTHEMIDS
• Pull the Upper Knob & and turn CW from centre click
to set the boost level required.
• Adjust the lower knob for the desired mid frequency.
• Fine-tune both again, as necessary.
• BOOSTINGTHEBASS&TREBLESPECTRUMS
• Pull the Upper Knob & and turn ACW from centre click to set the
boost levels required.
• Adjust the lower knob for the desired spectrums of the bass and
treble components.
• Fine-tune both again, as necessary.
Pull to ACTIVATE
TONE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
8
7
4
2
1
1
0
TONE
9
3
6
5
MID
BOOST
LOW MID
HIGH
MID
TONE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
8
7
4
2
1
1
0
TONE
9
3
6
5
COMBINED
BASS / TREBLE
BOOST
SET
BASS / TREBLE
SPECTRUM

Active/Passive Retro-Fit for Strat Style Guitars
• UPPERKNOB
• BYPASS(UpperKnobPushedDown)
When the upper knob is in its down position, the system is bypassed via a high quality relay with gold plated contacts.
• ACTIVE(UpperKnobPulledUp)
In its centre click, there is additional gain of 2.5dBs with an essentially at frequency response.
Turning it CW gives a mid boost ranging from 0 – 15dBs at frequencies according to the setting of Frequency knob.
Turning it ACW gives a combined boost to the bass and treble spectrum, with more emphasis to the treble frequencies.
The lowest level point is set by the Frequency knob, but the amount of bass and treble boost varies according to the
setting of the Frequency knob. (Not easily described in specication terms)
• LOWERKNOB
• FREQUENCY(200Hz-2kHz)
The lower outer knob has 41 click positions to set the frequency of operation for the upper knob. Turn ACW for the lower
frequencies and CW for the highest frequencies.
• CHARGINGYOURTONELIFTER
• PLUGGINGINTHECHARGER
The Tone Lifter’s internal battery is charged via its jack socket, and it is important to follow this procedure when plugging
it in. The Battery Pack will normally have some charge when new, but a full charge is recommended after installation.
NOTE - Important:
If the charger is the Universal type, make sure the correct adaptor is inserted in order that it matches your AC Mains
outlet socket. But don’t plug it in to the mains until completion of the following few steps:
• First plug the Special Jack Charger Adaptor into the guitar jack socket.
• Then plug the connector on the end of the charger output lead into the Special Jack Charger Adaptor.
• Lastly, plug the charger into an AC Mains socket and switch on.
• When charging is complete, switch off the charger at the AC Mains before unplugging the Special Jack Charger
Adaptor from the instrument.
• CHARGESTATUSINDICATOR
The Charge Status Indicator LED is wired directly to the internal battery. The LED is designed to be tted either in its
panel mount holder, or left within the control cavity, when it is important to retain the original condition of the instrument,
without modication. In either case:
• The LED lit Red indicates the charging phase is in progress.
• The LED lit Green indicates that the charging phase is complete.
NOTE:
• It is not necessary to run the battery down completely before recharging, it can be topped up at any time.
• It charges more quickly during the initial charging phase, so even a short charge can be a useful top-up.
• From fully discharged to a full charge takes approximately 4 hours.
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Active/Passive Retro-Fit for Strat Style Guitars
• TONELIFTERINSTALLATION
Fitting the Tone Lifter does not require any soldering skills, and the installation is reversible, in that it is often important
to be able to return an instrument to its exact stock conguration. This is especially important if a vintage instrument is
involved.
When setting out to install a Tone Lifter, make sure you have plenty of at clear space on a table top or bench. Always
ensure that you have some soft material on that surface in order to protect the instrument, large uffy towels are very
good for this.
Soft suede leather, such as a brand new chamois, is ideal as protection between the pickguard and the instrument body.
It is very soft, also very strong, and not easily pierced.
• REMOVALOFTHELOWERTONECONTROL
• Loosen and remove strings from their machine heads in order to gain free access to the pickguard.
• Remove all the screws from the pickguard and put them in a suitable container or other safe place.
• Lift off the pickguard and place upside down, making sure there is some soft but strong protection material between
the pickguard and the guitar.
• Remove or cut the small bare wire between middle tag of the lower tone and the middle tone pot.
• Disconnect or cut the white wire connected to the outer tag of the lower pot. Fold and put some heatshrink sleeving
over the bare wire end, heat to cause it to shrink, and tuck away by the side of the pickups lever switch, close to the
pickguard. This wire is being left in case it is required again in the future, if the guitar is returned to its stock set-up,
for example.
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Active/Passive Retro-Fit for Strat Style Guitars
• Pull off the lower TONE knob. If this is difcult because the knob is very tight, using a piece of thin but strong fabric,
such as an old T-shirt, slide the edge under the knob, and then get it all around the underside of the knob. Then twist
the fabric up, above the knob, and pull, gently, but very rmly.
• Use a ring or box spanner, or socket set type, to remove the nut from the lower tone pot, taking care not to scratch
the pickguard.
• Fit the nut and any washers back on the pot, push on the knob, and store in suitable packaging in a safe place. It is
always important to retain all the original stock parts, in case you want to re-t them, and it will help to keep the value
of the instrument, in case of re-sale in the future.
• REMOVALOFTHEORIGINALJACK
• Loosen and remove the two screws from the jack plate.
• Cut the two wires close to the jack, leaving a little of the old insulation as an aid, if ever you want the original jack
re-connected.
• To remove the jack, use a box type or socket set spanner to undo the top nut. If there is a back nut on the underside
of the plate, use a regular spanner.
• Fit the nut and any washers back on the jack, then wrap and store the jack for safe keeping.
• Pull the black and white wire pair, back into the control cavity in readiness to be connected to the Tone Lifter.
• FITTINGTHETONELIFTERJACK
• Remove the top nut and dress washer, leaving the serrated washer and back nut on the jack.
• Insert the Tone Lifter jack into the plate, t the dress washer and then the top nut. Wind the nut on to the thread until
the thread is just level with the front of the nut, for a neat nish.
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Active/Passive Retro-Fit for Strat Style Guitars
• Tighten the back nut nger tight, then orientate the jack in order that the tags where the wires are connected, are at
the top closest to the plate.
• Making sure the top nut is oriented for a neat appearance, tighten the back nut using a regular spanner.
• Feed the three wires, connected to the jack, into the hole in the jack cavity in order that they appear in the control
cavity.
• Re-t the jack plate using the orignal screws, but before fully tightening them, make sure that a jack plugs in easily.
If for any reason it does not, or feels stiff, remove the plate and adjust the position of the jack until all is reasonable,
then re-t and fully tighten the screws.
• FITTINGTHETONELIFTERCIRCUITBOARD&WIRES
Note: Do not have the rechargeable battery pack plugged into the Tone Lifter during the installation.
• Remove the top nut and washer from the Tone Lifter circuit board, leaving the back nut and washer on the pot thread.
• Insert the Tone Lifter into the vacant hole in the pickguard, and t the top washer and washer and nut. Tighten the top
nut down until its top is just level with the top of the thread. Then tighten the rear nut until nger tight.
• Orientate the circuit board so that it is effectively pointing towards the nearest mounting screw for pickups switch.
Make sure that none of the components on the Tone Lifter circuit board are touching any of the tags on the existing
tone pot. Then, using a spanner, tighten the lower nut in order to keep the Tone Lifter circuit board rmly in place.
• Use a small screw driver, turning it counter-clockwise, to make sure that the wire entries in the Tone Lifter 5 way
screw terminal block are fully open, and ready to accept the wiring. (Do not undo the screws so far that they drop out!)
• Take the original two wires, black and white, which were connected to the jack, and strip back the insulation aproxi-
mately 5mm / 0.2”.
• Twist the bare wire strands together and insert into the Tone Lifter terminals 4 & 5, according to the diagram. Then
tighten them rmly but do not over-tighten.
• Insert the three wires from the new jack into the Tone Lifter terminals - 1, 2 & 3 according to the diagram.
• The knobs should be tted once the pickguard has been re-tted.
The Tone Lifter Battery Pack comes with a Charge Status LED, permanently wired to it. There is a bezel supplied in
the kit which allows the LED to be mounted on to the pickguard. The bezel requires an additional hole to be drilled and
we know that in most cases this is undesirable, particularly in the instance of vintage instruments. Therefore the LED
can be can be fastened, using the mini cable ties, to existing wiring within the guitar, such that the light from the LED is
visible via the pickups switch slot. The LED is bi-colour where red indicates the charge cycle, and green fully charged.
This bi-colour LED is not a high brightness type, so care is necessary in making sure it can be seen via the switch slot.
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1
2
3
4
5
WHITE
BLACK
GREEN
ORANGE
MAUVE
JACK
GUITAR
TONE LIFTER WIRE CONNECTIONS

Active/Passive Retro-Fit for Strat Style Guitars
• CHECKINGTHATTHETONELIFTERISOPERATIONAL
Once all the wiring is complete, before re-tting the pickguard, the following helps to conrm that the installation has
been successful:
• Make sure the Tone Lifter centre shaft is in its down position, and in the centre click. Turn down the volume on the
guitar.
• Insert the three pin rechargeable battery pack into the Tone Lifter circuit board.
• Insert a jack lead into the guitar, and then plug the other end into an amplier. Note: Always plug in using this se-
quence.
• Turn the amplier up a little and then turn the guitar volume up a little. Using a small screw driver or similar blunt
object made of steel, touch one of the magnetic pole pieces of a pickup, according to the setting of the pickup selec-
tor switch. You should hear a click as you gently touch a pole piece, but be very careful not to cause any scratches.
• Pull up the Tone Lifter centre shaft and touch the pickup pole piece again. Clicks should be apparent again. Rotating
the Tone Lifter centre shaft clockwise and counter clockwise should cause the clicks to change in tone, but don’t be
concerned about the exact sound at this point, this is just a very basic test to conrm that the pickup signal is being
passed through the Tone Lifter.
• Unplug the jack lead from the guitar amplier and then remove from the guitar.
• FINALPROCEDURE
Having conrmed that the Tone Lifter is passing sound, the guitar can be fully re-assembled.
• The Charge Status LED should be fastened to internal wires which are connected to the pickups selector, using cable
ties. It should be positioned in order that it can be viewed via the switch slot. The light will come from the rounded end
as well as all around the side, so exact orientation is not crucial.
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Active/Passive Retro-Fit for Strat Style Guitars
Note:Make sure that all settings of the pickups selector switch are physically operational and that the switch mecha-
nism does not come into contact with the LED, veryimportant!
• Using two more cable ties, fasten the Battery Pack to the internal wiring, such that its position is resting on top of the
volume and tone pots.
• Cut a piece of the packing foam to a shape slightly larger than the battery which is approximately 12.5mm / 0.5” thick
and place it in the control cavity where it will act as a cushion for the battery.
• The battery should be positioned beneath the VOLUME and TONE controls and the piece of foam placed on top.
• Carefully drop the pickguard back in place, making sure that all wiring is safely inside the control cavity, none traped
in any way.
• Once you are satised that all the wiring is safely inside the control cavity, and that the pickguard drops down comfort-
ably without fouling any wires, re-t all the pickguard screws, getting them all in place but not fully tightened. Finally,
tighten the screws once they are all in place.
• Rotate the outer shaft of the Tone Lifter and leave it set at roughly half its rotation, the exact setting is not at all crucial.
Then drop the outer knob on to the shaft so that the pointer is pointing towards the pickups. Rotate backwards and
forwards in order to locate the lugs in the knob onto the outer shaft of the pot, once located, push down.
• Rotate the outer knob fully counter-clockwise, and set the centre shaft to its centre click. Then push on the TONE
knob supplied with the Tone Lifter such that the ‘10’ indication is lined up with the pointer on the outer knob. Leave
the Tone Lifter TONE knob in its down setting and rotated to its centre click.
• Re-t the strings. Plug a jack lead into the guitar and then plug the other end into an amplier. Turn the amplier up a
little and then the volume on the guitar to a low level to conrm you have sound, then tune the guitar.
• Pull up the Tone Lifter TONE knob to activate and the signal should be a little louder.
• Rotate the Tone Lifter TONE knob clockwise for mid boost, and set the desired frequency with the outer knob.
• Rotate counter-clockwise for combined bass/treble boost, again setting the spectrum with the outer knob.
CARE&SAFETY
• This unit does not contain any user-servicable parts. Any repairs or maintenance should be carried out by qualied-
personnel only.
• Do not allow this unit to get wet or expose it todamp conditions.
GUARANTEE
• Your East product is guaranteed to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from
the date of original purchase.
• If during the guarantee period your product becomes faulty due to defective materials or workmanship, then the unit
will be repaired or replaced without charge for parts or labour at the discretion of EastUK, according to the conditions
below.
CONDITIONS
• The original sales invoice or receipt indicating the date of purchase and sales outlet is presented together with the
faulty unit.
• The unit was installed competently consistent with the instructions supplied.
WHATISNOTCOVERED
• Damage due to accident or improper handling, installation or operation.
• Defects caused by the instrument or system to which to which the unit has been installed.
• Damage resulting from repair of the unit carried out by non-authorised service personnel.
• The costs of transport or shipping costs relating directly or indirectly to the guarantee of this product.
Bumble Clumps Northampton Road Weston on the Green OX25 3TJ UK ++44 (0) 1869 343112 www.East-UK.com