The Corsa "Mass.Effect" Tone System

We designed the Mass.Effect tone system specifically for our Big Dog and Fury models, using Corsa Manalishi SlitBucker pickups. As we’ve explained in a different post, the SplitBuckers were designed to provide a higher coil split output than a regular humbucker. Having first used the SplitBucker in our Little Dog model, we were really pleased, not only with the higher output coil split, but also with the “cocked wah” effect. We wanted to carry that particular mod over to the dual SplitBucker models.

We had done numerous Jimmy Page Mods, at customer request, on our Corsa Manalishi and LCPG models. The real world “problems” we found with the Jimmy Page Mod were:

1. Even though Corsa guitars are so much more resonant than any other similarly constructed guitars, the anemic 4K coil split of a normally wound humbucker was basically useless. Having spoken to several owners who had the mod confirmed the same thing, although this was the feature that prompted most owners to order the mod
2. The JP Mod is extremely complicated with a huge learning curve. There are so many settings that are not intuitive to the player who is familiar with a two pickup guitar with a three position toggle. Many of the tone combinations have the toggle switch in the neck position with both pickups “on.” It is tough to wrap your head around that  concept when all you have known is that both pickups should only be on with the toggle in the middle position. Here is a typical setting, as an example: Toggle switch in neck position, Neck Volume pot & Neck Tone pot pulled up = neck & bridge p’ups active, neck p’up split (pole piece coil active), in phase, series. Really?
3. Many of the available tones are found not to be useful at all and trying to remember all the “up/down” and toggle positions, particularly in a live situation, is very frustrating
4. The wiring is extremely complicated and very difficult to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.