Noisy pots and caps??!!

[papersoul]

Hi guys,

Is it possible for cheaper pots/caps to be noisy? I realize that I like the sound of my stock LP Standard with the Burstbucker Pros and stock pots/caps. This is a bright LP, but sounds nice and full and seemed to work well with the original 300k volume pots. The pots are 300k linear. My tech and I both found the guitar sounded the warmest and creamiest with these pots.

The thing is, I noticed odd noises and sounds....not sure it was microphonics but it didn't sound right. I then had the (R/S) kit installed consisting of CTS 500k audio pots and .022 Hovland caps and things cleaned up! But, man was she bright!!!!! I am wondering if some of the pots are actually 600k!

Anyway, the noise wasn't the pickups so it must have been something else! The pots? Caps?

I am checking with Lew to see if I can get four new pots......two 500k audio for tone and two 300k (audio or linear?) for volume because it kills the brightness in this guitar. Plus, I figure go with orange drops.

Or....should I just go back to total stock and work from there?

Thanks!

ps

[Kent S.]

Re: Noisy pots and caps??!!

Hi guys,

Is it possible for cheaper pots/caps to be noisy? I realize that I like the sound of my stock LP Standard with the Burstbucker Pros and stock pots/caps. This is a bright LP, but sounds nice and full and seemed to work well with the original 300k volume pots. The pots are 300k linear. My tech and I both found the guitar sounded the warmest and creamiest with these pots.

The thing is, I noticed odd noises and sounds....not sure it was microphonics but it didn't sound right. I then had the (R/S) kit installed consisting of CTS 500k audio pots and .022 Hovland caps and things cleaned up! But, man was she bright!!!!! I am wondering if some of the pots are actually 600k!

500k will be a brighter...
[/quote]

Anyway, the noise wasn't the pickups so it must have been something else! The pots? Caps?
[/quote]
Possible but doubtful, it is possible that a cap can pick up say a wire hitting against it, and other loose conections can do weird things as well, some cheap pots pick up noise easily ...

I am checking with Lew to see if I can get four new pots......two 500k audio for tone and two 300k (audio or linear?) for volume because it kills the brightness in this guitar. Plus, I figure go with orange drops.

Or....should I just go back to total stock and work from there?

Well, if the guitar doesn't do it with the new pots/caps, seems to me you ought to stay with that, you can try turning your tone down a bit to mimic the effect of the 300k pots, or you can just put the 300k pots in the volume ... I see no logical reason to change the two tone pots you have in there for two new tone pots of the same value ... just replace the volumes if you want with the 300k pots ... plus the noise problem (whatever caused it) is fixed.

[papersoul]

Re: Noisy pots and caps??!!

500k will be a brighter...

Anyway, the noise wasn't the pickups so it must have been something else! The pots? Caps?
[/quote]
Possible but doubtful, it is possible that a cap can pick up say a wire hitting against it, and other loose conections can do weird things as well, some cheap pots pick up noise easily ...

Well, if the guitar doesn't do it with the new pots/caps, seems to me you ought to stay with that, you can try turning your tone down a bit to mimic the effect of the 300k pots, or you can just put the 300k pots in the volume ... I see no logical reason to change the two tone pots you have in there for two new tone pots of the same value ... just replace the volumes if you want with the 300k pots ... plus the noise problem (whatever caused it) is fixed.[/QUOTE]

That's what I was thinking...leave the tone pots in place and buy some good quality 300k volumes from someone like Lew. Is there a big difference between the audio and linear? Also, are volume and tone pots basically the same thing?? Maybe I should throw in some .022 Orange drops. I don't know where the source of the noise originated but it was there.

[Kent S.]

Re: Noisy pots and caps??!!

That's what I was thinking...leave the tone pots in place and buy some good quality 300k volumes from someone like Lew.
Is there a big difference between the audio and linear?

Yes, quite so, the audio will cut a lot more signal in a short amount of rotation, generally most people like them, volume rolls for instance do not sound like volume rolls with linears, although linears let you use a larger amount of the pot to make minute changes to you overdrive (as in cleaning it up a bit). It's kinda a pro and con thing, the same exact tones can be dialed in with both, it's just that the numbers will be different. For example 0~10 ... 5 on a linear is roughly equal to 7.5 on an audio, 5 on an audio is roughly equal to 1 on a linear. The audio has a smoother swell, and is better at being turned down *clean*, and then turning up *dirty *(as in a bigger boost), if you see what I mean. If you're a lefty, then you'd need reverse audio pots.
CTS has pots in both linear and log. taper (log. is a more exact *audio* taper than a lot of audio taper approximations that a lot of companies {read cheaper imports} use). JSYKIYDA

Also, are volume and tone pots basically the same thing??

Yes they are the same type of pot in this case ...

Maybe I should throw in some .022 Orange drops. I don't know where the source of the noise originated but it was there.

I wouldn't worry about it, as long as it's gone.

[papersoul]

Re: Noisy pots and caps??!!

My tech is re-installing the entire assembly this weekend because we both agreed the LP smoked in stock form....we'll see if my memory is as good as I remember.