Pot values...

[SFW]

A couple of months ago, my wife got me a 2005 Les Paul Standard for our anniversary. Great guitar, but I knew that I would need to change the stock Gibson volume pots- as 300k is not really a humbucker friendly value. Finally got around to changing them out today. The stock bridge pot measured out at 243k and the stock neck pot metered out at 192k! Seriously!!! So needless to say that my Duncans are sounding 1,000,000 times better now.

Shesh... I mean it would be nice for companies to at least try to make their guitars sound good.

[darthphineas]

Re: Pot values...

Saw similar with some of the pots I took out of one of the 'Kramer' guitars that Gibson sells these days. I can understand something up to a 10% variance, but I've seen too many good pots that can keep it within less than 5% at most. but come one.... that neck pot was over 30% less. that's just crazy.

[blueman335]

Re: Pot values...

I can understand something up to a 10% variance, but I've seen too many good pots that can keep it within less than 5% at most. but come one.... that neck pot was over 30% less. that's just crazy.

Yeah, where's the quality control. Gibson should be checking the parts they buy. While I'm a proponent of 250K's for many bridge HB's, I think it's crazy to use anything less than 500K's for neck HB's, especially in LP's.

[ErikH]

Re: Pot values...

Pretty much all the manufacturers buy +\- 20% tolerance pots. They are the cheapest to get and when bought in bulk, even cheaper. The penny pushers will go with the cheaper every time. That one being more than 30% off is probably a 1 out of a batch of 100 like that.

It would be nice if they used tighter tolerance pots and checked them but that is time and money they do not want to spend (unless you are having a custom shop piece done and spec every piece) as it affects the bottom line (which is what matters most to the accountants).

Back in the 50's and 60's, they just walked over to the amp shop and grabbed a handful of what they needed. There was no checking them then.

I could see a 250k pot reading at 193k because it's about 22-23% tolerance which is "close enough" in a standard model off the shelf any guitar.

[darthphineas]

Re: Pot values...

I see where customers are getting more and more used to just taking a proton torpedo from a rebel x-wing in the exhaust port when it comes to settling for less from companies. It's good to see the cats here finding and pointing out areas of opportunity with some companies that just need to take a few seconds to do what it takes to earn and keep a customers hard-earned money.


Sent from my armored battle station using Tapatalk

[ErikH]

Re: Pot values...

LMAO!!!!

Put away your light saber. Lol

Nothing has changed in that area since the birth of the electric guitar. Grab a pot that says its that value, solder it in.

Should they check them? Sure. Will they? Doubt it. Except for the custom shops and builders that don't run off an assembly line.

[SFW]

Re: Pot values...

Here is my personal take on this...

When a US made guitar breaks the $2k mark, you are paying for those details to be addressed. You are paying for (in the words of their own advertisement ) "Gibson Quality." While I will except a slight variance in the overall +/- value of a volume pot, a reading for less than 200k on what should be a 300k pot is silly. Perhaps in pride in craftsmanship made a comeback in this country then Gibson would stop making the tip ten worst places to work. Just MHO.

[uOpt]

Re: Pot values...

Yeah, where's the quality control. Gibson should be checking the parts they buy. While I'm a proponent of 250K's for many bridge HB's, I think it's crazy to use anything less than 500K's for neck HB's, especially in LP's.

Well, so let's say they measure. What then? You wouldn't expect a company like Gibson to actually throw out the pots that are outside tolerance, right? Because that's not gonna happen.

[blueman335]

Re: Pot values...

Well, so let's say they measure. What then? You wouldn't expect a company like Gibson to actually throw out the pots that are outside tolerance, right? Because that's not gonna happen.

Well, probaby not. But in a well-run company, someone should be on the loading dock checking incoming product form vendors, and not accepting just anything. It's like Chinese drywall: none of the American company's buying the stuff could be bothered to check it out when it was delivered?

[blueman335]

Re: Pot values...

Here is my personal take on this...

When a US made guitar breaks the $2k mark, you are paying for those details to be addressed. You are paying for (in the words of their own advertisement ) "Gibson Quality." While I will except a slight variance in the overall +/- value of a volume pot, a reading for less than 200k on what should be a 300k pot is silly. Perhaps in pride in craftsmanship made a comeback in this country then Gibson would stop making the tip ten worst places to work. Just MHO.

Absolutely! Where's the 'attention to detail' that you're paying for? What else is slipping by them?

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Pot values...

And here I thought the OP was interested in trading in pot futures or stocks...

300k is not really a humbucker friendly value.

Not always true. It worked out in your case but it still depends on the tonal character of each guitar's wood and, of course, the pickups. If the sound is overly bright, 300k's might be better. If it's really bad, even the 243k and 192k might be better than 500k's.

[SFW]

Re: Pot values...

In the 27 years that I have been playing guitar, I cannot think of a single Les Paul that needed anything less than 500k pots. I even run my P90 guitars with 500k pots. The only guitars that actually get lower values are my strats and teles. All of the modern Les Pauls that I have played sound muffled and congested with their stock pots. I just don't think that a 250k or 300k pots needs to be in a slab of mahogany. Just my $0.02. YMMV.

I realized that everyone's personal tastes are different. It has been my experience that Gibson could put a major hurt on the after market pickup industry if they only took the time to put quality pots in their guitars.

[blueman335]

Re: Pot values...

It has been my experience that Gibson could put a major hurt on the after market pickup industry if they only took the time to put quality pots in their guitars.

Not really. They need to put more effort into their PU's first. '57's are an average PAF, nothing special, and the 498T/490R pairing is bizarre and frustrating. The 490T/490R are okay, nothing to write home about though. These three PU sets are in most of Gibson's guitars. There's a number of PU makers, large and small, that have taken the lead in making great-sounding PU's, and left Gibson in the middle of the pack. Instead of just making something to stick in their guitars, it should be a source of pride. Why do most of their HB's have single wire leads? How much can they possibly be saving there? For a company that doesn't hesitate to charge high prices for anything with their name on it, they certainly pinch pennies when it comes to costs.

[SFW]

Re: Pot values...

Not really. They need to put more effort into their PU's first. '57's are an average PAF, nothing special, and the 498T/490R pairing is bizarre and frustrating. The 490T/490R are okay, nothing to write home about though. These three PU sets are in most of Gibson's guitars. There's a number of PU makers, large and small, that have taken the lead in making great-sounding PU's, and left Gibson in the middle of the pack. Instead of just making something to stick in their guitars, it should be a source of pride. Why do most of their HB's have single wire leads? How much can they possibly be saving there? For a company that doesn't hesitate to charge high prices for anything with their name on it, they certainly pinch pennies when it comes to costs.

Oh, don't get me wrong... I'm not saying that Gibson does it better than anyone else. I'm just saying the people might not be so fast to change their pickups if the pots were correct.

[Myaccount876]

Re: Pot values...

If a 300K pot is ever less than 250K that is just BS on the potentiometer manufacturer. They might as well just label the pot as "~100-300K".

When a 300K or 350K pot actually has the resistance it claims to have, I really like them. Sadly if you go for cheaper manufacturers "250K" usually ends up being ~200K-220K and "300K" ends up being ~250-260K. Pots that are actually in the ~300K-350K range are very usable and a great in-between IMHO.