250k vs 500k low end change?

[KRKBAB]

All things being equal (in an H/H Strat),
how would changing from 500k tone and vol pot to 250k tone and vol pot affect the low end?

I know the highs are slightly cut and maybe even the volume itself, but would the low end be slightly decreased as well?

[blueman335]

Re: 250k vs 500k low end change?

I don't think it does, but without as much treble, the mids and lows seem more prominent with 250K's.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: 250k vs 500k low end change?

I agree.

[idsnowdog]

Re: 250k vs 500k low end change?

To me it's a question of the tonal balance of the pickup. With a 500K pot less highs are bled to ground so a pickup sounds brighter, however that doesn't mean that bass has been proportionally decreased by that change.

Simple rules for volume/tone replacement:

• If it's a single coil it's brighter than a humbucker.
• If it's a humbucker it's darker than a single coil.
• The lower the resistance the brighter the pickup.
• The higher the resistance the darker the pickup.
• Low resistance pickups need low value pots to fatten them up.
• High resistance pickups need high value pots to open them up.
• Volume controls bleed more treble than tone controls at the full open position. If you want to change the attack or widen the frequency range change the volume control to a higher value.
• High value tone pots mean a more precise range of frequency treble attenuation. Low value pots are less precise and more drastic.
• If you want to change the range of frequency attenuation for a tone pot change the capacitor value not the pot value.
• Anything less than 7K can use a 250K or 100K pot.
• Anything from 9K to 14K can probably use a 500K pot.
• Over 15K you can use a 1meg pot to open up the frequency range, because it's already fairly dark.

[David Collins]

Re: 250k vs 500k low end change?

I recorded some videos recently to demonstrate the effects of loading on frequency response.

http://youtu.be/W8dp9clGe-I

As you can see in the first half with the exciter coils driving a signal through the pickups and displayed on the spectrum analyzer, there is really no effect of any significance on the lower frequencies. It is worth noting however, that due to the drop in upper mids and high end as you lower the pot value, we do tend to perceive a slightly lower volume overall, as the net signal is indeed diminished even if it is only the high end being attenuated.

[marcello252]

Re: 250k vs 500k low end change?

The pot value does not affect the highs only.

Generally speaking, in my opinion (but I think there were freq analisys around) the highr the pot the higher is the Q of the frequency response around the resonance freq

[Dahla]

Re: 250k vs 500k low end change?

I recorded some videos recently to demonstrate the effects of loading on frequency response.

http://youtu.be/W8dp9clGe-I

As you can see in the first half with the exciter coils driving a signal through the pickups and displayed on the spectrum analyzer, there is really no effect of any significance on the lower frequencies. It is worth noting however, that due to the drop in upper mids and high end as you lower the pot value, we do tend to perceive a slightly lower volume overall, as the net signal is indeed diminished even if it is only the high end being attenuated.

Awesome video! It's cool to actually hear the difference between the different pot values.


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