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250K and 500K in one guitar?

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  • 250K and 500K in one guitar?

    Is this possible?
    I'd like to try to wire a JB in bridge position up with a 250K and a '59n with a 500K pot.
    Why? Because I think I can get some better balance in sounds. With eq'ing I always find myself to comprimise between both pickups. Same old story: either the '59 sounds too bassy when the JB is 'on the edge' sounding or the JB sounds to bright when the '59 is 'on the edge' sounding. Thing is: I WANT BOTH TO SOUND ON THE EDGE! I think it's pretty clear by what I mean with 'on the edge'.

    I started thinking, what if I changed the current setup :1 vol, 1 tone, 2 Humbuckers 5 way switch, into 2 volume pots? I never use my tone pot anyway. With the JB wired to a 250K and the '59 wired to a 500K pot my sound should warm up some more and balance out better with my fav. settings.

    Then I read something about the disadvantages of 2 volume pots in a guitar in another thread.

    So, is it possible at all to do this with only 2 normal audio pots?

  • #2
    Re: 250K and 500K in one guitar?

    Hey Nightburst; Yes, its possible. But here's the thing. As long as you are only using one p'up at a time, they'll each have their own pot, and pot-load - just as you want.

    As soon as you switch to both p'ups, they'll both see, electrically, what appears as one 166.667 k pot. Probably not the effect you want.

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    • #3
      Re: 250K and 500K in one guitar?

      Thanks Artie! I don't use the pickups both at the same time because I like their own tone better.
      If you don't mind me asking, I think this schematic is the closest I could find on the net but it shows an additional tone pot.

      Hand-crafted electric guitar pickups, acoustic guitar pickups, bass pickups and pedals. Helping musicians find their signature sound since 1976.


      Is there a site that shows a schematic for just 2 volume pots? If not what do I need to change in the schematic i posted? I'm not shure where to put the tone cap...
      Last edited by Nightburst; 04-13-2004, 09:08 AM.

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      • #4
        Re: 250K and 500K in one guitar?

        Ok nevermind... No tone cap needed right?

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        • #5
          Re: 250K and 500K in one guitar?

          Nightburst - do you want 2 separate volume controls, or are you just trying to get a balanced tone out of the 2 different pickups?

          Also, what does each of the 5 selector switch positions do now and what do you want them to do?

          Sorry for the questions, but it will help get you better answers.

          Chip
          Heritage 535 Special, Warmoth frankenstrat, MIM Strat, & Taylor 314C(no E)
          Amp Builds: Tweed Princeton (5F2-A) variation, 2 BF Princeton Reverb clones, & Super Reverb clone
          Sometimes use a Blues Jr., Tech 21 Trademark 10 & Power Engine 60
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          SD pickups: SSL-2, APS-2, tapped Quarter Pound, Custom 5 & Antiquity humbuckers

          "Conan! What are the best things in life?"
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          • #6
            Re: 250K and 500K in one guitar?

            actually, i dont know what ya mean by "on the edge"?

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            • #7
              Re: 250K and 500K in one guitar?

              Nightburst: One last thing to think about. A tone control, even when on "10", still rolls off some degree of highs. If you find the absence of the tone control to be too bright, just add the tone cap back into the circuit in series with a 500k resistor.
              This simulates a tone control on 10. Its just a matter of choice.

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              • #8
                Re: 250K and 500K in one guitar?

                Ok I think I did it! Everything seems to be working well. Split positions sound weird now but I hardly ever use them so it's not a problem. I'm not shure if I like it better now or if I did it the right way. I just took the above posted schematic and left out the tone pot and cap. Need some more tweaking on the EQ before I can give a good opinion on the sound now sounds kinda weird without all that treble.

                Originally posted by Fresh_Start
                Nightburst - do you want 2 separate volume controls, or are you just trying to get a balanced tone out of the 2 different pickups?

                Also, what does each of the 5 selector switch positions do now and what do you want them to do?

                Sorry for the questions, but it will help get you better answers.

                Chip
                No sweat chip,
                Actually I want a balanced tone out of the '59/JB combo, the seperate volume controls is just another attempt to balance them out. It has to be possible because it works for many players. Also some companies who put this combo in their axes from the factory (ESP/LTD)
                I have tried a lot of things already, lowering/ raising pickup heigth, putting a ceramic bar into the '59, infinite eq'ing. I'm afraid I will have to stick to my other plan: getting a different neck humbucker. But that would be an expensive longshot so I rather try out some other options first before I go at it.

                Jeremy,
                with on the edge I mean 'calibrated' or 'set up properly'. When a pickup is adjusted to the right height (sweet spot) the sound is optimal and has a certain edge to it (at least to my ears). I find that the same thing applies for eq'ing, with the right knob twisting I can get those special sounds out of a pickup which makes them so great. It gives them 'the edge'! Hope this makes sense...

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                • #9
                  Re: 250K and 500K in one guitar?

                  The 250K and 500K pots defintiely work flawlessly in one guitar.

                  The SG in my avatar (to the left there) has a 250k vol & tone in the bridge, and a 500k vol & tone in the neck. The "in between position" sounds VERY sweet. Indeed.

                  The 250k's at the bridge are just what was needed to round off that position a bit. Not a dramatic thing at all. Just a little less bite which is exactly what it needed. It doesn't effect the neck PU at all.
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