Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

[zozoe]

Good day all,,, I'm testing my DIY pickguard, 2-SSL's & a Lil' 59, and the tone is hooked up only to the bridge p/u. Both pots are 300k, and I'm finding things on the dark side, especially for positions 2 thru 5. Is the best way to brighten things up a bit to put in a 500k pot, and which pot to change, or both? How does that work, especially with no tone on the middle & neck?

Thanks everyone & stay safe!

[GuitarStv]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

Changing the volume pot makes pickups sound more peaky - you get harder or softer attack. Rolling back the volume pot does not give you the same sound as using a lower value volume pot. Changing the tone pot allows more highs through, and rolling back the pot gives you exactly the same sound as using a lower value pot.

[Clint 55]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

Change the volume to 500k.

[jeremy]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

ssl2 with 300k volume and no tone is dark? 500k volume would sound brighter

[AlexR]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

Are you sure your amp is working ok??

I ask mainly as practically every functioning amp will have enough eq control, as well as present enough treble generally speaking, for most vintage strat pickups even on the neck to be able to be bright - especially with no tone control.
You didn't by any chance set up your amp for the bridge pickup?? That would be the one trap that many fall into that makes for unremovable mud in the neck slot.

I had a strat with ssl1 like pickups that accidentally ended up with a 500k vol pot unbeknownst to me. I had to turn the tone way down for it to be usable even in the neck....and the notch settings were hideous.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

Good day all,,, I'm testing my DIY pickguard, 2-SSL's & a Lil' 59, and the tone is hooked up only to the bridge p/u. Both pots are 300k, and I'm finding things on the dark side, especially for positions 2 thru 5. Is the best way to brighten things up a bit to put in a 500k pot, and which pot to change, or both? How does that work, especially with no tone on the middle & neck?

Thanks everyone & stay safe!

There was another thread in this forum in the last few weeks where this was discussed. Check it out for a number of helpful responses.

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?339338-Pot-value-change-tone-or-volume

[Wound_Up]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

Changing the volume pot makes pickups sound more peaky - you get harder or softer attack. Rolling back the volume pot does not give you the same sound as using a lower value volume pot. Changing the tone pot allows more highs through, and rolling back the pot gives you exactly the same sound as using a lower value pot.

Thanks for explaining this. That's what I was going for when I swapped 500k pots into my Silvertone after I figured out I wasn't going HSS. I just won an auction for a 2nd what I believe to be stock Silvertone pretty much just like mine but with rosewood fretboard so it'll be interesting to compare the 2 when I get it.

[beaubrummels]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

There’s a tone on the bridge and no tone on the middle and neck and the middle and neck sound darker? That’s the opposite of what I would have expected. That would have me sanity-checking every connection is wired correctly.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

As Jeremy and Beau have said, it doesn't sound right that all of the middle and neck positions would sound dark with 300k pots. I would totally expect the bridge (Lil 59) to sound slightly dark.

You've got one master vol pot, and one tone pot which is used for the Lil 59. Change the vol pot to 500k, that will help a little bit. But the main thing is to learn how to use the tone controls on your amp. There is no way an SSL should sound dark with a 300k pot unless your amp's tone controls are adjusted crazy.

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Volume & Tone Pot Resistance Values~

Lower the single coils and adjust for sound if they are too dark, maybe you have them set too high.
Al