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Pots for a mixed Tele pickup set (Lover neck, JD bridge)?

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  • Pots for a mixed Tele pickup set (Lover neck, JD bridge)?

    I'm looking for opinions as to a Tele that I'm modding, as to pots/electronics.

    I've never mixed pickups before, so, this is kind of totally uncharted waters for me, as to this mod.

    I havent decided if I want to wire my own plate, or just be a bit lazy and buy a high quality pre wired harness. Mostly I just care about building with premium-quality, reliable and consistent stuff.

    I understand the single coils generally pair with 250K pots, and 500K pots generally pair with humbuckers. Generally, is it true that a 500K/single combo could be over bright, or a 250K/humbucker combo possibly too dark? Anyone ever mix different size pots on the same plate?

    These are the specific pickups I've chosen for the mod, so I hope that helps narrow any advice offered.

    So, I suppose that I'm looking for setups that people have built or used, to maximize the sound of these pickups, individually and together. Also, suggestions as to caps and where to use them would be helpful.

    I know that these specific pickups have their own unique, highly regarded sound. I don't mind experimenting too much, to blend them properly in my mod. Maybe I'm trying to save myself a bit of work, trying to get my wiring close on the first go around, and then tweak it a bit as I play the guitar and the music I like.

    Any advice, with explanations as to the whys, would be gratefully accepted.

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    BTW...Maple neck and fingerboard (two piece). Fairly sure body is Alder. If it matters.

  • #2
    Re: Pots for a mixed Tele pickup set (Lover neck, JD bridge)?

    Pots are a matter of taste. You may like 250K with a humbucker or you may like a 500K with a single coil. However, there are two alternatives 1) You can use a resistor+pot so that the humbucker sees a 500K pot and the single-coil sees a 250k pot. 2) You could split the difference and use 333K pots. Guitarfetish sells 333K pots or you can create a 333K pot by putting a 1 meg resistor across the outer lugs of a 500K pot.

    Resistors are basic components that add a lot of versatility to your guitar. Using Resistors in a guitar can add a whole new layer of tone.

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    • #3
      Re: Pots for a mixed Tele pickup set (Lover neck, JD bridge)?

      I've used these 2 pickups with stock Tele pots with no issues, and I've used them with 500k volume and 500k tone, but it really depends on the guitar. I use my volume and tone controls a lot, and tend toward darer sounds, but every guitar is different. I encourage you to experiment if the stock setup doesn't work for you. There are no rules when you mix pickup types, and parts are inexpensive enough to experiment with.
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      • #4
        Re: Pots for a mixed Tele pickup set (Lover neck, JD bridge)?

        You might like 500K pots with that pickup combination.

        The Seth Lover sounds "right" to me with 500K pots and the JD is NOT a steely bright Tele bridge pickup. It has a lot of midrange and the treble is fairly warm and smooth. 500K pots would brighten the JD up slightly.

        If you decide to go with 250K or 330K it'll make the Seth Lover sound slightly darker and it might lose a little volume.

        If you go with 250K pots you might want to disconnect the tone control from the Seth Lover. I did that with my PRS Custom 22 that has Duncan Antiquitys.

        I connect the tone control to the same terminal on the pickup selector switch as the Bridge pickup is connected too.

        That way the tone control works normally when I'm using the bridge pickup alone, or using the neck and bridge together.

        But the tone control is disconnected when the Neck pickup is used by itself and that makes it sound a little brighter and clearer.

        It also allows me to "preset" the tone control and leave it turned down for a "wah" sound or what Clapton called his "woman tone" when I'm soloing on the bridge pickup.
        Last edited by Lewguitar; 07-08-2020, 10:57 AM.
        “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

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