250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

[FuelGTRX]

Re: 250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

I'm going to have to look into these DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Blues pick-ups. I wonder whether they're noiseless sterile nonsense or a valid compromise for hss strats. I still find that using 250k volume and no tone on the bridge still makes to much high end loss on humbuckers. I'm slowly coming around to the idea that unless its with the pearly gates plus, no humbucker will sound 'right' with a 250k volume

They sound very strat like to me. I like it more than any of the the Fender noiseless single coils. Alot of pop, spank, and clarity with a touch of sweetness with 500K pots. Plus, it's quieter than the PGb in my strat

 

[ganzosrevenge]

Re: 250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

I think that if the 2 SCs are close in output, and are lowish at that (ie: having 2 SSL-1s), with a HB, I would put the SCs on their own 250k tone pot, and the HB on its own 500k tone pot. With that said, while omitting a pot for the bridge does give greater tonal varieties for the 2 single coils (mix and match tone), it effectively prevents the HB from being anywhere near useful except for full-on. (as it's effectively bypassing any capacitors.) If you have a higher powered HB relative to the sc's, it will effectively act in some ways like a 'volume / mids and low mids" boost when switched fully on. This is especially true if you use an autosplit for middle / inside coil sounds, as you still want to be able to tame the natural tendencies of the HB and its centered magnet, combined with the fact that HBs are usually closer to the strings than the Single coils closer to the front of the guitar. This is why I happen to be a fan of Lone-Star switching. It provides an autonomous tone pot for the bridge, while allowing the neck and mid to work together, and in pos 2, blend both pots.

Lone-star the strat, and see how it goes... this way all 3 pups have tone pots, and the HB doesn't interfere as much with the 2 single coils.

Jason

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: 250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

If you have a superswitch, you could use a 500K resistor to turn the 500K vol pot into a 250K. There is one downside though, in the 250K mode, the taper will be more linear. So I would use a 500K audio.

B

 

[DMyers77]

Re: 250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

This is why I happen to be a fan of Lone-Star switching. It provides an autonomous tone pot for the bridge, while allowing the neck and mid to work together, and in pos 2, blend both pots.

Actually, the Lone Star Strat uses a Super Switch. With the way it is wired, position 2 doesn't blend both pots... it uses the 1st tone control only.

http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdf_temp1/stratocaster/0107900_02B/SD0107900_02BPg2.pdf

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: 250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

How do Seymour's Alnico 2 strat pickups or 5/2's work with 500K volume pots?

 

[Chad]

Re: 250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

Anybody ever tried a 375K or thereabouts pot? I have a "500K" pot at home that actually measures around 400K. I never did get around to trying that pot in a HSS guitar, so I don't know how it would work out.

 

[ACH91332]

Re: 250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

Yeah you could get the VV blues its supposed to work with 500k pots. Atleast thats what DMZ recommends to use them with. You could always go 500k pots with 500k resistors in parallel to the ground for the single coils though. Simulates 250k volume pots.

EDIT: You could always get a 500K/250K concentric pot so you control the volume of the humbucker independently from the neck and middle single coils.

 

[tc]

Re: 250k vs 500k on SSH Strat

If anything it depends on the pickups to be used.

There's some humbuckers that actually like a 250k pot. Like the Pearly Gates or the JB. Another option is going at it by treating both types of pickups for what they are. Use 250k or 500k master volume (or 300k/375k I guess would be even better), and a 250k for the tone on the neck pup, wire the second tone pot to bridge only and use a 500k pot and make sure each tone pot gets a proper cap value for the different types.

Oh you could also use a 500k for the master volume and wire it up so that when you're using the singles the thing "sees" a 250k.

But like I said, what pups do you plan on using?