A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

[Grandy]

Hi everyone. Has anyone tried a set of SSL-6 pickups with 500K pots? Experiences? I'm looking for a clean vintage type of sound with plenty of highs but with more body. I would also like to tame down the dynamics a little. I know that's part of the charm of a strat but it is very hard to control? Would this set do it for me?

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

Going to be pretty bright and spanky with 500k pots. By tone down the dynamics do you mean you want more compression? I think you would get along easier with them if you just used 250k pots.

 

[Grandy]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

Going to be pretty bright and spanky with 500k pots. By tone down the dynamics do you mean you want more compression? I think you would get along easier with them if you just used 250k pots.

Yeah I want it to be bright and spanky. And yes, I'd like the attack to be a little compressed. Strats are often very sensitive to touch and the dynamics are hard to control. I'm concerned that with 250K pots they might sound too dark. The sound clip of the bridge pup is nice but the neck is too dark and muddy. If the bridge gets too bright I can always turn the tone down but I can't add any treble.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

I havent listened to the sound clips so im not sure but from my experience the SSL6 isnt muddy in the neck. I had it in a lone star strat that I tried 500k's for the humbucker and thought they were too bright and too thin. 250k made them more controllable. If you want you could go half way and go with a 500k volume pot and a 250k tone pot also. The SSL6 is a good half way pickup its still got some vintage flavor but has a bit more meat to it and isnt as thin. I think you would like them.

 

[jeremy]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

ssl6 in the neck with 500k volume is nice! in the bridge it can be bright but if you have a tone control on the bridge pup you should be fine.

the ssl6 with 250k volume in the neck isnt a bad sound but it sure isnt bright

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

I have SSL6's with 500K pots but that's on a Duosonic with 22in scale. It's not too bright. Once you get past 9K with a single coil it's powerful enough that you can use a 500k pot.

 

[jeremy]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

that short scale changes things some what

 

[Grandy]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

13K seems like a lot for a single coil so I thought I'd be ok with 500K pots. I have a master volume and a master tone on my strat. I set up my amp so that the neck pup is just bright enough for my taste and cut treble on bridge pup if needed. I think I'll go with the whole set of SSL-6's. Thank you all for your input.

 

[Grandy]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

Or maybe I'll chicken out and get a set of SSL-2's. At least I would know what I'm getting into. Additional comments always welcome....

 

[B2D]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

13K seems like a lot for a single coil so I thought I'd be ok with 500K pots. I have a master volume and a master tone on my strat. I set up my amp so that the neck pup is just bright enough for my taste and cut treble on bridge pup if needed. I think I'll go with the whole set of SSL-6's. Thank you all for your input.

500k pots with a high-output single coil will sound OK at first, but after a short time the treble can fatigue your ears and the overall tone will seem strident. You know how bright new strings tend to sound? 500k pots with singles sound like that all the time.

Go with 250's. The response will be much smoother and pleasing overall.

 

[Grandy]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

I may fatigue other band members' ears. No, I know I've done that. I've said this before and I'll say it again: "I may not be the brightest but my guitars sure are." I have considered a compromise, putting SSL-6 in the bridge and SSL-2's in the neck and middle positions.

What got interested in this "hot pups, 500K pots" -thing is my Reverend Six Gun. The pickups sounded really dark and I thought I had made a mistake buying it but 500K pots really brought it alive. The resistance of those is nowhere near SSL-6 but the ceramic magnets are boosting the output.

 

[B2D]

Re: A Set of SSL-6s with 500K pots?

Well in that case... give it a shot! It may work for you, and pots are cheap, luckily.