Another 500K pot thread, help please

G

Gerryblue

New member
Sorry if this has been answered before, I tried searching the forums to no avail. I have a set of Hot Rails in my Strat and after noticing neck pu quite muddy, I've decide to try the 500k pot, my question is:

Shall I use the 500K just on the neck pu tone control, just on the volume, or both?

Thanks
 
Re: Another 500K pot thread, help please

I use 300k volume pots in my strat, even with vintage single coils. The volume pot value will make a much bigger difference to your overall tone. I don't connect a tone pot to my neck pickup at all. It sounds better without one.
 
Re: Another 500K pot thread, help please

Pot values play a bigger role in volume controls than tone controls. If your existing tone is a 250K I wouldn't change it, because a 500K won't give you much more treble.
 
Re: Another 500K pot thread, help please

Volume Pot values modify the Q of the resonance freq too, not only volume. A rule of thumb is the higher the value the more the general character of the pickup is enhanced, the lower the less, put a 1M in a stratocaster and it can cut glass with a high A on the 17th fret

The tone pot is way less important, unless you use a very low value, like the upper tone control of a Jazzmaster/Jaguar where you can find 25K pots for example

edit: 50K not 25K
 
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Re: Another 500K pot thread, help please

You might consider disconnecting the tone control from the neck pickup.

You could move the tone control on the middle pickup to the bridge.

And then the tone control on the neck to the middle.

Won't cost you a dime and a far easier mod.

That's a trick for helping out the neck pickup on a Tele: remove the tone control from it if you never use it.
 
Re: Another 500K pot thread, help please

Changing out a Cap Value or Pot will Not Solve having a sizzling Hot Rail or SD in the Neck position of a Strat . I cant even think of a Scenario where it would be Advantageous to use in the neck of a Strat for standard or Drop-tune Metal (considering most amp rigs used , as well ) . The Obvious solution would be to get rid of the Hot Neck pup , IMHO
 
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