between 250k and 500k needed

[radelahunt]

So i have an interesting dilemma that I'm sure some of you have solved.

i have a guitar with two classic stack Plus and a custom 5. the guitar came with 500k and Five-2 pickups. the 500k made the single coils sound like punches to the face. way too punchy.

i swapped to 250k. now when I'm at volume 5 the sustain dies off. notes don't hold as long with the classic stacks but the custom 5 is fine.

i tend to play with my volume and tone knobs. how can i compromise between 250k and 500k? i thought some company once made 400k?

 

[Securb]

What is the control layout of the guitar? I have two VOL and a master tone on my Strat, that could work. Or try a 300K pot. Knowing the layout would be a huge help.

 

[jeremy]

a 300k pot would be a place to start. i also always test my pots, and usually buy a handful at a time (saves on shipping). take ten 500k pots and youll get a range. ive had as low as 380 and as high as 560k that i can recall

 

[radelahunt]

What is the control layout of the guitar? I have two VOL and a master tone on my Strat, that could work. Or try a 300K pot. Knowing the layout would be a huge help.

Fender showmaster so five-way switch with master volume and master tone

 

[idsnowdog]

A 500K pot with a 1.5M resistor in parallel equals 375K. The resistor would need to be soldered between pins 1 and 3.

 

[Chistopher]

We should probably address what's causing your sustain to die with 250k pots at low volume. That's a good sign that something is broken. Or perhaps something later on down the train is having a problem

 

[radelahunt]

We should probably address what's causing your sustain to die with 250k pots at low volume. That's a good sign that something is broken. Or perhaps something later on down the train is having a problem

Warning: long post.

Common setup: all 3 guitars are Fender Showmasters and have floating tremolo, rosewood fretboards, set up to basic Fender specs with EXL120 strings. I play all guitars at 5 volume for rhythm and roll to 10 for solos. All get played through an amp sim + compressor on my Boss ME-90.

Showmaster #1 is a QMT HH (mahogany body), Jazz/Full Shred, 500k pots. No sustain problems playing the way I do with the knobs.

Showmaster #2 with basswood body ("FAT SSS"). 2x Classic Stack Plus, one Custom 5 stacked humbucker in single coil size body (custom shop). 250k pots. Both the classic stacks have the sustain problems when at volume 5, no such problems at volume 10. The bridge has no problems at any volume level. (originally it had 500k's with the Five-2 pickups x3, that was too punchy, so I swapped the pots for 250ks with the pickups at the same time and i don't recall testing the classic stack plus ones with the 500k's.)

Showmaster #3 is another QMT HH (mahogany body), with essentially the Psyclone set and 500k pots, no issues here either.

All the guitars have an action set up to basic Fender specs, not lower than the stock recommendation, no strings are ringing out on the fretboard due to being too low, none of the necks are warped.

I'm a gigging musician and so my setup is basically the same, high quality 1/4" cable into a direct box from Boss ME-90 line out. I use a WL-20 wireless with all of them at every gig.

 

[Chistopher]

Are the 500k and 250k pots the same taper? There's a chance that if the 500k is linear and the 250k is audio, the reason your signal with the 250k pots and single coil ducks under the floor of your compressor and that's why it has a weird lack of sustain

 

[radelahunt]

Are the 500k and 250k pots the same taper? There's a chance that if the 500k is linear and the 250k is audio, the reason your signal with the 250k pots and single coil ducks under the floor of your compressor and that's why it has a weird lack of sustain

I honestly don't know. I am headed back to the guitar tech soon so I can ask him to verify them.

 

[Mincer]

Are you using a noise gate?