Gibson SG pot query?

[Chris of Arabia]

I put a PGb/n set in there a couple of weeks back, but didn't swap out the PCB with the pots mounted on it - I just picked up some of the plugs/pins they use from RadioSpares, and plugged the PG set straight in. I wasn't sure whether I'd end up wanting to keep the SG, so wanted to be able to easily return it all to stock, now I'm thinking I may hang on to it, depite the pup swap sounding not quite as I'd have expected it - it's not muddy exactly, but doesn't have quite as much bite as I perhaps expected.

Would I be right in thinking that Gibson use 300k pots by default on those things? If so, then is it easy enough to be able to lift all that crap out and switch over to 500k pots, leaving me (still) able to put all the old crap back in, if I really do decide to part with it?

 

[agentzero12]

Re: Gibson SG pot query?

Id say yes. Take the nuts off the controls and lift it all out together. Then it will be ready to go back in. You will have to wire the new pots from scratch but diagrams are easy to find and wiring isn't hard, just take your time.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Gibson SG pot query?

I figured as much, but haven't dropped to back off it yet to have a look for myself. No problems with the re-wire, I've put a few Warmoth together and heaven knows how many other swaps. If I'm pulling stuff out of there, I may well go with push-push pots on the tone controls so I can split them whilst I'm at it.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Gibson SG pot query?

Changing the pot values to 500k may pass more top end detail. The midrange emphasis of the PG pair may lie in slightly the wrong frequencies to gel with a thin, all-mahogany body.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Gibson SG pot query?

Most humbuckers will sound muddy with the dumb 300k (linear) volume pots that Gibson uses on most production guitars IMO. Changing those out to 500k (I prefer vintage audio taper pots myself) will bring out all the frequencies that the pickups can produce. Why Gibson still puts the 300k volume pots in the production guitars is still a mystery to me (and most players). Even weirder when you consider the cheaper Epiphone guitars use the "correct" 500k volume pots.

Al

 

[ErikH]

Re: Gibson SG pot query?

You'll be fine with then tone pots being 300k but definitely swap out the volume for 500k.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Gibson SG pot query?

You'll be fine with then tone pots being 300k but definitely swap out the volume for 500k.

Most Gibson production Gibsons come with 300k linear volume pots, but the tones are 500k audio already.
Al