How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

[AlexR]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

220pf cap only. You're welcome. Or don't listen to me even though I spent several months figuring it out.

Works for you......probably doesn't work with anyone else. It's pickup, guitar, rig and ear dependent.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

I'm actually a big fan of the fender treble bleed with the two resistors (20k + 150k) and one cap (1200pF) for both singles (strat) and humbucker (335) guitars. Tried just a cap (too bright at low volumes), and the both duncan/kinman bleeds (sound great but mess with the taper of the volume pot in ways I don't like or don't quite sound right at lower volume settings).

Treble bleeds are very dependent upon the setup you run though. Just changing your cable from 10 - 20 ft can make one work better than another. It's just a couple resistors and caps. 2$ will buy you enough components to try all the different combos for your own setup.

 

[AlexR]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

^ Yeah.....its great when you have 1 or 2 guitars (or limited numbers that are problematic). You can tune them individually, and its an exercise well worth a bit of effort......
When you have close to 50 like me........and a rig that does tend to change relatively regularly. Well, I'd rather be playing (or building) than faffing. Plus for my uses the 50's wiring works well enough if modern is too dark.

I've only ever used 1meg on the WRHB set I have. And I think on a Jag too when I had it wired vintage style.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

220pf cap only will work every time. The only circumstances where something else could be called for is if the player's preference was for the volume to be darker or brighter as the volume is turned down than on 10. Or if they prefer the sound of kinman.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

220pf cap only will work every time. The only circumstances where something else could be called for is if the player's preference was for the volume to be darker or brighter as the volume is turned down than on 10. Or if they prefer the sound of kinman.

It does not work for me. It gets brighter when the volume is turned down with my setup. I want the tone to same the same while adjusting the volume.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

That exact value?

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

The one issue with 1 megohm pots is when you turn the volume down (which I never do). Then you put a lot more series resistance between the pickup and the amp, which can dull your tone.

But the load on the pickup is a lot less with the volume up. For very hot pickups that can give you a brighter tone.

Passive guitars are always a trade off.


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I had this exact problem with my Jazzmaster. Soon as I'd even move the volume knob off 10 it would get really muddy. However I recently installed a treble bleed on it and that completely solved the problem.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

That exact value?

Yep. Tried 220, 120, and 330 pF as they were what I had in the parts bin. You can tweak the amount of initial brightness with the value, but results are pretty consistent. Just using a cap alone means that when you roll the volume down (especially below half) it becomes noticibly brighter in a way I don't like.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

I see.

 

[zizyphus]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

I use 1M pots on pretty much everything, including on guitars with single coils, for both volume and tone. Sometimes, I'll use a 500k no-load tone pot, in order to have a better taper for when I roll it back

I like the "hi-fi" sound this gives due to the increase in the amount of signal that passes through unfiltered. By comparison, to my ears, lower pot values sound like your amp has a blanket over it or is under water.

I do, however, also use my tone knob often, whether to "take the edge off" when I need to / bring the bite back in for when I want it.

I also find that lower value caps are often more helpful than the traditional 0.047 / 0.033 / 0.022 uF caps that usually come stock on most guitars. I typically use caps from 0.01 to 0.0056. This is still enough treble roll off to get that Clapton "woman tone" when the tone is rolled all the way back, but it also has a much more usable range to my ears

 

[Cdwillis]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

I've got 1meg volume and tone posts in my jazzmaster still. I usually keep the tone on 4 or so with the volume on 10. I don't notice it getting any muddier when I roll the volume down. I think I've gotten used to a bright guitar because when I got my SG (500k pots, PGn and Custom UOA5) out for the first time in a while it sounded so dull.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: How many of you use 1 meg volume pots?

I've got 1meg volume and tone posts in my jazzmaster still. I usually keep the tone on 4 or so with the volume on 10. I don't notice it getting any muddier when I roll the volume down. I think I've gotten used to a bright guitar because when I got my SG (500k pots, PGn and Custom UOA5) out for the first time in a while it sounded so dull.

Seriously man, do the treble bleed mod. It's cheap and Jazzmasters are begging for it!