I was under the impression you use a 250k pots for single coils and 500k pots for humbuckers. So how does it affect the tone of the humbucker when a 250k pot is used in like Fender strat wiring with one volume? I'm pretty sure that's how Fender wires it. Also, would i just be better off with a single coil size humbucker? But that's still a humbucker and probably needs a 500k pot? Rewire two volumes one tone? But Fender uses one volume. I haven't bought the guitar yet, so I can get SSS or HSS yet. Educate me please. Danke
HSS pickup wiring
- Thread starter Sykes
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Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: HSS pickup wiring
Full size humbuckers sound best to me. As far as pot values, those aren't rules, it's just how the pot interacts with how bright the pickup is in that position in that guitar. You'll be fine starting with a 250k master volume, and a 250k tone for neck and middle, and a 250k tone for bridge. If you want more bite, turn the tone(s) into a no load tone pot. If you want it even more bright than that, replace the volume with a 500k.
Full size humbuckers sound best to me. As far as pot values, those aren't rules, it's just how the pot interacts with how bright the pickup is in that position in that guitar. You'll be fine starting with a 250k master volume, and a 250k tone for neck and middle, and a 250k tone for bridge. If you want more bite, turn the tone(s) into a no load tone pot. If you want it even more bright than that, replace the volume with a 500k.
Re: HSS pickup wiring
Well, I am under the impression that the single coil size humbuckers were designed for 250k, so they should drop right in a Strat without any other changes. With a full size humbucker, I would use one 250k tone for both singles, and a 500k tone for the humbucker. I would have both 250k and 500k pots on hand for volume, and try out both to see what works ok.
Well, I am under the impression that the single coil size humbuckers were designed for 250k, so they should drop right in a Strat without any other changes. With a full size humbucker, I would use one 250k tone for both singles, and a 500k tone for the humbucker. I would have both 250k and 500k pots on hand for volume, and try out both to see what works ok.
Teleplayer
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Re: HSS pickup wiring
If all else is equal, the 250k pots make the humbucker sound warmer. However there is no rule that says humbuckers have to use 500k pots. It really depends on the specifics of the guitar, and how the pickups are designed. Eg. Gibson used 300k control pots for many years. The Fender guitars typically have more treble due to the longer scale length and also tone woods with higher elastic modulus (stiffness). So the 250k controls will often work if the humbuckers are a bit "on the bright side" in Fender strats. In these situations, all is *not* equal, so any 'rule of thumb' may not apply. Its a job for the designer at Fender to choose appropriate pickups that work in combination with the wiring scheme and the character of the instrument.
Obviously its ok to just judge if you like the tone of the Bridge humbucker and single coils, and forget about the specifics of wiring. One other aspect you should think about is the Strat tone in position 2. Sometimes when noiseless pickups and high output humbuckers are combined, you will miss out on getting a traditional quacking-strat tone in the postion 2 "notch position".
Just to complicate matters further, the 2016 American standard Shawbucker strat HSS used a dual gang volume control that combined both 500k and 250k volume control on the one knob. The 500k was wired to the Humbucker, and 250k to the single coils used for neck and middle pickups. In position 2, both 250k and 500k sides of the volume control were switched together in parallel. I am not sure if this still applies to the 2017 professional series.
If all else is equal, the 250k pots make the humbucker sound warmer. However there is no rule that says humbuckers have to use 500k pots. It really depends on the specifics of the guitar, and how the pickups are designed. Eg. Gibson used 300k control pots for many years. The Fender guitars typically have more treble due to the longer scale length and also tone woods with higher elastic modulus (stiffness). So the 250k controls will often work if the humbuckers are a bit "on the bright side" in Fender strats. In these situations, all is *not* equal, so any 'rule of thumb' may not apply. Its a job for the designer at Fender to choose appropriate pickups that work in combination with the wiring scheme and the character of the instrument.
Obviously its ok to just judge if you like the tone of the Bridge humbucker and single coils, and forget about the specifics of wiring. One other aspect you should think about is the Strat tone in position 2. Sometimes when noiseless pickups and high output humbuckers are combined, you will miss out on getting a traditional quacking-strat tone in the postion 2 "notch position".
Just to complicate matters further, the 2016 American standard Shawbucker strat HSS used a dual gang volume control that combined both 500k and 250k volume control on the one knob. The 500k was wired to the Humbucker, and 250k to the single coils used for neck and middle pickups. In position 2, both 250k and 500k sides of the volume control were switched together in parallel. I am not sure if this still applies to the 2017 professional series.
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Re: HSS pickup wiring
That's what I'm getting, American Standard Shawbucker HSS. So it probably have the dual gang pots. No worries then. Thanks for the heads up.
That's what I'm getting, American Standard Shawbucker HSS. So it probably have the dual gang pots. No worries then. Thanks for the heads up.