Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

A

audiodog

New member
I have an Ibanez RG42FM, I just changed the stock pickups to the JB, and 59. However I am not getting the desired treble response I need. When I play my Peavey Wolfgang I get increable treble response, but when I play my Ibanez it sounds dull ,plain, unsharp. I though my new pickups would solve that problem but it didn't.

So if I switch out my stock POTS, will there be a difference in the quality of sound?

THanks.
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

tattoed carrot those breasts in your avatar are so beautiful , i wish i had my face in the middle of those man
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

CTS 500k? What does the CTS stand for? Please forgive my ignorance....

and what about my caps? Aren't they called knobs?

Thanks... :dance:
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

audiodog said:
CTS 500k? What does the CTS stand for? Please forgive my ignorance....

and what about my caps? Aren't they called knobs?

Thanks... :dance:
Click to expand...

He means capacitors, which are used on the tone pot to achieve the effect of reducing the treble when turned down. CTS is the name of an electronics company who makes control pots. CTS pots are very high quality, but the difference between cheap pots and good pots is usually reliability and feel, not tone. I'm guessing you won't notice a huge difference if you replace the pots.

Ryan
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

Really...

I can't figure out why there is such a huge difference in tone. My Wolfgang sounds full of life and pristine, but my Ibanez sounds dull and lifeless compared to my wolfgang.

I know I used the right solder to install my new pups... I'm really confused....
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

AFAIK, Wolfgang's are really hot guitars in terms of the electronics aren't they? The wolfgang pickups are supposed to be really something!
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

audiodog said:
Really...

I can't figure out why there is such a huge difference in tone. My Wolfgang sounds full of life and pristine, but my Ibanez sounds dull and lifeless compared to my wolfgang.

I know I used the right solder to install my new pups... I'm really confused....
Click to expand...

There's a lot more to a guitar's tone than just electronics. The Wolfgang is designed differently than an Ibanez, and as a result, they sound a lot different. Ibanez guitars often have a thin body, thin neck, and a floating Floyd Rose bridge, none of which I like because I feel they have a negative impact on the tone.

Ryan
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

audiodog said:
Really...

I know I used the right solder to install my new pups... I'm really confused....
Click to expand...

Are you absolutely sure you wired it up properly? Do you have experience with soldering and replacing pickups, or was this your first try? If something sounds really wrong, it's possible that there is a problem with the wiring.

Ryan
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

Also, check the wiring and make sure you didn't wire them out of phase. That will make the pickups sound dull.
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

The wiring schematics came directly from the Seymour Duncan support staff. I told them my what I had and they gave me the diagram.

As far as the soldering goes I can't see what I could of done wrong. I mean if there is some special trick involved, I'm all ears.
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

audiodog said:
The wiring schematics came directly from the Seymour Duncan support staff. I told them my what I had and they gave me the diagram.

As far as the soldering goes I can't see what I could of done wrong. I mean if there is some special trick involved, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...

Both the JB and the '59 have a lot of treble, so I have a feeling you did something wrong in your wiring. If they sound very dull with no treble, you could've done something wrong when wiring up the tone control.

Ryan
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

audiodog said:
Really...

I can't figure out why there is such a huge difference in tone. My Wolfgang sounds full of life and pristine, but my Ibanez sounds dull and lifeless compared to my wolfgang.

I know I used the right solder to install my new pups... I'm really confused....
Click to expand...

Thats because my friend, A wolfgang IS full of life and pristine.
And Ibanezes ARE dull and lifeless.
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

I just had an Idea. When I installed the neck 59' pickup, I installed it with the adjustable screws facing to the bridge. Would that put the pickups out of phase???
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

audiodog said:
I just had an Idea. When I installed the neck 59' pickup, I installed it with the adjustable screws facing to the bridge. Would that put the pickups out of phase???
Click to expand...


no...that makes your neck pickup upside down. IF you're pickups were out of phase you would not know it until both pickups were on, and it would not be dull sounding. Have you replaced the pots, checked all your joints, etc...
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

Let's say that a wire came un-done, would't that cut of all sound?

No I have not changed my POTs.
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

audiodog said:
Let's say that a wire came un-done, would't that cut of all sound?

No I have not changed my POTs.
Click to expand...

It would depend on the wire that came undone. Either way, you would hear that something wasn't right. Have you done this kind of thing before, or was this your first time soldering and installing a pickup? I would advise having a tech take a look at it. It won't cost very much, and it will save you a lot of time and hassle.

Ryan
 
Re: Is there better quality tone/volume POTS out there?

audiodog said:
Yes, this was my first time installing pickups...
Click to expand...

In that case, I'm willing to bet something is wrong with the wiring. It's easy to make a mistake if you're not familiar with guitar wiring. First, when you plug it in, do the volume and tone controls work as they should? Do you hear any buzzing or humming coming through the amp? Do the stock pots measure 500k ohms? What capacitor value are you using? These are all things you need to know.

On the JB, did you solder the black wire to hot, green and bare to ground, and then solder red and white together and wrap them in electrical tape?

Assuming the '59 has a braided single conductor lead, did you solder the main wire to hot and then solder the outer lead shielding to ground?

Ryan
 
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