JB + 250k pot question

clint_41

clint_41

New member
i searched this topic up in the forums and read what i could, and i found out that to test what a 250k tone pot would sound like with the JB, to just turn my current 500k pot to about 6 or 7, and that is what a 250k pot will give me. can i do the same thing for my volume pot? thanks.
clint
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

I definitely disagree with both of those. If you really want to find out how it will sound, just change the pot.
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

rabidrabbit2727 said:
I definitely disagree with both of those. If you really want to find out how it will sound, just change the pot.
Click to expand...

o really? damn i was hoping i could do a somewhat acurate test run before guitting open my guitar again
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

rabidrabbit2727 said:
I definitely disagree with both of those. If you really want to find out how it will sound, just change the pot.
Click to expand...

Don't change out the pot. Just put two 1 meg resistors in parallel between the pot input lug and ground. This'll knock a 500 down to a 250k. Way easier and only costs pennies.
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

what does it do? It lowers how much treble you can dial in with the tone knob turned all the way up? Why would you want to limit your option of dialing in alot of treble? Some amps lack treble that would suck.

I'm probably wrong in my assumption can someone explain?

Thanks
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

stangme01 said:
what does it do? It lowers how much treble you can dial in with the tone knob turned all the way up? Why would you want to limit your option of dialing in alot of treble? Some amps lack treble that would suck.

I'm probably wrong in my assumption can someone explain?

Thanks
Click to expand...

1.Most people aren't playing alot of amps. They are fine tuning their setup

2.There is no point in having too much treble. Its just piercing, painful and a tone that will never be used.
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

rabidrabbit2727 said:
I definitely disagree with both of those. If you really want to find out how it will sound, just change the pot.
Click to expand...

On a volume control, you are correct. On a tone pot, not so much. :D

A tone control only uses two of the lugs. Its just a variable resistor. If you turn a 500k pot down to 250k, its electrically identical to a 250k pot. You, of course, wouldn't know the exact position that equaled 250k, but you don't need to. You just roll the tone control back a bit, and then ask yourself if you'ld ever want to roll it back up again.

The loading of a volume control is different, however. The "load" affect is a function of the outside two terminals, which stays at constant resistance of whatever the pot value is.

Fritz's trick of using the resistors in parallel is correct as a temporary test. Although, I'm not sure why he's saying to use 2 1 meg's, instead of just one 500k. :)

Artie
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

The taper would be more linear tho! Beware! ;)

B

PS. That is if a 250K is half way down say at 125K. Now take a 500K pot and do the 500K resistor thingy. At half way down with the 500K pot, you'd not get 125K but 1/250 + 1/500 = 1/(500/3), i.e. something like 166K. Thus, your pot with whatever taper would more more linear, which I am not very fond of.
 
Last edited:
Re: JB + 250k pot question

Turning a 500k pot down to 250k would definitely aproximate the tone that one would get with a 250k pot...but as already stated here, it's not just turning it halfway...Very losely put, if you drop a 500k down to about 8, you're probably close to an idea of what it would sound like...at 250k...assuming the pot you are using is an Audio/Log taper.

Personally, Im in the middle of installing a JB into a strat...and I initially went with the JB and two singles...and I hate the way the JB sounds with a 250k pot volume pot. I replaced it with a 500k volume pot and it sounds WAY better....more open, more percussive...all the things I remember and loved about the JB came back.

Unfortunatley, the upshot was that the single coils sounded like ass with a 500k volume...so I'm getting an HH pickguard and putting a Jazz in the neck position insteadl...problem solved!!! :)

:headbang:
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

Fritz6 said:
Don't change out the pot. Just put two 1 meg resistors in parallel between the pot input lug and ground. This'll knock a 500 down to a 250k. Way easier and only costs pennies.
Click to expand...

thanks for this tip, and i would take your advice but the solder job that is inside my guitar right now is sloppy as all h*ll. im going to replace at least the tone pot (to cut it down to a 250k, and because the 500k i have now is fried) and redo a lot of the solders in there now to make them cleaner.

the other question i have is was the JB intended for a 250k volume pot as well? if i change the 500k volume pot to a 250k volume is it going to re-characterize the tone of my JB? i just want to get a less piercing trebly sound out of my JB without the tone knob all the way down at 2. but i cant tell if the general opinion is that the JB sounds better with a 250k volume pot as well as a 250k tone pot. btw, its in a swamp ash body. thanks again for the help guys.
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

couldn't you have a switch to switch between a 500K and a 250K so you could have even more sound control? That would be awesome! I see what you guy are saying now though.

Also I'd like to know the benefit of a 250K volume pot too? what does this do?
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

I like my gibson 300k vols for high output pups in the bridge...tames them a bit! I like 500k in the neck...opens them up a bit.
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

ArtieToo said:
On a volume control, you are correct. On a tone pot, not so much. :D

A tone control only uses two of the lugs. Its just a variable resistor. If you turn a 500k pot down to 250k, its electrically identical to a 250k pot. You, of course, wouldn't know the exact position that equaled 250k, but you don't need to. You just roll the tone control back a bit, and then ask yourself if you'ld ever want to roll it back up again.

The loading of a volume control is different, however. The "load" affect is a function of the outside two terminals, which stays at constant resistance of whatever the pot value is.

Fritz's trick of using the resistors in parallel is correct as a temporary test. Although, I'm not sure why he's saying to use 2 1 meg's, instead of just one 500k. :)

Artie
Click to expand...


Artie I got the values and number of resistors to use from this page:

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/potm.htm

Artie is using 1 500k resistor the same as using 2 1megs in parallel? It seems so from the article. Maybe 500k's aren't easy to get a hold of? I've seen 470's in Radio Shack if I remember right.
 
Last edited:
Re: JB + 250k pot question

stangme01 said:
couldn't you have a switch to switch between a 500K and a 250K so you could have even more sound control? That would be awesome! I see what you guy are saying now though.

Also I'd like to know the benefit of a 250K volume pot too? what does this do?
Click to expand...

To my ears it takes some of the "split ends" off the sound and gives it a little more of a woody tone. YMMV tho. I run all my buckers @ 250k.
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

And look who wrote that tutorial, John Spina..

Which we all know as Stratdeluxer around here. ;)

=====================================

Both way will work.. 2 1megs or a 500k.
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

jony said:
And look who wrote that tutorial, John Spina..

Which we all know as Stratdeluxer around here. ;)

=====================================

Both way will work.. 2 1megs or a 500k.
Click to expand...


Really? GAWD D@AMN! How about that!!
 
Re: JB + 250k pot question

i decided to just go and buy 3 250k pots for 15$ and replace all three of my 500k pots. i love it. i still get the characteristics of both pickups, but without the shrillness i used to get. the only problem is that i wired my tone pot prongs backwards; so the tone control works backwards. so soon i will fix that, other than that i love th 250k pots with the humbucker from hell and the JB.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top