My first SD - advice needed

Il_Bès

New member
Hi folks,
I just bought an used SH-16, planning to slip it in the bridge slot of my LP :clap::clap:: party:: party::clap::clap:.
Quick recap:
In 2012, I bought the LP (a 2007 Swamp Ash Studio with ebony fingerboard) to complement the tonal palette provided by my trusted S-1. Fact is, while I easily managed to get a decent assortment of usable tones from the neck 490R, the same did not apply for the bridge 498T, which kept on sounding too piercing when clean and too jagged when pushed. The tone pot didn't help and left me struggling with muffled or way too bright tone, without anything usable in between. Swapping mags, while helping a little bit, didn't change things significantly.
A year or so ago, a friend gave me a Gibson '57 Classic Plus he did not use and also demoed it a bit after I installed it on the LP. Once again, things in the bridge department had improved a bit, and swapping back the A2 in the 490R helped balance tone and output between bridge and neck. Anyway, the same amp settings that I used and enjoyed with the S-1 sounded awful with the Paul, and, most important, the tone still wasn't what I was looking for.
I guess that playing the same guitar for 30 years can spoil your ears, and any new guitar tone can sound foreign, but most if not all the LPs I've listened to or played since I bought mine sound like they are supposed to, or at least as I expect them to sound. Seems like mine is the family's black sheep :-D
I don't know if the SH-16 will be the game changer, anyway it was kind of a deal and I like the ability to split it to a usable sound, though of course, I will let my ears decide.
So... as to the 'advice needed' section...
I've found a couple of Bourns push-pulls 500K pots and think I'll go for them, but I'd like to hear from fellow users in case of bad experiences with them.
I was also considering upgrading my tone pots (everything is stock, with the exception of the '57C+). Would a 500K / 1 Meg tone pot help me find any sweet spot when using both pickups?
An alternative could be Wilde's Q-filter, which seems promising but is, unfortunately, very difficult to come across in Italy, let alone getting the chance to hear/try one.
Again, any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Andrea
 
Re: My first SD - advice needed

I love the SH-16- it sounds amazing in an LP. Just the right balance of crunch and dynamics. It isn't compressed like higher output pickups, and splits really well. Bourns pots are a great choice- I use them in a few Super Strats. I've always used 500k pots for every humbucker, so I can't help with the different tone pots. I have been intrigued about the Q Filter since I read about it 20 years ago, but have never tried it.
 
Re: My first SD - advice needed

I love the SH-16- it sounds amazing in an LP. Just the right balance of crunch and dynamics. It isn't compressed like higher output pickups, and splits really well. Bourns pots are a great choice- I use them in a few Super Strats. I've always used 500k pots for every humbucker, so I can't help with the different tone pots. I have been intrigued about the Q Filter since I read about it 20 years ago, but have never tried it.

Thanks Dave.
I just posted an enquiry for the Bourns, gonna wait and see what the guy offers. I'll let you know.
Bye,

Andrea
 
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