CajunBlues
New member
I wired up a harness with 500k pots to go with some Bryan Gunsher P90s (all A5 magnets).... What is y'alls opinion on 500k vs 250k for P90s ? Is there really a noticeable difference ?
P90s to 250k or 500k ??
- Thread starter CajunBlues
- Start date
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k ??
I run mine with 250K pots.
P90s have so much bite by design, that I find 500K pots make them harsh.
When I had 500K pots on mine (and I've had P90s in 4 guitars this year), I always found myself rolling the tone back a lot before they landed in the sweet spot.
With 250K pots, I still roll tones back from time to time, but it seems like much more of the tone pot and volume range are usable and sweet, whereas I felt like maybe only 20% of the sweep was usable when they had 500K pots.
I run mine with 250K pots.
P90s have so much bite by design, that I find 500K pots make them harsh.
When I had 500K pots on mine (and I've had P90s in 4 guitars this year), I always found myself rolling the tone back a lot before they landed in the sweet spot.
With 250K pots, I still roll tones back from time to time, but it seems like much more of the tone pot and volume range are usable and sweet, whereas I felt like maybe only 20% of the sweep was usable when they had 500K pots.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k ??
Yes, there's a noticeable difference in pot value. I also have a pair of Gunsher P-90's (in an SG). 500K's on the neck, no debate there. You need the extra treble for clarity and definition. Twin A5's in the neck are great.
On the bridge though, remember, P-90's are single coils, and don't have the extra midrange and reduced treble of an HB. To me, bridge P-90's with 500K's are ungodly bright; overkill on treble. I use two 250K pots (volume & tone) on my bridge P-90's (and Phat Cats) and that definitely takes off some shrillness.
Using twin A5's is also going to give you a lot of treble. In my case, even 250K's don't shave off enough excess treble, so I swap magnets and use an A8/A5 or A8/A4 pair to beef up the mids and dial the treble down a notch. Much fuller & richer tone. Plus it pairs up better EQ-wise with the neck.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference in pot value. I also have a pair of Gunsher P-90's (in an SG). 500K's on the neck, no debate there. You need the extra treble for clarity and definition. Twin A5's in the neck are great.
On the bridge though, remember, P-90's are single coils, and don't have the extra midrange and reduced treble of an HB. To me, bridge P-90's with 500K's are ungodly bright; overkill on treble. I use two 250K pots (volume & tone) on my bridge P-90's (and Phat Cats) and that definitely takes off some shrillness.
Using twin A5's is also going to give you a lot of treble. In my case, even 250K's don't shave off enough excess treble, so I swap magnets and use an A8/A5 or A8/A4 pair to beef up the mids and dial the treble down a notch. Much fuller & richer tone. Plus it pairs up better EQ-wise with the neck.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k ??
I prefer 500k pots with my P-90s as well, but I tend to use them only in all-mahogany, 24.75"-scale, stop-tail guitars, so the other specs might be mellowing out the highs and accentuating the mids enough that the same equilibrium is achieved....
I prefer 500k pots with my P-90s as well, but I tend to use them only in all-mahogany, 24.75"-scale, stop-tail guitars, so the other specs might be mellowing out the highs and accentuating the mids enough that the same equilibrium is achieved....
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k ??
Oh yeah - great point --- wood and scale length and hardware ---
The guitars I mentioned that had P90s were
Alder Strat, 25.5", blocked 2-point trem
Thin (Squier) Strat body, 25.5", hardtail bridge
Mahogany PRS Singlecut, set neck, 25", wraparound bridge
That's important to note --- the two Fender-style guitars are naturally brighter than the mahogany PRS. And the PRS just so happens to have really bright pickups.
Oh yeah - great point --- wood and scale length and hardware ---
The guitars I mentioned that had P90s were
Alder Strat, 25.5", blocked 2-point trem
Thin (Squier) Strat body, 25.5", hardtail bridge
Mahogany PRS Singlecut, set neck, 25", wraparound bridge
That's important to note --- the two Fender-style guitars are naturally brighter than the mahogany PRS. And the PRS just so happens to have really bright pickups.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k ??
Another thing to note - I just sound darker.
That sounds weird, but it's not.
Other players can sound too bright, plinky, or tinny through my rig. But I don't.
Just one of those things... I use real heavy picks and must just work it differently than them.
Maybe it's from cutting my teeth on crappy, too-bright sounding gear with no balls. I built my self-taught technique around getting a thicker, fuller sounds with my hands or something.
EDIT: in case it sounds like I'm blowing my own horn here, the downside to this is that my picking technique isn't the most economical and probably costs me some speed.
Another thing to note - I just sound darker.
That sounds weird, but it's not.
Other players can sound too bright, plinky, or tinny through my rig. But I don't.
Just one of those things... I use real heavy picks and must just work it differently than them.
Maybe it's from cutting my teeth on crappy, too-bright sounding gear with no balls. I built my self-taught technique around getting a thicker, fuller sounds with my hands or something.
EDIT: in case it sounds like I'm blowing my own horn here, the downside to this is that my picking technique isn't the most economical and probably costs me some speed.
Last edited:
cortmarshall
New member
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k ??
300k's. Maybe 250 in the bridge, but you can always just roll off a lil and get the same result with the 300k.
300k's. Maybe 250 in the bridge, but you can always just roll off a lil and get the same result with the 300k.
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k ??
But if you shave off some of the high-end bite and add some mids, you've lost most of the character of a P-90. Night just as well get a humbucker and lose the hum of a P-90 as an added bonus.
I, myself, like that bite, that shrillness, that rude character of a P-90 and want to preserve as much of it as I can. 500k for me.
But if you shave off some of the high-end bite and add some mids, you've lost most of the character of a P-90. Night just as well get a humbucker and lose the hum of a P-90 as an added bonus.
I, myself, like that bite, that shrillness, that rude character of a P-90 and want to preserve as much of it as I can. 500k for me.
CajunBlues
New member
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k -- Project Done w/photos
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k -- Project Done w/photos
Project done.. I used the 500k pots... And it turned out exactly as I expected I am satisfied... The BG pickups are an improvement over Gibsons and certainly over the stock epiphones... The only difference I can tell over the Gibson is that the BG's seem to have a perfect balance between highs/mids/lows.... Now I have a $300 guitar that sounds like a $1000 guitar...
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 002.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 003.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 004.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 005.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 006.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 007.JPG
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k -- Project Done w/photos
Project done.. I used the 500k pots... And it turned out exactly as I expected I am satisfied... The BG pickups are an improvement over Gibsons and certainly over the stock epiphones... The only difference I can tell over the Gibson is that the BG's seem to have a perfect balance between highs/mids/lows.... Now I have a $300 guitar that sounds like a $1000 guitar...
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 002.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 003.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 004.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 005.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 006.JPG
http://members.cox.net/emma1234/les paul special 007.JPG
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k -- Project Done w/photos
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k -- Project Done w/photos
Great choice of guitar!
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k -- Project Done w/photos
Great choice of guitar!
CajunBlues
New member
Re: P90s to 250k or 500k ??
Thanks... Blueman...
that will certainly work just as well... Don't have to worry about taper... In fact that may be a good idea if you just want a quick fix from the el cheapo chinese electronics...
Thanks... Blueman...
Wired my Mean 90 straight to the jack.
that will certainly work just as well... Don't have to worry about taper... In fact that may be a good idea if you just want a quick fix from the el cheapo chinese electronics...
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