Quarter Pound Telecaster Pick Ups 500k ohm Pots

[taylormade410]

Hi gang, 1st post. Doing a Pick Up swap in a Squire Paranormal Telecaster and I have the SD Quarter Pound Telecaster Pick-Up set. I've heard that you should use 500k ohm pot with these pick ups - what do think? 500k ohm yes or no?

 

[larryguitar]

While a bit warmer than a typical single coil, they're still a true SC design; I'd try then with the (presumably) existing 250 first. I used a 250 with the set I had years ago, and liked the tones I got.

Larry

 

[Mikelamury]

I also used mine with 250k pots with no problems. It was bright enough with the 250k pots, I probably wouldn't have wanted it that much brighter.

 

[Securb]

I also used mine with 250k pots with no problems. It was bright enough with the 250k pots, I probably wouldn't have wanted it that much brighter.

^This +1. Don't go chasing problems that don't exist. Just swap out the pickups. If they sound too dark then start thinking about pots and caps.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I run mine on my Esquire with a single 500K volume pot, no tone. Doesn't sound too bright for me at all.

Depends on what you want out of it, but if you want it to sound still single-coil-y, you might have to go up to 1 meg.

At least in my case, I don't think it's just "a bit warmer" than a regular single coil. I can tell you as much because I HATE single coils with high-gain, and the QP sounds super nice and chunky doing the chuggz.

 

[Juanhanglo]

I have a set of harmonic design vintage plus pickups.

Same idea as the QPs, just approached in a different manner (steel poles amd ceramic magnets instead of oversized a5 poles).

I tried them with 250k/.047 and they were OK at ten, but too dark whenever I moved the knobs.

I swapped to essentially humbucker valued controls of 500k/.022. And added a treble bleed. I get the old sounds with things turned down, plus all the brighter tones from the 500k pots and bleed

Best of both worlds

 

[jeremy]

id try the 250k pots, its easy and youll know fairly quickly if they are too dark for what you want. if so, the 500k swap is easy too.

 

[Mincer]

Generally they are designed to drop right in a Tele without any other parts. So certainly start with 250k. If it is too dark, you can change it.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

IMO a lot depends on the individual guitar (and you personal tastes).
The QPs are certainly hotter and quite a bit fatter than traditional Tele sets.
Whether you need extra brightness to offset that is impossible to predict.

I concur with the above advice to try 'em with the stock pots first. In an average-to-bright-sounding Tele they should rock.
You can always switch to 500K pots later, if needed. And add a treble bleed if they mud up when you turn down.

 

[JOLLY]

I have some in a tele with 250k. I wish they were 500k. I find them just a tad dark with the 250k.

 

[jeremy]

in most cases, me too. i usually end up with a 500k volume, 250k tone cause just changing the volume gives me enough high end. love the bridge pup

 

[Rex_Rocker]

The thing bout them is ithey sound NOTHING like regular Tele pickups. Which is exactly why I dig them.

To me, the bridge one kinda sounds like a JB meets a P90.

 

[taylormade410]

Thanks to all the Teleblaster's for your help with my project. I think I will try it with 250k ohm pots to start and add a treble bleed to the volume pot and go from there. May need a 500k for the volume pot if needed.

 

[McD]

One more vote for the 250k's.

 

[freefrog]

I have a set of harmonic design vintage plus pickups.

Same idea as the QPs, just approached in a different manner (steel poles amd ceramic magnets instead of oversized a5 poles).

If I can share a totally respecful and peaceful comment: the "manner" evoked might change everything. Steel poles + mag not only impart a higher inductance but also a lower Q factor (a wider and flatter resonant peak) + a weaker magnetic field, making a single coil tonally closer to a humbucker than to a single coil with mag poles.

Personally, I don't know if a QP must be mounted with 500k or 250k.
Other members have already explained why it can be a good idea or not.
My own experience just makes me think that 500k pots can be set to sound like with 250k ones: let the volume pot full up then lower the tone control for a lower resistive load and the result should be practically the same. A 500k volume becomes potentially annoying only when lowered, because it puts more resistance than a 250k between pickup and output, with the related darkening effect (but it can be corrected by a treble bleed).

Good luck in your choice, OP.

 

[Juanhanglo]

If I can share a totally respecful and peaceful comment: the "manner" evoked might change everything. Steel poles + mag not only impart a higher inductance but also a lower Q factor (a wider and flatter resonant peak) + a weaker magnetic field, making a single coil tonally closer to a humbucker than to a single coil with mag poles.

Personally, I don't know if a QP must be mounted with 500k or 250k.
Other members have already explained why it can be a good idea or not.
My own experience just makes me think that 500k pots can be set to sound like with 250k ones: let the volume pot full up then lower the tone control for a lower resistive load and the result should be practically the same. A 500k volume becomes potentially annoying only when lowered, because it puts more resistance than a 250k between pickup and output, with the related darkening effect (but it can be corrected by a treble bleed).

Good luck in your choice, OP.

I am not an authority or anything on pickups, but do know enough to be dangerous......

500k volume volumen't sound like a 250k when turned down. It was explained to me Yeats ago, but I forgot why. A 500k tone pot can be turned down to 7ish and be exactly like a 250k.

I agree somewhat re: steel poles and moving away from that single coil sound.

Difference between a qp and an HD v+:
qp is a high resistance coil and a5 slugs

An HD v+ has ceramic (gasp!) Magnet and a 5k coil.

So 2 different ways to get that fatter sound. The HDs do not sound overwound like the QPs do. They sound like modern tele pickups with more of everything.

 

[servin up spaghetti]

I hav two QP's in a strat stye I built with 1meg CTS pots and a Srauge .047 cap, dig it!

 

[freefrog]

I share below a pic showing the resonant peak of a single coil pickup with two kinds or volume pots. A 500k makes the resonant peak higher (and the pickup therefore brighter) when full up but gives less sparkle when lowered. The 250k does the contrary. Everything has downsides in this world.



And below is a set of old QP sized SC's with steel poles and big ceramic mags underneath that I had on the shelf. With a relatively low 7,34k of DCR, they have a whooping inductance of 6,18H (P90 territory). So I've used 500k pots. With regular QP's, my choice might have been different... or not (LOL), depending on the guitar used. ;-)