Does anybody have any information on using resistors with potentiometers for different pickups with different specs. It seems to me that there must be a sweet spot for each style of pickup based on resistance and resonant peak that would not necessarily be either a 250K or 500K pot. With the range of specs of single coils all over the place it seems to be an area to optimize pickup output. Has anyone wired capacitors so that specific pickups "recognize" the same pot as having a different value (like in an HSS configuration)?
Resistors and Potentiometers
- Thread starter tabeck5
- Start date
Scott Marceau
SD Artist Relations / Sales
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
This is actually something I've been playing with on my own HSS Strat here at the office. Right now I'm using Antiquity Texas Hots in the neck and middle and have a Pearly Gates trembucker in the bridge. My pots are all 500k and I'm using a .022 cap. I was messing around with 470k and 510k resistors on the single coils but ultimately felt like it wasn't necessary to my ears. I was using a JB at first with an A3 magnet and while it sounded killer at 250k I felt like it didn't have the oomph that 500k's can give.
Have you looked at Suhr's HSS diagram? That one is pretty cool!
This is actually something I've been playing with on my own HSS Strat here at the office. Right now I'm using Antiquity Texas Hots in the neck and middle and have a Pearly Gates trembucker in the bridge. My pots are all 500k and I'm using a .022 cap. I was messing around with 470k and 510k resistors on the single coils but ultimately felt like it wasn't necessary to my ears. I was using a JB at first with an A3 magnet and while it sounded killer at 250k I felt like it didn't have the oomph that 500k's can give.
Have you looked at Suhr's HSS diagram? That one is pretty cool!
Edgecrusher
New member
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
Whoa dude... Thats really not what this place is about... Pretty lame to tell someone to go attempt to sift through the flood of info that google will return. Throw the guy a bone and help him out if you can. Sorry OP I cant answer your question. Hopefully more will chime in who can.
Whoa dude... Thats really not what this place is about... Pretty lame to tell someone to go attempt to sift through the flood of info that google will return. Throw the guy a bone and help him out if you can. Sorry OP I cant answer your question. Hopefully more will chime in who can.
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
I'm sure there would be. But you'd also have to factor in the specific guitar it is in (as in get a frequency response pattern of the wood), look at the strings you're using, the cables/pedals you have, plus your amp type and how the tone stack/drive characteristics work. Then you need to factor the most important element in - your own ears and hearing bias.
I'm sure there would be. But you'd also have to factor in the specific guitar it is in (as in get a frequency response pattern of the wood), look at the strings you're using, the cables/pedals you have, plus your amp type and how the tone stack/drive characteristics work. Then you need to factor the most important element in - your own ears and hearing bias.
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
There's a fairly simple test you can perform to find that ideal pot value.
Either of the following:
The first one is pretty basic. Use a 1-meg pot. The 2nd one adds in a simulated tone control and a resistor to prevent you taking the load to zero. Ideally, you'd also want to add a couple of meter terminals so that you could measure the resistance with the assembly still in the guitar. Or, simply have the whole thing on an external board of some sort and connect it with some clip-on leads.
The idea is, turn the pot down incrementally until you find that sweet spot. Then measure the value of the pot, and select a pot and resistor to simulate that value.
There's a fairly simple test you can perform to find that ideal pot value.
Either of the following:
The first one is pretty basic. Use a 1-meg pot. The 2nd one adds in a simulated tone control and a resistor to prevent you taking the load to zero. Ideally, you'd also want to add a couple of meter terminals so that you could measure the resistance with the assembly still in the guitar. Or, simply have the whole thing on an external board of some sort and connect it with some clip-on leads.
The idea is, turn the pot down incrementally until you find that sweet spot. Then measure the value of the pot, and select a pot and resistor to simulate that value.
DreX
New member
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
Maybe so, I just see two posts history and no apparent research beforehand and think that's honestly the best advice.
Maybe so, I just see two posts history and no apparent research beforehand and think that's honestly the best advice.
idsnowdog
Imperator of Indignation
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
You can put a 500K resistor in parallel with the volume pot and get a 250K load for the single coils, while keeping 500K for the humbucker. Or you can wire the guitar with a separate 250K pot for the single coils, which is basically a modified J-bass schematic. It all depends on how hot your single coils are, because once your past 8K the pickup is dark enough to use a 500K pot.
You can put a 500K resistor in parallel with the volume pot and get a 250K load for the single coils, while keeping 500K for the humbucker. Or you can wire the guitar with a separate 250K pot for the single coils, which is basically a modified J-bass schematic. It all depends on how hot your single coils are, because once your past 8K the pickup is dark enough to use a 500K pot.
Jocelyn
New member
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
It is a question in the Pickup Lounge, and is related for pickups. I think the question is in the right place. And a very good question.
Last edited:
Edgecrusher
New member
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
This is a discussion forum this is the place to ask questions and do research. This question is as legitimate as any other and is far more interesting than the dozens of mag swap and what pickup will get me X recorded tone that we have already. In short... Be nice to the newbies.
This is a discussion forum this is the place to ask questions and do research. This question is as legitimate as any other and is far more interesting than the dozens of mag swap and what pickup will get me X recorded tone that we have already. In short... Be nice to the newbies.
Chocklit_Thunda
New member
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
I see a guy with 250 posts acting like some kind of big shot, making assumptions and offering no real advice.
Just shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
If you don't feel like helping, don't reply to the thread. It's not that hard. It's not higher grade... There are far more qualified guys on here than you or me who are willing to help.
To the OP, ArtieToo's method works well and from that you can work out the desired resistors. An interesting thing would be to have separate resistors for each coil so that they're all in their desired sweet spot if that's possible at all?
I see a guy with 250 posts acting like some kind of big shot, making assumptions and offering no real advice.
Just shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
If you don't feel like helping, don't reply to the thread. It's not that hard. It's not higher grade... There are far more qualified guys on here than you or me who are willing to help.
To the OP, ArtieToo's method works well and from that you can work out the desired resistors. An interesting thing would be to have separate resistors for each coil so that they're all in their desired sweet spot if that's possible at all?
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
ArtieToo has just posted something people will be able to find on Google, because he is brilliant and awesome.
ArtieToo has just posted something people will be able to find on Google, because he is brilliant and awesome.
Edgecrusher
New member
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
I wouldnt be surprised at all if the "Google it" response from you in the first post soured the OP about the forum. I know it would have me.
I wouldnt be surprised at all if the "Google it" response from you in the first post soured the OP about the forum. I know it would have me.
Felipe Souza
New member
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
Single-coils works fine with 125k total resistance (250k volume + 250k tone in parallel wiring) while buckers works fine with 250k total resistance (500k+500k).
Is that math right?
Single-coils works fine with 125k total resistance (250k volume + 250k tone in parallel wiring) while buckers works fine with 250k total resistance (500k+500k).
Is that math right?
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: Resistors and Potentiometers
Kinda, but of course the resonance peak has completely shifted when you put the two pickups in parallel.
Kinda, but of course the resonance peak has completely shifted when you put the two pickups in parallel.