Re: Seymours favorites Jazz + JB question
I would suspect that 250k pots are used for strat type guitars equipped with humbuckers and not Les Pauls. Strats tend to be very bright because of the woods and construction that are used for them. For that reason, the 250K pots are used to warm them up. Les Pauls are mahogany and need to be brightened up because they are very dark guitars tone wise. So for LPs, 500k pots are used.
As a long-term humbucker man, let me tell you it's not so black & white. I use 250K pots on ALL my bridge PU's (LP, SG, 335, etc) with A5 magnets; 500K's on the neck. This warms the bridge, brightens the neck, and brings them closer in EQ, so one amp setting will make both sound great. No need to be total opposites.
The opposite approach is what Gibson did with the 490R/498T combo. The bridge has a A5, making it very bright, the neck has an A2, making it even darker. Good like trying to get an amp EQ setting that works for both. Shrill and thin bridge and dark, muffled neck. You'll end up playing one PU all night, not both. Which is why it's not a very popular combo and a lot of guys replace theirs.
To me, pot selection is based on PU position, magnet, and EQ, and has little to do with being HB or single coil. An A2 in the bridge will probably be too compressed with 250K's (like a CC). A C5 sounds great with 250K's, at least for blues & classic rock. There's more variables at work then just the HB vs SC thing.
