Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Got a '92 Mexican strat, currently have vintage SSS setup. Going to set up a second pickguard with an HH setup, so I can go back and forth between setups with a flick of the soldering iron.

Details:

Bridge Pickup: JB
Neck Pickup: Screamin' Demon
Body: Poplar (pretty sure for these era strats)
Neck: Maple
(Floating) Bridge/Block: Callaham (great sustain/resonance - definite change of tone and upgrade from stock pot metal bridge)

1. Modern vs 50's Wiring - I'm looking for some opinions about this for these specs.

2. 250k or 500k - Also, I used to have this setup, both pickups, in an alder body/mahogany neck 90's Korean Les Paul. I'm pretty sure it was factory wired 'modern' and not 50's, but I don't know what value the stock pots were (250 vs 500). But that Demon in the neck of that Korean LP was amazing. I'm just trying to get that sound with this same pickup in my strat.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

I'd try both 250k & 500k, but I bet I'd end up with 500k. Pots are cheap and worth experimenting with, though. I've done the loaded pickguard thing, and it is great. I wire it to a 2 prong molex connector so no soldering is needed to swap them. As far as modern vs 50s...I always liked modern more in every LP I've ever tried, although I admit, I haven't translated this to a Strat.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

I'd try both 250k & 500k, but I bet I'd end up with 500k. Pots are cheap and worth experimenting with, though. I've done the loaded pickguard thing, and it is great. I wire it to a 2 prong molex connector so no soldering is needed to swap them. As far as modern vs 50s...I always liked modern more in every LP I've ever tried, although I admit, I haven't translated this to a Strat.

Nice. I've thought about the no solder clip thing too. Most of the work is pulling the strings back and getting the pickguard off, but I get it if you're not home or don't have the soldering iron with you. Like you, I've only tried 50s wiring with LPs (ironically only with these two pickups - this JB and SD).

My reasoning for the 250k pot is when I got my first electric guitar at age 14, which was this same strat, I took it to a guitar near my lesson shop and had them drop a Hot Rails pickup in the bridge. I was in love with that pickup immediately and used it for the next 10 years. I'm almost positive this was with the original pots, which I believe are 250k for 90s Mexican strats (or any strats...)

 

[ErikH]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

I have a HH dual Demon setup on a guitar. I went with 300K volume and 250K tones (VTT setup). But as Mincer said, pots are cheap and easy to change. Try a few different values and combinations. When I'm doing experimental stuff like that, I tend to use blue painter's tape to hold the pickguard on in a few select spots so as to not continue screwing/unscrewing the pickguard.

I'm indifferent when it comes to the modern vs. 50's wiring. Majority, if not all, of my guitars are modern.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

I have a HH dual Demon setup on a guitar. I went with 300K volume and 250K tones (VTT setup). But as Mincer said, pots are cheap and easy to change. Try a few different values and combinations. When I'm doing experimental stuff like that, I tend to use blue painter's tape to hold the pickguard on in a few select spots so as to not continue screwing/unscrewing the pickguard.

I'm indifferent when it comes to the modern vs. 50's wiring. Majority, if not all, of my guitars are modern.

Yeah, my gut tells me to go with 500k because they are humbuckers, but with that strat I've been playing a humbucker with a 250k.

Does the 250k give you more low end than a 500k, or does is just have less highs?

 

[ErikH]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

Yeah, my gut tells me to go with 500k because they are humbuckers, but with that strat I've been playing a humbucker with a 250k.

Does the 250k give you more low end than a 500k, or does is just have less highs?

It changes the peak a bit so the change in the high frequencies gives a perception of more lows. I had a Gibson 300K laying around and while I had run the Demons with 500K for a long time, I wanted to see what would happen and I like the results. I then went a step further and pulled both tone pots (no-load) for normal 250K pots and that got me what I wanted. Even on 10, a tone pot has the ever slightest effect to the sound. It's not much but it's there and more noticeable with 250K vs 500K.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

It changes the peak a bit so the change in the high frequencies gives a perception of more lows. I had a Gibson 300K laying around and while I had run the Demons with 500K for a long time, I wanted to see what would happen and I like the results. I then went a step further and pulled both tone pots (no-load) for normal 250K pots and that got me what I wanted. Even on 10, a tone pot has the ever slightest effect to the sound. It's not much but it's there and more noticeable with 250K vs 500K.

Can you describe the change in tone when you went to 300k pots from 500k with the Demon, and liked it better? How did it change the sound?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

500k for humbuckers is my general rule. That's what they're usually designed to work with. I've yet to find the humbucker that was too bright (with a little use of the tone control), but have found plenty that were too muddy . . . .

 

[ErikH]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

Can you describe the change in tone when you went to 300k pots from 500k with the Demon, and liked it better? How did it change the sound?

It made it sound more how it is described in the SD product description. It was still great with 500K but I wanted to shave some of highs off with a lower volume pot value before hitting the tone pots. It still has that growl but it sounds a little fatter with more pronounced mids. At least in this guitar that's what happened. The output is still plenty for my taste too.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

I have a 2004 MIM fat Strat that had 250K stock. I swapped in a set of Fokin pickups and kept all of the original electronics. It sounds killer.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

To add fuel to the fire, I have a Super distortion in the bridge of a Tele and a Pearly Gates bridge in the neck of the same guitar.


With these four pickups, where would you guys put them in these two guitars?

I've also been thinking about a 59 neck if one of these doesn’t work out..

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

I have a 2004 MIM fat Strat that had 250K stock. I swapped in a set of Fokin pickups and kept all of the original electronics. It sounds killer.

This is why I'm thinking I'll check out the 250k pots as well. My hot rails sounded great.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

It made it sound more how it is described in the SD product description. It was still great with 500K but I wanted to shave some of highs off with a lower volume pot value before hitting the tone pots. It still has that growl but it sounds a little fatter with more pronounced mids. At least in this guitar that's what happened. The output is still plenty for my taste too.

Thanks for the description. Maybe 300k would be a sweet spot between the 500 and 250 values.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

To the guys who use 250k pots with humbuckers . . . do you use your tone knobs very often while playing, or just tend to keep them on full all the time?

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

To the guys who use 250k pots with humbuckers . . . do you use your tone knobs very often while playing, or just tend to keep them on full all the time?

Personally, I never touched the tone knob with mine. For years.

Single coils, different story, but still not wild with the tone knobs. I have a guitar where I completely took the tone pots out.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

I tend to keep them up all the time. On occasion I’ll fiddle on the clean channel.
But I’m going for a hard rock tone so I still want the “edgey” type sound but In my case I just wanted to slightly tame some high end. If that makes sense?
If I were playing more blues based stuff with less gain I’d most likely play with the tone knob more.


I should be getting my new (to me) Ibanez back from the shop tomorrow. I had a setup and JB installed. That guitar has 500K pots. So I’ll be curious to A/B it with my other guitars with 250K in them.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

I tend to keep them up all the time. On occasion I’ll fiddle on the clean channel.
But I’m going for a hard rock tone so I still want the “edgey” type sound but In my case I just wanted to slightly tame some high end. If that makes sense?
If I were playing more blues based stuff with less gain I’d most likely play with the tone knob more.


I should be getting my new (to me) Ibanez back from the shop tomorrow. I had a setup and JB installed. That guitar has 500K pots. So I’ll be curious to A/B it with my other guitars with 250K in them.

Hows the Ibanez, and the sound with the 500k pots?

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

Hows the Ibanez, and the sound with the 500k pots?

Unfortunately I haven’t gotten it back yet...it was “done” last Saturday but the tech said that the upper frets really could use a level and crown. At the time he asked if I wanted to come see the guitar and make the decision...
I told him that if they need it then go ahead and do it. So I’ll have it back next weekend...

 

[Jacew]

Re: Stratocaster - 500K vs. 250K Pots for JB & Screamin' Demon

It changes the peak a bit so the change in the high frequencies gives a perception of more lows. I had a Gibson 300K laying around and while I had run the Demons with 500K for a long time, I wanted to see what would happen and I like the results. I then went a step further and pulled both tone pots (no-load) for normal 250K pots and that got me what I wanted. Even on 10, a tone pot has the ever slightest effect to the sound. It's not much but it's there and more noticeable with 250K vs 500K.

I don't know... To me 500k pots usually always give a bit more low end "thump" as well. 250k being darker and more "level" sounding due to high end roll off.