What do pots do to humbuckers?

[Monty]

What do the different value pots (potentomitors?) do for/to a pickup?
Like the 250k, 500k and 1Meg pots, do they just give a wider range of sound possible?

Like if one had a 500k tone pot for the bridge humbucker, as opposed to a 250k one, would this mean it's more sensitive to the humbucker's output, like you can get a wider range between 1-10 than you would with a 250k one?

Sorry if that doesn't make any sense :smack:

 

[ErikH]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

The higher the pot value, the less current within the pickup that's be sent to ground, which will "open it up". The lower the pot value, the more current sent to ground. A 250k tone pot on a humbucker may make it sound too dark. 500k's are pretty standard for humbuckers but not the rule. You can use whatever sounds good to you.

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

I like to use "NO LOAD" pots this means that when they are on 10 they do not bleed any highs or output
this is the same effect as running a pup right from the input jack
you get all the output and highs without ANY attenuation

http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/CPNL1

 

[ErikH]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Those 'no load' pots are cool.

Don't you mean output jack?

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

here is a do it yourself MOD for making a NO LOAD pot
I do this to all my pots,
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/pots.htm

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Those 'no load' pots are cool.

Don't you mean output jack?

well the cable goes into the jack and i feel it is more sexual saying INPUT than output :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[ErikH]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

well the cable goes into the jack and i feel it is more sexual saying INPUT than output :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

That's a good enough reason for me. :laugh2:

I've seen that site. Haven't done any changes to any of my pots yet but I did try one that was already set as no-load. I like them for tone pots but not volume.

 

[Monty]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

The higher the pot value, the less current within the pickup that's be sent to ground, which will "open it up". The lower the pot value, the more current sent to ground. A 250k tone pot on a humbucker may make it sound too dark. 500k's are pretty standard for humbuckers but not the rule. You can use whatever sounds good to you.

Thanks!

Also, how can you tell what k a pot is (250k, 500k etc), are they marked out?

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Thanks!

Also, how can you tell what k a pot is (250k, 500k etc), are they marked out?

yes they should have a stamp on the top of the pot but IF not
take a reading on it with a multimeter

 

[Monty]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Hey I'm gonna change my tone pot for my bridge humbucker from the 500k one to a 1meg one. I just desolder and remove the old one and put the new one in its place, right?

 

[ErikH]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Yup, and solder the connections to the sample places. It's that simple.

 

[Monty]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Cheers.

 

[Dills]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Hi there just a question
What about if you hve a guitar like a custom tele with a humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge? Using the standard tele wiring with 1 tone 1 volume wont the neck humbucker sound very dark compared to the single coil? Is there any way to fix this

 

[Amateur]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Hi there just a question
What about if you hve a guitar like a custom tele with a humbucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge? Using the standard tele wiring with 1 tone 1 volume wont the neck humbucker sound very dark compared to the single coil? Is there any way to fix this

May be you can add a 100k resistor between the line coming from the humbucker to the tone pot and see if that may any difference. My guess is you probably won't get a lot of roll off on the humbucker though.

 

[ErikH]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Actually, rather than a 100k resistor in series with the humbucker, use 500k pots and put a 100k-150k resistor in series with the neck single-coil.

Adding a 100k resistor to an already dark sounding pickup will make it darker.

 

[C-Martin]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

will a 1meg pot rolled off to 1/4 sound like if it was a 250k pot, or to half sound like a 500k? ive always wondered this...

 

[Amateur]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

Actually, rather than a 100k resistor in series with the humbucker, use 500k pots and put a 100k-150k resistor in series with the neck single-coil.

Adding a 100k resistor to an already dark sounding pickup will make it darker.

My mistake! I was thinking that if the Tele is using a 250K pot and a 0.022 uf capacitor. You won't be able to darken the Humbucker. You may have to increase the resistance or the capacitance or even both in order to roll off the humbucker.

 

[Amateur]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

will a 1meg pot rolled off to 1/4 sound like if it was a 250k pot, or to half sound like a 500k? ive always wondered this...

That may not be the case. The high frequency cut depends on both the resistance of the pot and the reactance of the capacitor. Together thay give a non-linear response, so you probably won't get he result you expected.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: What do pots do to humbuckers?

You won't notice a difference in tone between a 500k pot at ten and a 1m pot turned down to 500k. You'd have to meter the pot down to 500k to test this because 1m analog taper pots will not be at 500k turned down half way.

In a h/s Tele with 500k pots you can do a couple pf things. Use a 500k pot for the volume and a 250k tone pot sometimes helps, or you can use a small value cap between the single coils hot lead and ground to bleed off a little of the top end. Start at .001 mf and fine the value that works best for you.