Re: Whats the difference between 250K pots and 500K pots?
Hey GuitarGuy; I'll try not to make this
too technical.
A guitar pickup is a small electrical generator, that generates an AC voltage. The volume controls, tone controls, and amp input all present an electrical "load" to that generator. To keep things simple, we'll just consider the volume pot.
Normally, the volume pot presents itself as a resistance across the pickup. The less resistance, the greater the electrical "load". In this case, a load acts as a dampner. A 500k pot is a fairly large resistance, and thus, a light load. The pickup will have a certain tone characteristic. If we lower the resistance to 250k, (cutting it in half), we present a much greater load to the pickup. It will be "damped" more. In terms of the sound, it means slightly less output, slightly less high frequencies.
Depending on the guitar and the pickups, this can be good or bad. So, basically, a 500k pot will allow greater highs, and output than a 250k will. A 1 meg will do more than a 500k. But you reach a point of diminishing returns. If you go too high, you may end up with a pup thats ice-pickey, or harsh.
So, it becomes a matter of selecting the right value for your application. Sometimes you just have to try one or the other to find the right "sweet-spot".
Someone else will probably come along and give a shorter, more direct answer.
Artie
