Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

[Lewguitar]

I have never found a 300K pot in any of my Gibsons and I keep reading this thing about Gibsons having 300K pots. From what I understand, only a few from the 70's have the 300K pots...most use 500K. My '00 Les Paul has 500K. What's the actual reality about this? What specific Gibson guitars and from what years have you guys actually found 300K pots in? No rumors, no hearsay...what's the actual facts? Thanks! Lew

 

[Spark]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

When I replaced the pots in my '97 Les Paul Classic the Gibson pots were all approx. 300K. IIRC they were in the 320-350 range.

 

[captain cavman]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

I have 300K pots in a LP std from '91 and in my custom shop Class 5 LP .

Need to check what's in my '56 RI and my '66 SG (with P90s in)

I will keep you informed Lew !

 

[chcjunior]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

Let me double check with the multi meter tonite. I replaced the pots in my SG Special with the 500K's. However, when you added to clause "No rumers, no hearsay", I believe I made that change based on exactly that.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

Let me double check with the multi meter tonite. I replaced the pots in my SG Special with the 500K's. However, when you added to clause "No rumers, no hearsay", I believe I made that change based on exactly that.

As Joe Friday used to say on Dragnet: "Just the facts, mamm, just the facts."

Thanks! Lew

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

Well my Epi says it has 500K pots. Should I test them just to make sure? If so, what tool do I need to do it?

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

My 2002 58RI had 300k pots in them. Most were in that 330 range when I checked them. I put in 500k CTS and the tone brightened up too much. Then I left the 500's in, but changed the cap value and got it to where I wanted it.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

That is so weird! The commen wisdom has always been 500K for humbuckers and 250K for single coils...and here we have the inventors of the paf using 300K in many guitars. Why? Humbuckers already lack highs compared to single coils...why throw those highs away when they're in short supply with a humbucker already? Just differant tastes I guess, but neck humbuckers usually sound muddy and muffled already to me...even with 500K pots. Just doesn't work for me if they sound even more muffled! Lew

 

[captain cavman]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

After checking I can make sure that my HB LPs have 300K pots and my P90s LP & SG have 500K ones !

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

Lew -

I know you asked about Gibsons, but according to Heritage my 535 has 500k volume pots and 250k tone pots. Might have to do something about the tone pots... at least for the neck pup.

Chip

 

[slightly_rude]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

All of my Gibsons came new with 300K volumes with linear tapers and 500K tones with log tapers. I have changed to 500K (on the bridge pots only) on my LP Stds and my Flying V.

 

[texasguitarslinger]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

This schematic has a note on it which confirms that models after 7-1-73 use 300K pots.

http://www.gibson.com/relations/schematics/diagrams/lespaul2.gif

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

Do you think they chose which value, 300K or 500K, depending on which Gibson pickups they used, or is it totally random? Classics come with 500T ceramics, so maybe they used 300K to tame them? Either that, or the line assembly men at Gibson are just grabbing out of a bucket. LOL

 

[Thames]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

I had 300k in my '97 Gibby SG. All Gibsons branded pots.

I switched to CTS 500k.

Recently, I notice that the guitar sounded better with vol at 7-8 :blackeye:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

Very interesting!

Are you guys measuring your pots outside lug to outside lug?

And are you measuring these pots in your guitar or after they've been removed?

The reason I ask is that the tone pot in my '00 LP Historic is clearly marked 500K, yet when I measure it in the circuit it measures about 250K.

Probably because it's in parallel to another 500K pot, the pickups, etc.

Lew

 

[Wattage]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

My '90 LP Special has 300k pots most measure ~330k area +/- a little either way. I've never measured my 2002 Standard but I certainly can, I'll get back to you with readings.

My 87 Custom had pots that read about 400k if I remember correctly but it has been a few years, pretty certain though.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

Thanks guys! This is very intersting to me and I appreciate your input on this. I'm still curious as to whether you're measuring 300K with the pots in the guitar or out of the guitar. Cuz they'll measure differantly in the guitar. As mentioned, the tone pot marked 500K in my Les Paul measures 250K in the guitar, because it's in parallel with the volume pot...I guess??? Is that why??? Thanks, Lew

 

[midnite_man]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

That is so weird! The commen wisdom has always been 500K for humbuckers and 250K for single coils...and here we have the inventors of the paf using 300K in many guitars. Why? Humbuckers already lack highs compared to single coils...why throw those highs away when they're in short supply with a humbucker already? Just differant tastes I guess, but neck humbuckers usually sound muddy and muffled already to me...even with 500K pots. Just doesn't work for me if they sound even more muffled! Lew

I agree with your theory in regards to the 500k pot measuring less as it is used in parallel with other pots, and when wired into a guitar. It makes sense that the more buffer you have in between your pickups and the jack, the less the output. My neck pickups in my LP and SG both sound slightly muddy unless cranked up all the way. What if I tried a 1 meg volume pot in, say, my LP with that Pearly Gate in the neck. Would that be too hot, or could I cool it off if so with a beefier capacitor ? Would another possibility be doing a treble-bleed mod to the current 500k neck-pot to help keep it brighter as the volume decreases?
I think I'll open it up this afternoon and see if I can tweak the circuit a little and see if I can make a difference.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

I agree with your theory in regards to the 500k pot measuring less as it is used in parallel with other pots, and when wired into a guitar. It makes sense that the more buffer you have in between your pickups and the jack, the less the output. My neck pickups in my LP and SG both sound slightly muddy unless cranked up all the way. What if I tried a 1 meg volume pot in, say, my LP with that Pearly Gate in the neck. Would that be too hot, or could I cool it off if so with a beefier capacitor ? Would another possibility be doing a treble-bleed mod to the current 500k neck-pot to help keep it brighter as the volume decreases?
I think I'll open it up this afternoon and see if I can tweak the circuit a little and see if I can make a difference.

Again, the commen wisdom is that using a 1meg pot will allow fewer highs to leak out of the circuit to ground. In other words, using a 1meg volume pot would retain more highs. Give it a try and let us know...I've never tried it myself. Thanks! lew

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Which Gibsons have you guys found 300K pots in?

This schematic has a note on it which confirms that models after 7-1-73 use 300K pots.

http://www.gibson.com/relations/schematics/diagrams/lespaul2.gif

I've seen 300k, I don't know if they were linear or audio though, in a friend LP standard that was like a '74 , but what is odd is that IIRC I've seen Gibson schematics that say after ,'74 or so that the 300K was changed to 500K ...?
I often wonder if Gibson used whatever they had laying around at the time, to get rid of stock supply's ... every other company did. I've also seen them in an SG, and a Marauder ... and I don't think the Maruader was ever supposed to have 'em ...? Odd indeed ...