i´ve recently adquired a set of the Livewires Dave Mustaine active pickups. in the manual it was recommended to change all pots to the 100k ones that came supplied in the pack, however, i installed them with a 1000k pot and i think they sound better. (my guitar is a jackson rr with only 1 volume pot, no tone pots). So the question is, why 100 k pots are recommended for active pickups?
Why 100k pots in active pickups???
- Thread starter locrian06
- Start date
Dru Edwards
New member
Re: Why 100k pots in active pickups???
1000k pot for an active pickup? I don't know about the Livewires but the EMG 81 uses a 25k (that's 25 not 250) ... just checked, the livewires do use a 100k. I believe the reason for the smaller pots are due to the pickup's preamp.
Actives are quiet pickups. When you increase it to 1000k do you get increased noise? Or feedback? How's the tone quality?
1000k pot for an active pickup? I don't know about the Livewires but the EMG 81 uses a 25k (that's 25 not 250) ... just checked, the livewires do use a 100k. I believe the reason for the smaller pots are due to the pickup's preamp.
Actives are quiet pickups. When you increase it to 1000k do you get increased noise? Or feedback? How's the tone quality?
jafo
New member
Re: Why 100k pots in active pickups???
Correct me if I'm wrong, but ISTR that active pups are typically extremely underwound, relying on preamps to get output. That means they should already have a lot of treble. Since higher ohm pots = more treble (something about loading), you'd want a lower ohm pot to balance the tone. But YMMV; some people like lots of treble.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but ISTR that active pups are typically extremely underwound, relying on preamps to get output. That means they should already have a lot of treble. Since higher ohm pots = more treble (something about loading), you'd want a lower ohm pot to balance the tone. But YMMV; some people like lots of treble.
bryvincent
New member
Re: Why 100k pots in active pickups???
actually EMG humbuckers are wound to 10K but have smaller magnets thus the lower output and gets boosted by the internal preamp.
Zerberus
Baron Von Shred
Re: Why 100k pots in active pickups???
A 1 Meg pot in a Low Z pickup circuit (actives) is essentially a waste of money. IMO
The overal circuit load is so low that using anything above 200k will make nigh zero difference whatsoever tonally. There may be a minimicro bit more highs, but it´s more likely that these could be measured with an oscilloscope than actually heard.
The only thing you achieve with certainity is that you have to turn the pot half to 3/4 a turn before anything noticable happens.
I can understand it as a mod for players that use actives and hit the volume control often, but for anybody that actually needs to use the pot it would be quite detrimental to overall performance and would result in thousands of pots being returned as "broken" because people are used to something actually happening when they turn them
A 1 Meg pot in a Low Z pickup circuit (actives) is essentially a waste of money. IMO
The overal circuit load is so low that using anything above 200k will make nigh zero difference whatsoever tonally. There may be a minimicro bit more highs, but it´s more likely that these could be measured with an oscilloscope than actually heard.
The only thing you achieve with certainity is that you have to turn the pot half to 3/4 a turn before anything noticable happens.
I can understand it as a mod for players that use actives and hit the volume control often, but for anybody that actually needs to use the pot it would be quite detrimental to overall performance and would result in thousands of pots being returned as "broken" because people are used to something actually happening when they turn them
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: Why 100k pots in active pickups???
In active pickups the volume pot is not in the pickup circuit at all. It is after the preamp.
That means that the usual sound modifications that you do with varying pot values do not apply. In a passive guitar a lower value pot will dampen the amplitude of the resonance peak, but that does not happen with pots that are beyond whatever you first active stage is. A volume pot in an active guitar is like a amp pot for your passive guitar, not a guitar pot at all.
Active pickups don't care about the impedance after the preamp, neither from volume pot nor from your amp or effect.
In short: there are no sound modifications to be found here.
In active pickups the volume pot is not in the pickup circuit at all. It is after the preamp.
That means that the usual sound modifications that you do with varying pot values do not apply. In a passive guitar a lower value pot will dampen the amplitude of the resonance peak, but that does not happen with pots that are beyond whatever you first active stage is. A volume pot in an active guitar is like a amp pot for your passive guitar, not a guitar pot at all.
Active pickups don't care about the impedance after the preamp, neither from volume pot nor from your amp or effect.
In short: there are no sound modifications to be found here.
Last edited:
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Why 100k pots in active pickups???
25K pots are pretty warm & dark. I can't see using them in any passive PU. Since actives are intentionally bright & thin, bereft of the corrupting influences of the (relatively) high number of windings that passives have, they need pots to tame the treble. There's benefits to that, as EMG boasts, along with downsides.
25K pots are pretty warm & dark. I can't see using them in any passive PU. Since actives are intentionally bright & thin, bereft of the corrupting influences of the (relatively) high number of windings that passives have, they need pots to tame the treble. There's benefits to that, as EMG boasts, along with downsides.
crguti
New member
Re: Why 100k pots in active pickups???
So, the 100k pots for the mustaine livewire should be LINEAR. Correct me if I'm wrong.
So, the 100k pots for the mustaine livewire should be LINEAR. Correct me if I'm wrong.
uOpt
Something Cool
Similar threads
