Humbuckers With A 250k Pots.

[MP63]

I have several 250K pots. and want to know if there's any way to use them with humbuckers?

Will any change in capacitors work just as good as using 500K pots?

Thanks.

Mike

[mammoth guitars]

You can use 250k pots with humbucker pickups as a drop in. The differences over a 500k pot in the same guitar can be reduced output and slightly darker or less bright sound.

[MP63]

Would I change anything regarding the capacitors and tone pot?

[AprilEthereal777]

You can use 250k pots with humbucker pickups as a drop in. The differences over a 500k pot in the same guitar can be reduced output and slightly darker or less bright sound.

I am keen to replace 2 x 500k pots in one of my twin humbucker builds to WARM the sound as it is too bright for me.....I believe the timbers I used created this situation (Queensland Maple body with a Sheoak top). The stew mac website advises that 250k pots will give a slightly warmer tone but doesn't refer to a loss of output. See the following link http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_p...-Pull_Pots.html

Does MG or anyone else know more about this reduced output issue?

The stew mac link also confirms that 250k pots are ok with humbuckers.

Cheers.

[rubber314chicken]

nope, the pot would just work the same. a 500K post is like a 250 K pot that goes to 12.

[MP63]

Would I even need a capacitor then?

[MP63]

Here's my plan:

I have two humbuckers and I plan on using two volumes pots., one for each pickup.

As I am one who always has the tone on '10', why have a tone pot?

I am guessing that a capacitir is out, but will a 250K be OK?

I have several 250K pots I want to get rid of and use.

I am building a guitar with all my left-over pieces.

Thanks for the help,

Mike

[Kappasitanz]

if you want to use the 250k pot in the tone place you might as well use a bright capacitor (.022uf) to even things out

[mammoth guitars]

You can use 250k pots with humbucker pickups as a drop in. The differences over a 500k pot in the same guitar can be reduced output and slightly darker or less bright sound.

I am keen to replace 2 x 500k pots in one of my twin humbucker builds to WARM the sound as it is too bright for me.....I believe the timbers I used created this situation (Queensland Maple body with a Sheoak top). The stew mac website advises that 250k pots will give a slightly warmer tone but doesn't refer to a loss of output. See the following link http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_p...-Pull_Pots.html

Does MG or anyone else know more about this reduced output issue?

The stew mac link also confirms that 250k pots are ok with humbuckers.

Cheers.

Using a 250k pot in place of a 500k for the volume control will reduce the output - not exactly but similiar to a 500k pot turned down about half way. You can note that a guitar with a 500k volume pot will warm up when the volume is turned down unless it has a bleeder cap installed. The output of the pickup is across the pot to ground with 500k, its 500k ohms to ground and with a 250k its 250k ohms to ground or half. So its output is reduced due to the decreased resistance to ground.

[AprilEthereal777]

Thanks Mammoth Guitars for the detailed and well explained response. Would I be correct in concluding that given a setup that includes 1 x volume pot and 1 x tone pot with a 5 way rotary dial (allowing for split coils on both buckers), that by using a 500k pot on the volume and 250k pot for the tone, that one could warm the 'tone' without affecting the output/volume?

I guess one can always try different configurations and see if they are happy with the result. Each guitar also has many other factors that will influence the sound.

[mammoth guitars]

Thanks Mammoth Guitars for the detailed and well explained response. Would I be correct in concluding that given a setup that includes 1 x volume pot and 1 x tone pot with a 5 way rotary dial (allowing for split coils on both buckers), that by using a 500k pot on the volume and 250k pot for the tone, that one could warm the 'tone' without affecting the output/volume?

I guess one can always try different configurations and see if they are happy with the result. Each guitar also has many other factors that will influence the sound.

Yes the 250k pot on the tone control would be similiar to a 500k pot tone turned down. You may want to try different cap values to dial in the type of hi-frequency roll-off you are looking for in a tone control. A smaller cap moves the roll-off frequencies higher and the larger cap moves the roll-off frequencies lower towards the mids. A tone control merely bleeds off the higher frequencies to ground so they are not present in the output.

[JohnH]

Heres what I think:

With 250k pots, youll get the same basic volume as a 500k, im terms of the power of the fundamental note, but with a bit less high-end 'edge'. Also, if you have a single 250k volume pot per pup and no tone pot, that will sound virtually the same at full volume as a 500k volume and a 500k tone, when both are at 10. Ive tested thes myself, both practically and theoretically using a simulatiopn program.

I had some 300k pots in my LP, and Im changing them to 500k beacuse I like brighter. In the meantime, Ive done a 'no-load' modification on the tone pots, so as they approach 10 they go to infimity, taking load off the pups making them a stage brighter. This works very well and gives me a very full range of tones.

cheers

John

[Nicko_Lps]

Its all a matter of taste,not good or bad use 'em both and deside what you like.

On my LP i have a 490R and a 498T,i feel that the bridge pickup is a bit more trebby and i placed 250k pots while the neck has 500k.

Cheers!

[Mike Sulzer]

Heres what I think:

With 250k pots, youll get the same basic volume as a 500k, im terms of the power of the fundamental note, but with a bit less high-end 'edge'. Also, if you have a single 250k volume pot per pup and no tone pot, that will sound virtually the same at full volume as a 500k volume and a 500k tone, when both are at 10. Ive tested thes myself, both practically and theoretically using a simulatiopn program.

I had some 300k pots in my LP, and Im changing them to 500k beacuse I like brighter. In the meantime, Ive done a 'no-load' modification on the tone pots, so as they approach 10 they go to infimity, taking load off the pups making them a stage brighter. This works very well and gives me a very full range of tones.

cheers

John

John reply from August has it exactly right. The 250K pot makes very little difference at the lower frequencies. It just lowers the Q of the resonance a bit and so takes out some highs. Leaving the tone control out of the circuit means that it no longer loads the pickup. Remember, the .02 microf cap is like a direct connection at the higher frequencies near the resonance, so the tone circuit loads the pickup just like the volume circuit.