Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: MBKorn on March 23, 2013, 02:15:05 PM
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Hi there
On my Jackson SL1 i have disconnectet the tone pot, so i only have the volume connectet.
I never have used the tone-kontrol and the volume-kontrol was sitting in a stupid position, so i disconected the volume-button and now use the old tone-pot as a volumepot and going without tonepot at all.
Do you see a problem in this modification?
Ore is there something a should be ware of?
I have a Miracle man in the bridge
thanks
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I personally prefer the sound of guitars without a tone pot but i also prefer 1M volume pots especially with the miracle man. I find it tighter and a lot more cutting. You also get a bit more high end detail coming through which can be a bad thing if you have a bright amp.
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There should not be a problem...Unless you use it with capacitor which is usualy aded to tone pot...Also slightly difference could be between audio /used as volume/ vs linear /used as tone/...If you donīt rolling back volume pot for cleans=no problem...
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I had this modification on bridge pickups (without tone), but this pickup was shrill and unusable. Now ths problem is disappeared.
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I would be very surprised if both pots aren't identical in rating and taper if they are the original components. The tone pot with it's associated capacitor removed will work just fine
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Hi, and thanks for answeres
I kan se that my "new" volume-pot is 500k ... the one there is placed at the disconnectet tone is 250k. So i think my tech have changed them around or?
There is still going some wires to the ton-pot, there is disconnectet. Is that normal? (i dont want to use it at all)
And about the capacitor. Is that such a green think, there is put on the top of the pot. I have such thing, there is only solered with one leg.
Would it be a good ideer to buy another pot for my volume, to get the best sound out of my MM - and would it be the same pot i should use, if i get a c-bomb, CS ore something else to put in the guitar?
On the picture is the disconnectet "old volume, now tone" (250k) to left and the "now volume" (500k) to right.
Hope you can help again, thanks Michael
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We always recommend a pot of at least 500k for humbuckers, the 250k will dull your top end a fair bit. Check out our 550k custom CTS pots!
Also, yes if you want to use only 1 pot and you have a correctly valued pot to do that, there is no reason to not rewire it for that purpose and completely disconnect the other
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There is no technical disadvantage at all - apart from the fact that you no longer have a functional tone control. It's all personal preference - if you don't need the tone control and the volume control was in your way before, then you did the right thing for you. And it's easy to undo it if you ever want to sell the guitar in it's original condition or want the tone control later.
Cheers Stephan
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I'd say good call, I really don't like using the tone control at all either. I was thinking of turning into something I'd use, maybe a boost or something.
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thanks a lot guys :D
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My experience in doing this have ranged from "almost no difference noticeable" to "big difference easily audible".
I normally leave a tone pot on, because it fattens the treble strings up. The high E-string can thin out and become harsh without a tonepot, depending on of course several other factors as well.
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But will it do any difference if the pot is opend up anyway?
Is there a way to have the tonepot still on, but make it so you can turn it up and down (an no ... dont want to glue the button :D)
And i i want to buy a pot from here, so i have the optimal one to use for my volume, witch one to choose for the Jackson SL2?
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But will it do any difference if the pot is opend up anyway?
Is there a way to have the tonepot still on, but make it so you can turn it up and down (an no ... dont want to glue the button :D)
And i i want to buy a pot from here, so i have the optimal one to use for my volume, witch one to choose for the Jackson SL2?
Yes, with a normal pot it will. There are some special "no-load" tone pots, which I know are sometimes used by Fender, but I've never seen one in any place.
On the other hand, some players will solder a capacitor on the volume pot to simulate the extra load of a tone pot.
It should really be seen as a bit of fine-tuning, as it really can vary a lot between guitars. That's what I was trying to convey in the message above. In other words, experimentation is key.
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Thanks a lot for your answers
What capacitor should i get, to simulate the load from a tonepot?
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I would get a 0.022uf (=22nf, sometimes labelled "223") capacitor (the voltage rating does not matter) and a 470k or 510k resistor. Solder one end of the cap and the resistor together and tape the connection. Then solder the other end of either the cap or the resistor to the input lug of the volume control, and the other end to ground. There is your fully turned up tone control.
Cheers Stephan
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Hi and thaks for your reply. Just a quest: how much will have to say that i buy the BKP 550k pots a replace them with the 500k i have in my guitar now? Is it just a wast of money or?
Thanks, Michael
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As a rule of thumb, a higher resistance pickup goes well with a higher resistance pot. But the difference of say a 480k pot and a 500k pot are nuances - it's not a make or break thing. You will hear a bigger difference if you exchange a 450k pot with a 550k pot. Keep in mind that the tolerance of such pots is usually 20%, i.e. a 500k pot could be anywhere between 400k and 600k (usually lower than 500k though)! Some manufacturers specify closer tolerances but that will trigger an upcharge.
If your pot is working fine, i.e. no dead spots in the taper, no scratching I would keep it. If it has issues I would buy the BKP 550k in a heartbeat.
Cheers Stephan
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But a 550k wont make my guitar sound to bright? (Jackson SL2)
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Does it sound too bright now? If yes, stay away from the 550k - if at all it will make the guitar even brighter.
Does it sound a bit too dark right now? If yes, go for the 550k.
Does it sound right to you as it is? Leave it as it is.
Cheers Stephan